Head coach Thomas Tuchel says side cannot afford to approach any games with arrogance
England must remain calm and not start to freak out if they are to go as far as they would like in the World Cup, Thomas Tuchel has said before Wednesday’s meeting with DR Congo in Atlanta.
The Three Lions are expected to beat DR Congo but Tuchel said recent exits for Germany and the Netherlands were a reminder that they needed to be humble.
“It is the nature of knockout football,” Tuchel said. “I think it can calm us down in a way. It is just narrow margins. It is tight football matches and it helps us not to over-expect and put it in the right framework, what has happened in this World Cup.
“Teams are well drilled, teams defend on the highest level, teams are well prepared and it is difficult for any team to break teams down, especially when you arrive as favourite and face teams with nothing to lose. For me, it helps us to calm our minds, accept the situation and make the most of it.”
The England coach expects another patient test after his side were held by Ghana and needed 62 minutes to break down Panama in their second and third group stage games respectively. He believes DR Congo will defend deep, stay organised and look to counterattack, which makes it important for England not to lose belief if the breakthrough does not come quickly.
“We are not at the stage yet where you get full praise for what you do, because every one of us expects to win,” Tuchel said.
“There is not a lot of gain. There’s not a lot of praise. Still you face a team that don’t allow a lot of chances. It can be tiring, it can be a bit nerve-racking. It can be monotonous to break this block down.
“But that’s where the energy goes to, where the mindset has to be: that we don’t freak out; we don’t start to doubt. We keep believing and do our things. Encourage the players, because clearly there is commitment and togetherness.”
Tuchel was appointed partly because of his record in knockout competitions and he said those early rounds were the rough road to go through before the tournament reaches its biggest occasions.
“I just love it,” Tuchel said. “It just gives an extra edge. It’s what makes the FA Cup special and Carabao Cup. The first rounds of FA Cup and the rounds of 32s in the Carabao Cup, they’re not sexy. They’re not glamorous. You need to overcome them, and later it becomes glamorous.”
Tuchel also dismissed any focus on Fifa rankings, with England facing a team 42 places below them.
“Our opponent will play in the role of underdog which is always the easier role,” he said. “But we accept this and we know how to handle it. We will have a humble approach. We will have an approach where we focus on us and we put it in the right perspective.
“It doesn’t matter what the Fifa rankings says tomorrow or what Fifa think the game should be. We will answer the question the game demands, while the game is being played.”
