Just three months after criticism regarding Thomas Tuchel's role in England's exit from the World Cup, the German stated on Saturday that the 7-0 thrashing of Croatia demonstrated the team's ability to heal from the pain of that difficult experience.
Tuchel's team was close to reaching the first World Cup final since 1966, when they were leading in the second half of the semi-final against Argentina in July. However, Tuchel's decision to switch to a more defensive tactic in the final stages turned into a disaster, as Argentina scored twice in the last five minutes, shattering England's World Cup dream.
The former manager of Bayern Munich and Chelsea faced sharp criticism for his cautious tactics, which raised doubts about his ability to maintain player support. Tuchel absorbed the anger of a disappointed nation before beginning the healing process during the current international break.
Despite the 3-2 loss to world champions Spain in the debut Nations League match last week, England's performance was encouraging for Tuchel. He saw more reasons for optimism in the confident 2-0 victory over Czechia on Tuesday.
During the Nations League match in Rijeka, where England exerted continuous pressure on Croatia, Tuchel managed to start moving past the bitterness of the World Cup. Goals were scored by Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka, both scoring two goals each, as well as Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, and Morgan Rogers.
It was a vibrant attacking match that English fans hoped to see at the World Cup, and Tuchel believes the lessons have been learned. He noted: 'I have said many times that we will always have a scar, we will always feel the pain and the disappointment. That's how it is, but this is how you move forward.'
He continued: 'We adjusted some things after some events following the World Cup, and we played in the same style in all three matches. We are getting better at this, and the team accepts it, that is the most important thing.'
Croatia had only lost four times in previous 41 home matches. Nevertheless, England masterfully inflicted the biggest defeat in Croatia's history. Furthermore, Slavko Pletikosa's team is a pale shadow of the group that reached the World Cup final in 2018 and the quarter-finals in 2022.
The biggest victory in Tuchel's era allows England to secure a spot in the top two of their Nations League group, ensuring participation in the quarter-finals in March. Tuchel emphasized: 'This is the only way to move forward, even if you still feel the pain. You must play with this pain; if you still feel the disappointment, you must play with it; that is the nature of sport.'
He added: 'At the start of the camp, it wasn't easy for many reasons after such a long tournament. But everything was great from the first training session. To achieve this under such circumstances in Croatia, to win with such dominant play—that is how you move forward.'
Kane, Gordon, and Saka were in unstoppable spirits, while Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott formed a solid central defensive line behind Bellingham, who performed brilliantly after coming on as a substitute against Czechia.
Commenting on Bellingham, Tuchel said: 'Right now it seems like he has reached another level. The level you showed last week will never be enough next week; that is just the nature of football.' He concluded: 'You can never stand still. You must strive for the next level, otherwise other teams will catch up. That is why it is always necessary to strive for the next level.'