'I got some stick' - Thomas Tuchel accepts jibes from fans as England achieve American 'dream' with thumping win over Latvia

There were no problems in Latvia for Tuchel and his men as they recorded their sixth win from six to secure their place at next summer's World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. It was a routine win for the Three Lions, with Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane and Eberechi Eze all getting on the scoresheet. In fact, it was such a relaxed night that Tuchel was able to take a moment to acknowledge the travelling fans who were aiming some playful chants at the German boss following his recent criticism of the nation's atmosphere. 

Chants of 'We'll sing when we want' and 'Are we loud enough for you?' were met by a smile and thumbs up from Tuchel as his side cantered to victory. After England's 3-0 friendly win over Wales, the ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss was quick to point out that the fans could have pushed the players to an even greater victory against their neighbours.

He said, following their win over Craig Bellamy's side: "We could have been 5-0 up at half-time. We couldn't score the fourth and fifth ones. The stadium was silent. We didn't get any energy back from the stands. We did everything to win."

It would have been very easy for Tuchel to have taken the chants from England fans the wrong way, but he was quick to understand that they were said more in jest than in anger. After Tuesday's win, he said: "I got some stick in the first half but fair enough and well done, good sense of humour and no problem. It was brilliant support from start to finish."

Many England fans will have agreed with their head coach's comments after the Wales win. The Three Lions have often been criticised for allowing a relaxed atmosphere during matches held at Wembley. Only a few months ago the nation were stunned by Senegal at the home of football, and they were also beaten by Italy in the Euro 2020 final in the same stadium.

Tuchel will be hoping his words resonate with the majority of fans who turn up during the international breaks, particularly ahead of a huge tournament across the Atlantic Ocean coming up next summer.

Away from the back and forth between fans and manager, England are now ready to turn their attention to the World Cup. Tuchel took a moment to celebrate with his staff before embracing his players on the pitch after the demolition of Latvia, and he admitted the current mood in the dressing room is very positive.

He added: "Such a good mood in the dressing room. It feels very different because it is our dream to go to America and now we made it with another good performance and top result. Very happy.

"We are dominant in games, we are hungry. We have a lot of ball wins in the opponent's half. It is good. We are on our way.

"It is a club feel because we play very aggressive with a high press. It is a very physical game. Everyone needs to buy into the idea because otherwise you cannot press so high. The guys train on a high level and the group is a very good group and it is a pleasure to coach them. Step by step we are getting there."

England still have a few tests to come before they head Stateside for the eagerly anticipated World Cup. They take on Serbia and Albania in their final qualifying matches during November's break, before returning in March and the beginning of the summer for some warm-up matches ahead of the tournament. While the Three Lions' campaign has been flawless, there are still a few issues Tuchel will want to iron out before June rolls around. On top of that, he has the mammoth task of selecting his squad, a much tougher task than it seems, particularly with the likes of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish all missing out on the most recent camp, despite being in excellent form.