England is gearing up for a crucial World Cup qualifier against Serbia, and manager Thomas Tuchel has expressed his confidence in the team's progress. Despite a less-than-stellar performance in their recent 2-0 victory against Andorra, Tuchel believes that England is "on the right path" and ready to "prove a point" in Belgrade.

Tuchel acknowledged the challenges that await them in Serbia. He anticipates a highly charged atmosphere, fueled by an emotional crowd in what he expects will be an emotional stadium. He also highlighted the physicality of the Serbian team, who he expects to play a very direct style of soccer. "We expect a very emotional stadium, we expect an emotional crowd," Tuchel said. "We expect maybe, yeah, to adapt to the circumstances. We don't know what the pitch looks like. Make no excuses". He further added, "Then we come up against a very physical team. They will attack us in a man-man situation".

England, the Euro 2024 runners-up, have had a successful, though not always inspiring, World Cup qualifying campaign thus far. Their victory over Andorra marked their fourth consecutive win in Group K without conceding a goal. However, Tuchel is looking for more clinical finishing from his squad. "I think there are a lot of chances for goals and a lot of half chances where we can be more clinical, have to be more clinical," he stated. Despite this, he saw more positives than negatives in the Andorra match and believes the team is making good progress.

Tuchel also spoke about the importance of adapting to the circumstances and overcoming adversity. "We will try to prove a point – to win and put out the next performance, and to be tough in the circumstances," he affirmed. "This is what we see until now". "They have high quality up front – international top quality up front – so they play very direct and we have to step up to this and adapt to the circumstances, adapt to the opponent and then prove the point that we're a strong group, and we're on the right way".

Looking back at their Euro 2024 campaign, England entered the tournament as one of the favorites. They ultimately reached the final, demonstrating their potential and quality. However, their journey was not without its challenges, as they won only two of their six games in 90 minutes. The remaining matches were either drawn or decided in extra time or penalties.

Despite the pressures and expectations, Tuchel is confident that England is heading in the right direction. He believes the team has the talent and determination to succeed, and he is focused on preparing them for the challenges ahead. The upcoming match against Serbia will be a significant test of England's progress and their ability to perform under pressure. Tuchel and his squad are determined to rise to the occasion and "prove the point" that they are a force to be reckoned with.