England will host Spain in their opening Nations League match. In the pre-match press conference, head coach Tuchel discussed five players withdrawing from the squad, Palmer's injury, Arnold's competition for the right-back spot, and how the team will handle Spain's possession and defense. This is the third part of the press conference.

Rest of the Press Conference

Tuchel: Palmer Played Through Injury, Withdrawal Not for Load Management

Tuchel: Four Games in 11 Days is Unreasonable; Nations League Not for Preparation in Our Minds

There's been a lot of discussion this week about what kind of football England can and cannot play, and perhaps comparisons will be drawn between England and Spain. What kind of performance do you want to see from the team tomorrow at Wembley?

We've been through all phases of the game. We spent one day specifically on defense; yesterday we practiced building up play from our own half; today we focused on attacking in the opponent's half. If we want a chance to beat Spain, we must deliver a complete performance, that much is clear. We want to be the team that beats them, and we want to prove ourselves with our performance.

I don't see the point in simply copying Spain's style, and I don't think a copy can ever surpass the original. But that doesn't mean we ignore what they do well. For example, as I just mentioned, we will study their defensive statistics and their defensive approach. It might sound a bit unusual, but we are doing it because they operate at the highest level in that aspect. That's our preparation strategy.

Just last week, you said it might be time to embrace the chaos in games, or at least at certain moments. Antony Gordon also said this week that England should perhaps play more to their traditional strengths and be more direct...

I think we are already doing that, and we should continue to do so. Perhaps we need to maintain this style for longer periods, especially when under pressure or even when falling behind. I believe our play is very direct, and we often drive the ball forward. We place great importance on set pieces. Many aspects of our game reflect the direct, physical nature of English football. We will try to implement high pressing in the opponent's half. Not many national teams do this, but we will try man-to-man pressing in their half.

Of course, there are areas of our game that can and must be improved.

However, I agree with Antony: we should play to our strengths and further refine them, while also learning from the best teams, especially the very best, because they have the same amount of training time as us. That makes the comparison fairer.

If you look at the best clubs in Europe, they train together every day and possibly for several years consecutively, so it's very difficult to copy their style. But of course, we will study what other excellent teams do, absorb what is useful, and then adjust and improve our own model.

Following on from that, this England team has some players who are often among the leaders in their respective leagues for goals, high-speed sprints, duels, and tackles. How important is it for you to leverage these strengths and build a team that can win while minimizing the impact of its weaknesses, for England's success in the Nations League and the 2028 home European Championship?

Every playing style has weaknesses, that's just a fact. However, I think this is similar to the previous question. Recognizing these strengths is important because our players are capable of such performances, they are comfortable with this style, and they themselves want to play this way.

Then, as I said, we will try to incorporate some new elements. For example, low-block defense and mid-block defense, because these situations will definitely arise when facing top teams and in high-pressure moments. Sometimes, other opponents will push you back. We can improve in this area, and we certainly will.

Of course, when playing a low block, you can't accumulate high-speed running data. This might be somewhat different from the style we hope to consistently adopt. But we are willing to do it, and the players are willing. We want to add these capabilities to the team's characteristics, making us more complete, more compact, more competitive, and continuing to narrow the gap with the strongest teams, a gap that is already getting smaller.

Still on Spain's style of play. If Spain has long periods of possession tomorrow, or dominates the game, the fans might get impatient, especially after the World Cup. Have you prepared the players for this potential scenario?

What do you mean 'especially after the World Cup'?

I mean, after England's elimination in the semi-finals, fans might feel some disappointment.

Understood. Spain will play their way. They will try to wear you down little by little. They don't always go forward directly with every opportunity; instead, they prefer to make more passes, wait patiently, and gradually exhaust their opponents.

So, you can't be too eager at the wrong moment, otherwise you'll just waste energy and leave gaps. We have to choose the right moments to press. Of course, what you described might happen, but I can't control the atmosphere in the stadium. I would be very surprised if fans were resentful towards this team because we ultimately finished third in the World Cup, or because we lost in the semi-finals after the 85th minute. The tickets sold out so quickly, which indicates that everyone is looking forward to coming to watch the game.

But the reality of the game is that Spain wants to keep possession and control the tempo, which makes it very difficult to play a high-intensity game. That's their style. So, there might be periods in the game where we have to absorb pressure, and it might indeed be tough. But I also hope there will be periods where we take the initiative, play to our strengths that make us strong, and pose a threat to the opponent. Let's see how the game unfolds.

Have you considered setting up two squads like Jurgen did? Or does the current schedule and match arrangement prevent you from doing so?

I hadn't thought about it before. After he did it, I understood the idea behind it. If this were my first training camp with the team, perhaps I would do that. But my starting point for thinking about this now is completely different.

Before I knew which players would be available, I initially thought we could continue the work from the World Cup, largely relying on the players who participated with us, building on that foundation, bringing that energy to Wembley, and then moving forward from there. Now, there are only 15 World Cup participants in the squad, so the situation is different, but the number is still sufficient, and we can still rely on them. So, if circumstances allow, I don't intend to rotate too much in the next four matches. Of course, we will also be responsible for the players' health.

Garner won the U21 European Championship as England's right-back. Is it possible for him to play that position in the future?

It's possible. However, under normal circumstances, without injuries or emergencies, I would say he primarily competes with four other players for the two central midfield spots. But he is indeed an option at right-back. We know he hasn't played that position recently, but he can play it, and he could be another option besides Trent and Quansah.

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