Thomas Tuchel reveals his half-time speech as England defeat Croatia | FULL press conference

Congratulations on the first win, that's really important.That was some of the most exciting attacking football we've seen from an England side at a major tournament in as long as I can remember.We loved it, I'm sure you did, but I wonder if you have concerns defensively at the same time?

I loved the second half, all of it.I loved the reaction to a very complicated first half, but as you said, We played against a top opponent.I think we showed a bit of nerves.Maybe we wanted to overdo it but we clearly overthought our decisions.It took us too long to take decisions.When we could play short, we played long.

When we could have played long, we played short.We couldn't find a real rhythm in our game.Even in defending, it took us too long to make decisions to go as a block into the high press.We spent way too much time in a low block, which is also not our identity and not what we wanted to have.The leads, both leads didn't didn't make us more free, he had more the impression we have to protect something now, got punished for it, which is psychologically not easy, but I love the reaction after the half -time.We encouraged him to go for it, to play with more courage, to be brave, to be ourselves.

Like I said, I love the reaction, we created a lot of chances, we had a lot of ball wins, we scored goals and overall I think we deserve to win.There are still things to improve, I think this is also quite normal after a first match, you need to grow into a tournament.We got a tough draw to start against Croatia, so the positives are clearly the ones we focus on now.and enjoy the moment and we have enough days to adjust what needs to be improved.

Hello Thomas, from what you seem to have said to them at half -time, you wanted them to be more attacking, more aggressive.In England teams, the English public have always wanted that, but England teams have struggled with that in the past.Do you think that that is just a sort of psychological block they have and that maybe they've got over that now?

I saw it today in the first half, I didn't see it in our friendly matches and in the qualification matches, so maybe it's also...It's also normal to feel the tension.I felt that they were absolutely ready and they were free and they were relaxed yesterday and this morning in the hotel.I had a very good feeling.But sometimes if you want to If you get it so perfectly right, then sometimes you want it too much and you overthink it.You're not in the doing, you're stuck in thinking and in decision -making.

In the end, in doubt, we took the decision to go backwards, on and off the ball.We played way too many balls backwards, we played way too many balls back to our goalkeeper.We didn't dare to eliminate, we didn't dare to play through gaps.It took us a while to find our confidence, that's why I said it's maybe also normal.I had the hope that the goals would help us, it was not the case, but that makes it even more special that we straight away in the game overcame it and had a much better second half.Overall I think we deserved to win it throughout the whole match and good to go from there.

This is Pilar Velasquez from Winsports Colombia.How are you, coach?So, Professor Thomas, this is Pilar Velasquez from Colombia.Congratulations on your win.I would like to talk about Madueke Bellingham and Kane, but especially about Harry Kane.Of course, I would like to highlight his performance because of the goals and also his work that he did and the marking of the man, et cetera.

Thank you very much.

If you see the commitment of our of our captain, of our number nine, in the extra time to block a crucial shot after a set piece with all his body and his commitment to buy into a defensive action like this, then you know everything about his performance today, complete performance.absolute leader and he is all in.He's all in physically, he's all in mentally and he's all in.He's a full package at the moment and he wants it and he leads by example, so we're very happy.

Thomas, hi.Congratulations.All four of your goals were scored by players who come from leagues which have winter breaks.Do you sense a freshness in them or is that just nonsense?

We need to watch more matches to draw a conclusion.Harry is in excellent shape, Jude is in excellent shape because he comes from an injury and Marcus is just pushing and pushing and training on the highest level.I'm very, very happy for him that he got this relief and I hope he stays hungry for the next one and the next one because he was absolutely impressive through the last 17 days.and he really, really deserved this goal.Let's watch it.I mean, they love these...

There's an advantage in these breaks and there's, of course, a lot of players for us on the pitch who have a lot of minutes of football in their legs.Let's watch it and observe it.If this becomes a trend, in the end I don't care if we score, who scores and how we score.

I want to propose something more from your emotional side because I think if you look back to when you retire when you were really young from football when you're a player and then you started all over again from the under 20s and then now you've won everything you can win with clubs But now you're here after your first game of the World Cup.How does it feel?

And I have to tell you something.I'm begging FIFA to change the position of the photographers in the national anthem, because I could not see my team in the national anthem.And I was waiting for this moment.It was a very, very special moment today.And I was standing in front of a wall of 50 photographers, half a metre away, and I could not see one single player and it ruined a little bit my experience today.It is very emotional.

Listen, when I was young and even when I started coaching, this was too big to dream of, to have this kind of a career.I'm very grateful for everyone who helped me along the way, of course my family and friends and also every colleague who trusted me, who supported me. could have never done it alone and then step by step you dream a little bit bigger when you're under 14 coach you dream to be sometimes maybe under 19 coachand then someone gives you a crazy opportunity and you end up in professional football.This is a very, very big ask and a great honour.It's very emotional and since yesterday I felt the spirit and what it means to be part of a World Cup.It's just amazing and I felt very, very alive.

the last two days and didn't want to be anywhere else in the world than here.

Could you just tell us what you liked about Jude Bellingham's performance tonight and also anything you didn't like?

You can rely on Jude in these moments, he loves these pressure games, that's what brings out the best in him, so that's an easy decision to let him play and to trust him.also because of the last 16 days, 17 days, how he bought into the idea of team spirit, into the idea of brotherhood and into the idea of how we want to play football, which is a slightly different position than his position in Real Madrid.The tough, tough decision was today.to say to Morgan Rodgers that he will not start because he deserves 100 % to start and he did ever so well for us and for me.So from there we go.I think Jude was very reliable and did his very best to be a top team player for us.

We do this as a team.And the team, every player is ready to do it as a team.We know we can just do it together as a group if we want to push it all the way.And today was a very good first step.

World Cup as they bid to bring back Glory for the first time in 60 years for the country with a 4 -2 winner.What a game it has been.Plenty of enterprise, plenty of excitement, plenty of concerns at the back against the veteran Croatian side.Still with Luka Modrić at 40 at the heart of matters.To recap the scoring then, Modrić giving away a penalty, a bit clumsy on Madawaki in the 12th minute.Harry Kane's penalty initially saved by Dominic Ljivikovic, but Ljivikovic had gone off his line too soon.

Josko Gavardia had encroached and Kane took it again and got his 81st goal for his country.One -nil England.Then Martin Baturini, a young midfielder, scored his second goal for Croatia.Wonderful flowing finish from Suticic's layback with the right foot.That was one apiece.Then Harry Kane in the 42nd minute from an outswinging Declan Rice, right -wing corner, bullet header from 12 yards out, put England 2 -1 in front.

Then it was Petr Musa, though, with a fine finish, teed up by former Spurs player, now 37 years of old, Ivan Perisic.he put that into the net question marks over offside wasn't offside so it was 2 -2 at halftime but then Jude Bellingham just two minutes into the second half running right down the right hand side combining with Maderwijk he ran a long way before finishing past Liverkowicz his right hand into the bottom corner for his seventh goal for his country and then with Pickford keeping England in it at times with some good saves including one from Paselewicz and as the game wore on.It was Marcus Rashford, one of many substitutes for England, as Thomas Tuchel turned to his bench.He combined with another substitute, Makaio Saka, checked inside his defender to seal the victory at 4 -2.Fantastic match, great start for England.Attack looking really good, but perhaps question marks over the defence.

Remember, the centre -halves, Stones and Conso with Gaye coming on late in the match.Well, Harry Kane's header for his second goal against Croatia brings him level with Gary Lineker on 10 goals as England's joint all -time scorer at World Cups.We've got the goals coming up.at midnight for you.There's the reaction at Manchester 11 p .m.

But they still got bags of energy just like they did at Euro 2004 when Wayne Rooney scored two.England have beat Croatia 4 -2 in this opening World Cup match.Maybe a modicum of revenge as well for that World Cup semi -final defeat in 2018.Just the energy perhaps England outlasting.These are the scenes in Brighton.Similarly, as the full -time whistle confirms next stop for England whether they'll be back at Brighton at the fan park I'm not sure is Ghana on Tuesday night in Boston nine o 'clock kickoff Antoine Semenya and company but England for now can breathe a sigh of relief perhaps celebrate tonight because they've got the three points on the board which may you never know be enough to get through to that last 32 stage 4 -2 the final score those celebrations will continue for a while you might imagine this is how the fans saw the game as England were awarded a penalty in the 12th minute But that soon turned to despair.

But a retake saved Kane's blushes.

And the celebrations were even bigger for England's second goal.

These Croatia fans in Philadelphia had reason to celebrate inthe fifth minute of first half added time when Moussa, Petr Moussa swept their side level again.Two minutes into the second half, England back ahead through Bellingham.England extended their lead with five minutes to go.These are the scenes coming in to us right now from Dallas, just the opening day game for England and thousands of Three Lions supporters there for the game.Sweet Caroline, the zounds around those England supporters.

Maybe déjà vu from Euro 2004.A couple of goals for Rooney.Scholes and Lampard beat Croatia 4 -2.Of course disavenging the World Cup semi -final defeat in 2018 as well.England fans enjoying themselves in Texas and why not?

Bad report, bad clean sheet.Knew he'd back the point.Defence ain't great, but it is what it is.How are you feeling about that one?Oh mate, it's brilliant.4 -2 win.

Let's have it off.Let's do it.No, yeah, I think we were a little shaky first half.I think we looked a little relaxed, you know, watching it.Seeing the whole field now, a little relaxed at the start, but we got in the groove.I think Tuchel kicked them up the butt at half -time, gave them a chat and we came out and took care of business.

Good subs, good timing.Yeah, we took our chances at the end of the day.

Ben, I'm a special fan.Unbelievable.Hey, Harry!It's Harry, lads.

I mean, as I was saying before, that's probably one of the best performances I've seen in a long time.So we looked solid in quality today.

I just wonder, what does this mean now for the rest of the World Cup for England?Do you think they can win it?

Hopefully.It's coming home.

I think the first five minutes they were a bit lacklustre and they weren't at it.But I think that's what you do in big games, you get yourself so worked up.Certain games you get yourself too hyped up before the game.Maybe the night before you're not sleeping correctly because you're just so excited for the game.You can see all the players are honest players.I always say this, people doubt English players or whether they care, whether they really want to be out there.

I'm telling you, every player that gets to that top level loves and cares about the game.It's not, you know, money and all this, like, what have you.They love every minute of being out on that pitch.And we have to care for them.We have to support them.And the boys, we've got so much technical ability.

They're outstanding players.And, yeah, in that first five minutes, they probably were a little bit over, yeah, nerves, anxiety, and just wanted to do so well, wanted to be so honest and do well and get back to pitch and made so many mistakes.But they turned it around and they showcased their talents and their individual ability and their collective ability and Tuchel, fair play to him, he's got us at it and I'm telling you, we've got a chance of winning this World Cup, 100%.

Very, very pleasing second half.Best performance I've ever seen from England at a World Cup, I think.Just dominating a technical team, I think.And what about the contribution from Bellingham and Rashford in particular?It's really good that Bellingham in the second half took the game over.Rashford showed great composure for the goal.

Really good substitutions by Tuchel at a time when we needed them, I think.

That was perfect, that was a perfect performance, first half dodgy, second half perfect.Great game for Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, stay united please, stay united we need him.I want Jamaica there.You know what, second half I think shows the difference between Tuchel and Southgate.We've got a good response from Tuchel, looks so much better than their early goal help.But I do believe it is now coming home.