Tuchel is doing differently than Southgate’s England.

That game showed two distinct differences, particularly in the Southgate era.

The first is the pace of play in the middle third.

Southgate’s sides are, perhaps traditionally, built short – looking to develop the ball slowly. They want to keep the ball, move up the field as a unit early – while pinning their opposition on third down – trying to break the low block.

This works especially well for teams that accept control and don’t want to step up.

But with football always evolving, games towards the end of Southgate’s reign saw England faced with increasingly clever defensive tactics. We’ve seen bold middle blocks and sometimes teams pressing high. This is related to the increase in man-to-man pressure that we have seen becoming common in club football.

The second difference was the way the team approached tactical dilemmas.

For Tuchel, smarter and more aggressive defensive tactics are countered by specific patterns and planned solutions.

Against Croatia, as England passed the ball back, Dylan Rice moved wide on the left and Harry Kane was joined by Elliott Anderson. Bellingham pushed to the finish line.

These moves were automatic but worked to undermine the Croatian press. After the Croatian took the field, the moves ended with Kane or Anderson playing long to Bellingham, Anthony Gordon or Noni Maduke.

Coaches prescribe solutions to players, chosen to implement those ideas. That’s put simply, but it’s the Tuchel way.

Southgate, faced with a similar midfield formation, will rely on his chosen players to solve the problem in a more attractive way.

This approach was difficult for opponents to prepare for, with Alexander-Arnold and Coby Maino able to create different ways to advance the ball – but without a specific direction, players could be stuck with tactically well-prepared defenses from time to time.

The rotation England used against Croatia will come as no surprise to their next opponents.