It has been 5 matches since coach Thomas Tuchel took charge, but the England team has yet to show a clear identity. More worryingly, Tuchel has only 7 matches left - 5 matches in 2025 and 2 matches in March next year - to shape his style and mark ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
England struggled to overcome Andorra with a resounding, unconvincing victory to maintain their winning streak in the qualifying round. Harry Kane must have expected to continue to improve his scoring record, but even though he played the full 90 minutes, he did not take a clear chance.
The "Three Lions" are leading Group K and are preparing to enter the challenge that is considered the most difficult for Serbia. However, they still maintain an impressive unbeaten record in the World Cup qualifiers with 35 consecutive matches (27 wins, 8 draws) - the longest streak among European teams.
England have long been famous for playing well in the qualifiers, but the real problem arose when entering the finals. Tuchel is expected to be a coach of sufficient class to help the "Three Lions" overcome the final barrier - something that predecessor Gareth Southgate has not been able to do.
The concern is whether England will really improve under Tuchel. They started the new era with convincing victories over Albania and Latvia, but only scored 3 goals in 2 matches against Andorra - the team ranked 174th in the world.
In June, the "Three Lions" also suffered a heavy defeat against Senegal, a clear warning. Perhaps only in the away trip to Belgrade can fans see how far this team has improved.
Notably, Tuchel has used up to 29 players in just the first 5 matches. Elliot Anderson impressed in his debut at Villa Park when playing well in the 6th position, opening up an opportunity for Declan Rice to move up.
However, the lack of consistency in personnel selection has prevented no player, especially in defense, from being able to ensure absolute starting position. Only Rice, Jordan Pickford, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham and Kane are almost certain to be in.
Kane remains the team's biggest hope with 73 goals in 108 appearances. But at the age of 32, the worry about a surprise injury before the World Cup is completely reasonable, especially when England does not have many worthy backup options.
Tuchel had planned to bring Ollie Watkins on the pitch against Andorra to thank him at Villa Park. However, he had to keep Kane on the pitch because he was concerned about losing more personnel after Marc Guehi was injured.
Despite his recent lackluster performance, Tuchel still puts his faith in his main striker: "Harry Kane will be ready for the match against Serbia. At the beginning of the season, every player needs time to find his rhythm. He scored for Bayern Munich and I have no doubt about his readiness."
In addition to Kane, the German strategist also mentioned Watkins, Marcus Rashford, Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon, even Phil Foden or Morgan Rogers as backup options for the No. 9 position. However, not mentioning potential names like Liam Delap or Ivan Toney also raises questions.
Tuchel concluded: "The most important thing is that I believe in them. I felt energetic and positive this week's workout. That is why I believe England will have a good performance in Serbia and win".
