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Serbia 0-5 England Thomas Tuchel enjoys finest England night and now faces selection decisions Sport.txt
Finest England night leaves Tuchel with selection dilemmasImage source,“vera & john” ReutersImage caption, England head coach Thomas Tuchel is embraced by a member of his backroom team after the 5-0 win against Serbia in BelgradeByPhil McNultyChief football writer in BelgradePublished4 hours ago305 CommentsThomas Tuchel spoke like a man who knew the best night of his England reign was coming from the moment he landed in Belgrade.The German heard questions about his methods after the dire World Cup qualifier win against Andorra on Saturday - a fourth successive competitive victory, but one that ended with thousands of supporters at Villa Park voting with their feet long before the end."I see what I see. I feel what I feel. I am convinced we will improve, then get better and better," said Tuchel before England's qualifier against Serbia.He echoed that message as he basked in the elation of Tuesday night's 5-0 triumph.Tuchel's side delivered on that promise - and then some - with a masterclass that swept Serbia aside in their own Belgrade fortress, the predicted hostile crowd silenced from virtually the first whistle by a performance of total domination.And, on what was the perfect night for Tuchel, he not only got the emphatic victory that puts England only five points away from World Cup qualification with three games left, he left Belgrade with the most pleasant of selection headaches to resolve.England finally showed attacking flair, doing it without Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka - regarded as certain starters by most observers. Chelsea forward Cole Palmer was also missing, as was Phil Foden, hoping to rebuild his international career through his Manchester City performances.In their absence, Noni Madueke excelled with a goal and a fine individual display. He has now made five goal contributions in nine England appearances.Elliott Anderson built on the good impression he made on his debut against Andorra, while Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers was an increasing influence, looking at home at this elite level.Bellingham is always regarded the natural for England's number 10 position, but Rogers staked his claim and showed Tuchel he has alternatives should he want to utilise them.Impressive England hit five in Serbia to maintain perfect startWhat Spence's England milestone means for MuslimsPublished4 hours agoWho has 'cemented place'? England players ratedPublished5 hours ago'This was the benchmark' - Tuchel praises 'statement victory'Published4 hours agoImage source, PA MediaImage caption, England head coach Thomas Tuchel congratulates Elliott Anderson after his fine display in the World Cup qualifying win against Bulgaria in BelgradeAnderson also received a highly complimentary review from Tuchel, with stats backing up the impact the Nottingham Forest midfielder has had while settling into international football.He completed 182 passes in his first two England appearances - 107 against Andorra and 75 in Serbia, the most by an England midfielder in his first two caps Opta has on record since August 2008.England's line-up had only four players with 25 caps or more, while four more were in single figures.It is only one game, but this was a huge lift for Tuchel and his approach. His time in charge has been a slow-burner, but England were on fire in Belgrade.It is something Tuchel's predecessors struggled with, especially Sven-Goran Eriksson, who picked established stars and shoehorned the biggest names into his team, some like Paul Scholes out of position on the left side, but failing to deliver success.Tuchel said: "I've kept repeating that we have had a brilliant camp. It is now up to me to make some decisions on positions but this is international football. These players proved a point every day in camp, and the team did it again with their performance."Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson enthused to BBC Radio 5 Live in Belgrade: "When you have big names missing the team then becomes the star. The team were united and there was a lot of cohesion."You run out of superlatives for England. Everything that Thomas Tuchel said what he wanted from his team they have followed it out to the nth degree. This was a highly impressive statement performance."Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Noni Madueke celebrates after scoring his first England goal in the World Cup qualifying win in SerbiaTuchel said he used his first two England camps to learn, but from now on in camps three, four and five it would be about increasing competition, then narrowing down his squad.So no wonder England's head coach was beaming broadly as he departed his media briefing after the most satisfying display since he succeeded Gareth Southgate.England became the first side to score five goals in an away competitive match against Serbia.And they have now won eight competitive games in succession, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford keeping his seventh consecutive clean sheet.England stifled Serbia and the hosts failed to get any of their three shots on target, leaving Pickford without a save to make.England had 24 shots and 12 on target while they had 42 touches in the opposition box as Serbia recorded just four.Madueke and defensive pair Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi all scored their first England goals on a landmark night.The good news arrived in bundles for England and Tuchel.Tuchel could almost gorge himself on the food for thought this game offered him.England were warned the atmospheric Rajko Mitic Stadium would be hostile territory, with the players making the 240-metre walk down the arena's famous tunnel.Instead, England silenced Serbia's fans from the start, dominating possession, giving those expectant supporters no chance to turn up the volume.There were some unsavoury incidents. The game was stopped in the first half when green lasers were shone at Konsa, while there was an outbreak of fighting among the home fans in the second half, with some supporters protesting against Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic.Serbia and their feverish supporters were beaten from the moment captain Harry Kane put England ahead, the all-time record goalscorer showing there are still no serious contenders for his place with his 74th goal in 109 internationals, a remarkable record.No such problems for Tuchel and England, who delivered the sort of dazzling performance and statement victory their supporters have been waiting for since his appointment.The Team Selector cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable JavaScript or try another browser.Who would you start for England?Select your best England XISelected formation: 4-3-3, Change formationChoose goalkeeperChoose right backChoose right centre backChoose left centre backChoose left backChoose right centre midfieldChoose centre midfieldChoose left centre midfieldChoose right wingChoose strikeChoose left wingRelated topicsFootballEngland Men's Football TeamComments can not be loadedTo load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browserView comments | 305
