'The long throw is back' - Thomas Tuchel reveals tactics for England's World Cup 2026 bid

Tuchel has admitted he wants the Three Lions to go back to basics in their bid to win the World Cup next year. The England boss has spoken of the tactics he plans to deploy and is not afraid of instructing his team to be far more direct and to make the most of set-pieces.

He told reporters: "I told you: the long throw-in is back. But we do not have a lot of time. But once we arrive at the World Cup, all these things matter, so we will also talk about long throw-ins, we will talk about long kicks from the goalkeeper and not only playing short. But we cannot put everything into four days of training. But these things will matter. And let's see. I need to reflect now with my assistant coaches. All these patterns are back and crosses are back as well."

England have opened up their qualifying campaign with four straight wins but have struggled to shine under their new manager. Next up is their toughest assignment so far, an away day in Serbia, which comes after an uninspiring 2-0 win over Andorra. Both goals came from crosses into the penalty area, with Tuchel critical of his attackers after the game at Villa Park.

England take on Serbia in Belgrade on Tuesday night in World Cup qualifying. The hosts are also unbeaten so far in the campaign after picking up two wins and a draw from their first three matches.