Tuchel's England Demolish Croatia to Reignite World Cup Doubts

In Rijeka, Tuchel's lot actually looked like a proper team. "Complete," both the boss and the pundits called it. Hard to argue, frankly. The front four were sharp, no argument there. And who's this? Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott, making his first start, bossed the midfield. Against Croatians who've seen it all, mind you. Full-backs got forward, created chances, defended. Proper. Croatia? A ghost. One chance. Mateo Kovacic shanking it at 3-0. Pathetic.

Sure, the goals flew in. The pressing was fierce. Impressive, no doubt. But let's not get carried away. Context is everything, isn't it? This wasn't the Croatia of old. Not even close. An aging side, shadows of their World Cup-finalist glory. And this is the Nations League, for crying out loud. It's not the actual World Cup. Remember last week's "win" against Spain? Shaky at the back, that was. Or the Czech Republic game? An early red card. Hardly a fair fight.

Tuchel, naturally, spun Saturday's win as proof. All that agony from Argentina's World Cup semi-final exit? It apparently forged a "deeper understanding" in the squad. "We just get to know each other better," he mumbled. "Brotherhood," he called it. All those shared "experiences" from qualifying and that summer tournament. Building blocks, apparently, for future glory. Or something.

Forget it. The real judgment, it's still coming. November. Spain. That's the true test. Tuchel himself admitted it. Spain. Elite opposition. They'll find the cracks Saturday's doddery Croatians couldn't dream of exploiting. Seven goals? Don't expect that every week. The gaffer knows it. He warned against these "lavish scorelines" becoming routine. Those World Cup scars? Yeah, they're still raw.