🔗 Share this article

With six wins in six games, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the equivalent formation.

"Currently, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.

"They can but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we established and not for the structure that incorporates wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We currently utilize with specific numbered positions."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

England's creative talents have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the stars have performed together, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and lost three, scoring 36 times and letting in 14 strikes.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that changes shape when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon consistently operate in wide areas and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to join the forward movement.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the attacking midfield position, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could play as the number nine, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is an alternative approach all three could feature together and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"With his club, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we view him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could make him an option as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the nine.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.