England World Cup squad | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel can occasionally be careless with his words, like the time he said his mum found Jude Bellingham’s on-field behaviour “repulsive”. It provoked an apology and Tuchel blamed a slip of the tongue in his second language, even though his command of English is better than most of us writing up the story.

He rarely stops to think too hard about how the media will interpret his words, in the way his predecessor Gareth Southgate was so deliberate and precise.

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Thomas Tuchel produced some pointed words at the start of his World Cup squad naming press conference (Reuters)

But there could be no misunderstanding of his remarks at the start of Friday’s Wembley press conference, which were pre-selected and carefully chosen. There was clarity in his voice and perhaps some loaded, pointed words for certain players. An hour after England’s World Cup squad was announced, confirming the notable omissions of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire, Tuchel seemed to send a message.

“From day one we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players,” Tuchel said. “Teams win championships. It’s as simple as that. And what we are trying to achieve in summer can only be achieved as a team.”

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Thomas Tuchel admitted that the narrowing down of his squad had been ‘painful’ (Getty)

When pressed on specific players, Tuchel said they were “painful conversations” with players he respected. “We have to leave some extraordinary talents, some extraordinary personalities at home.”

But the broad message was undeniable. “I can assure every fan in the country that we have 26 100-per-cent committed players in camp with us who are ready to buy into their role on and off the pitch, and who are ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish.”

There was a glint in Tuchel’s eye at times during this press conference. “I like these kinds of decisions,” he added. “I think they bring clarity. At the end, they bring a certain edge that is necessary.”

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Squad management will be key for Thomas Tuchel as temperatures soar in the United States (Getty)

Tuchel acknowledged that this World Cup will be a squad game like no other. For the first time there are 48 teams playing 104 games, most of which will be played out in stifling North American heat. Today, for example, the temperature in Dallas, where England will play their first game against Croatia, is set to reach 29C.

The manager plans to rotate his squad and this fed into his thinking, too, in having a group of players with so few “stars”. He hopes to share around as many minutes as possible in the opening two weeks, while still securing top spot in Group L against Croatia, Ghana and Panama. There is no clear ‘first XI’ in his mind.

“The challenge is clear: it will be hot, it will be humid, we can have a game in huge altitude, it's one match more than usual because of the amount of teams – so would it make sense to rotate? Yes. And does it show also a level of trust to the players? Yes.

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England’s squad will have to be rotated (PA Wire)

“I think we have a significant amount of players who hope to start, and it’s more than just 11, so we will be able to rotate on a high level and give minutes and spread the minutes. Hopefully we can do this without losing momentum, without losing connections between the players … History shows that it makes sense to rotate in the beginning of the tournament.”

Tuchel was explicit in his lofty ambition when he took the job: to add another star to the shirt. Here, he was unequivocal on how that will be achieved. Not by stardust, not by sheer force of talent, but by a collective coming together to achieve a common goal.

They will head to Florida for warm-up games with New Zealand and Costa Rica, where friends and family will be allowed to mingle and training will be light. “We will make sure in the first 10 days in pre-camp that the players will have the freedom and the opportunity to reconnect off the pitch, to make it a special summer.”

Then they will fly to their World Cup base in Kansas City, when the real work will begin. “We need to play with courage, play with hunger, and take advantage of special moments. We need a bit of luck and we need crucial moments on our side, of course. Once we go, hopefully, to knockout football, it’s a game of margins, and it will not be done without luck, and will not be done without nerves of steel.

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Thomas Tuchel is a serial winner – will he lead England to World Cup success? (PA Wire)

“We need a bit of luck, we need to have our selection right, and then we need to stay healthy, catch momentum and build a brotherhood.”