If you want trophies, you also need to accelerate iteration

If Thomas Tuchel is impressive in terms of changing the mentality of England players and the atmosphere in the dressing room, the promotion of Skelly shows his precise eye for discovering new talents. To be precise, accelerating the iterative changes in England's midfield and backfield is an important mission for Tuchel during his short tenure, and it is also the key to his success in leading the team to the trophy.

The reporter reported coldly Thomas Tuchel made his England debut, beating underdogs Albania 2-0, but the game was a bit of a disappointment. The highlight that is really worth mentioning is the newcomer Skelly. The 18-year-old Arsenal debutant is not only the youngest new international to be on the Tuchel era list, but also the youngest Three Lions ever to score on his debut.

Skelly is not only Tuchel's new attempt to reshape England's defence, but also the direction for England's "golden generation" to continue to iterate. Compared with the midfield with a large number of talented rookies, England's midfield replacement problem has never been fundamentally solved. At the age of 32, defender Bourne, who was selected for the Three Lions for the first time, reflects to a certain extent the urgency of England's midfield iteration. Tuchel, who has been defending against Chelsea on the counter-attack, is the quickest and most effective measure to increase England's chances of winning the title, improving the quality of the defence.

Even the most demanding British media have to admit that Tuchel has an unusual recruitment of 18-year-old Skelly, with a unique vision and a well-deserved reward. The Arsenal debutant, who broke the deadlock for England, reached the age of 18 years and 176 days, breaking Marcus Rashford's record and becoming the youngest player to score on England's debut. Considering Skelly has only only made his way into the Arsenal first team this season and has only made nine Premier League starts, it will take a lot of courage for Tuchel to recruit him and start him.

Born in London, Skelly is of mixed Caribbean descent, with grandparents from Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and St Lucia, meaning he can play for as many as five teams. In fact, he trained with Barbados when he was in the Arsenal youth team, but eventually chose to play for England's Under-17 team. Skelly had previously become famous when Arsenal beat Manchester City 5-1 and he sat on the ground imitating Haaland's meditative celebrations, making the supernova remembered by the entire Premier League.

At Arsenal, Mikel Arteta was accustomed to playing as an in-cutting wing-back, who had previously played as a midfielder. He drops back when Arsenal have possession of the ball, allowing the team to attack in the 325 formation that they are good at. Prior to Skelly, Zinchenko, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Rico Lewis had all played in such tactical positions at their respective clubs. Skelly's strength lies in his excellent ball control and passing ability, with no player playing more than 400 minutes in the Premier League since his first start in December, with a pass completion rate (96 per cent) higher than that of the 18-year-old. His pass success rate on both his side and in the opposition half is highest in the Premier League. Only Virgil van Dijk has a statistically higher success rate than Skelly, and there is no player who has played more than 400 minutes in the Arsenal team during the same period, conceding less possession than him, winning more duels and succeeding at a higher rate.

His passing down the left flank enriched Arsenal's attacking left flank, increasing Arsenal's attacking chances from the left from 23 per cent to 36 per cent. At the same time, it also gave Tuchel a glimpse into the future of England's attacking strength on the left. Whether at Arsenal or England, Skelly's presence has largely freed up Rice, allowing the latter to be more involved in attack without having to worry about defence. Tuchel, on the other hand, has more of a development direction for Skelly, who he believes can play as a number eight and 10, and the best fit for him is at Arsenal as a left-sided midfielder.

Skelly's first touch, body movement and passing quality were top-notch, allowing Tuchel to discover a new mindset for Rice to find the ideal partner. If Thomas Tuchel has been impressive in terms of changing the mentality of England players and the atmosphere in the dressing room, the promotion of Gianluca Skelly has shown his eye for spotting new talent. And Skelly is only the most dazzling of the newcomers in the "picture phase": there are as many as 6 young people under the age of 23 in this period, and 4 in the midfield.

Accelerating the iterative changes in England's midfield and backfield is an important mission during Tuchel's short tenure, and it is also about whether his England side can rely on the vitality of the newcomers to challenge for trophies. Skelly was Tuchel's first rookie to be promoted to England but certainly not the last. In fact, in the "first phase" of the England team's training camp, the German coach introduced a new incentive mechanism for newcomers: three rookies selected for the England U21 national youth team were called to participate in the England team's training to speed up their integration into the senior team. The three newcomers who joined the team this time are Southampton defender Harwood Berry, Crystal Palace midfielder Wharton and Ipswich Town striker Delap.

The three newcomers have all been impressive at their respective clubs this season, with the 22-year-old Delap scoring 10 goals in 28 Premier League games and the 20-year-old making his England debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina last year and being named in the European Championship squad, albeit without making an appearance. Tuchel watched Crystal Palace's game recently, specifically to look at Wharton's performance. The 23-year-old also made his England debut against Ireland in November and was one of the few bright spots in Southampton's difficult season. Tuchel's focus is on the midfield and backfield, and he believes the three 'sparring partners' have a chance to be in the England squad in the future.

In the Tuchel era, the recruitment of new Under-23s for each England training camp will become a fixed mechanism. Tuchel had an in-depth exchange with England Under-21 boss Carsley as early as last year, and received strong support from the latter. In addition to the four newcomers, defenders Branswight (Everton), Rico Lewis (Manchester City) and unsuccessful Hall (Newcastle United) in the England Under-21 squad are among Tuchel's 55-man squad for the club. In addition, defenders Livramento (Newcastle), Kuansar (Liverpool) and Brendan Rodgers (Aston Villa), who should have been selected for this Under-21 national team, have all been called up by Thomas Tuchel to the England senior squad.

In addition to Skelly, Tuchel has also taken note of Arsenal's other talented teenager Nwaneri, who has just turned 18. The Nigerian mixed-race winger was named in the England Under-21 squad for the first time in March, but it was an overcrowding midfield that prevented Tuchel from opting for a direct takeover from the Under-21s. However, as the season progresses, Nwaneri should be able to earn at least a chance to 'sparring' with England in June if he can continue to get consistent playing time and better performances.