New England manager Thomas Tuchel began his tenure with a 2-0 victory over Albania courtesy of goals by Myles Lewis-Skelly and Harry Kane.
Tuchel has not hesitated to express his ambition to win the World Cup and has been vocal about his desire to see more leadership within the team.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has supported his new manager’s message.
He addressed the challenge of turning final appearances into triumphs and agreed with Tuchel’s viewss on leadership.
“Thomas has put a great emphasis on the fact we have played in two finals and lost them both,” said Rice. “So how can we grow even better as a group?
“Harry Kane is our captain, but how can eleven players on the pitch all feel comfortable with each other?
“We are all comfortable with each other off the pitch, but sometimes, on the pitch, it’s different.
“Sometimes you feel like you maybe can’t say something or that you can, but only to certain people. That should change.
“So I think Thomas has been really good about being ruthless and saying what you want to help each other out and push each other because we want to win the World Cup.
“The best teams that have won have not had one leader on the pitch – they have had four or five or six who can push a group.”
Tuchel’s leadership call is essential
England have not won a major trophy since 1966. Tuchel’s call for more leaders makes sense, as the country has players who perform this role for their clubs.
Rice and Jude Bellingham are prime examples. They captained West Ham United and Borussia Dortmund before joining Arsenal and Real Madrid.
Kane, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and John Stones have also captained their club sides. The qualities they show at their clubs should translate to the national team.
The Three Lions have come close to winning silverware on two occasions recently. Players who perform well at club level must take more responsibility on the pitch.
Tuchel has also been critical of Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford, saying he expects more from them. This highlights some of the issues affecting the squad’s mentality.
England face Latvia next in their World Cup qualifier, and Tuchel will be eager to maintain his perfect start.
