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England possible lineup under Thomas Tuchel including Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer decisions

Three at the back, Kane in attack: How England could line up under Tuchel
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Following Thomas Tuchel's official appointment as England's new head coach, Sports Mole looks at how the Three Lions could line up under the German.

Following in the footsteps of Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, Thomas Tuchel officially became the third foreign manager to take charge of the England men's team on Wednesday morning, when he was announced as the Three Lions' new manager.

The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich head coach - who signed his contract last week - will begin his work with the FA on January 1, as Lee Carsley prepares for his final two games in charge against Greece and the Republic of Ireland next month.

Tuchel will inherit a squad brimming with fledgling talent, albeit one that his predecessor Gareth Southgate was accused of not getting the most out of, and the biggest question on fans' lips will surely be whether he sides with a three-man or four-man defence.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how England could line up under the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager.


ENG XI under Tuchel

Tuchel's 3-4-2-1 system worked to magnificent effect at Chelsea in knockout competitions - the German won the Champions League, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup employing such a setup - but he was more in favour of a 4-2-3-1 while managing Bayern Munich.

However, as Southgate struggled to settle on one formation - flipping from a three-man backline to a four-man wall based on the opposition - England's experienced troops are well-versed in playing in both systems, and there is no debating who will lead the line in either.

Harry Kane may have flattered to deceive in the weekend's 3-1 win over Finland, but he had just returned from an injury and scored an astounding 44 goals in his debut season under Bayern Munich with Tuchel at the helm.

There are many candidates for Kane's supporting cast, but Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer are surely at the head of the queue; both are the gems of their club teams and have more than proven their worth to England since being promoted to the senior ranks.

As exceptional as Phil Foden is for Manchester City, the 24-year-old has never been able to replicate such form in an England shirt, while Jack Grealish has impressed under Carsley but may not enjoy regular minutes under Tuchel without a huge revival at club level.

Saka and Palmer operating in the advanced positions could see Jude Bellingham drop into a deeper slot alongside Declan Rice, although Conor Gallagher - who worked under Tuchel at Chelsea - and Kobbie Mainoo are alternative and less attack-minded options.

Such is Saka's versatility that the Arsenal man could also operate in either wing-back role, but a fully-fit Luke Shaw - which admittedly is a rarity nowadays - is still the first choice on the left, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, who scored a wonderful free kick against Finland, may finally displace an ageing Kyle Walker on the opposite side.

Walker is an option in a three-man defensive setup, but John Stones, Levi Colwill and Marc Guehi are more natural central options in front of Jordan Pickford.


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Ben Knapton
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