Thomas Tuchel had a clear mission statement when he was appointed England head coach at the end of 2024.After years of abject failures, underachievement or agonising near-misses, Tuchel was hired to end England’s wait for a major international men’s trophy, which now extends to 60 years.His reign has had notable highs but chastening lows. So what are the expectations as they prepare to open their World Cup campaign against Croatia tomorrow? Six Athletic writers deliver their judgments.Jack Pitt-Brooke: A solid run to the semi-finalsTraditionally, the quarter-finals used to be the par expectation for England at a World Cup. But this is a different era now and I expect England to get into the final week of the tournament, probably going out to Argentina or Portugal in the Atlanta semi-final.England have an exceptional spine, and Declan Rice and Harry Kane have been two of the best players in the world for the last few years. They had a perfect record in qualifying and have one of the stand-out coaches in Tuchel. I expect them to win Group L and then get through a tricky run, even past Mexico in Mexico City and even Brazil in Miami.But I wonder if this England squad is just a bit short on quality in the final third, especially if Kane is restricted in any way. We have seen over the years that England cannot function without Kane. And Tuchel has picked a squad that looks more aimed towards a physical style and set pieces. Cole Palmer and Phil Foden have been left at home. I just wonder whether they might run out of ideas at some point.England are heavily reliant on Harry Kane (Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images)Oliver Kay: Where are the ‘different’ players?I’m never a great optimist where England are concerned. I was a little more hopeful going into the last World Cup — a team that had built up steadily under Gareth Southgate — but this time I’m left with the familiar feeling that, if there’s a winning formula, it’s going to have to be found along the way.That can happen, particularly under a coach as tactically astute as Tuchel. But I’m just not sure about the direction he has taken. It’s geared towards a fast and furious playing style. That is historically what English footballers like, but I’m not sure it optimises the strengths of this more technically gifted generation of players, particularly when the schedule intensifies in the heat of a North American summer.We have spent years waiting for England to develop more technical players and to me it feels counter-intuitive to go into a World Cup without Trent Alexander-Arnold, Adam Wharton, Foden or Palmer.I understand the logic; some of them have had difficult seasons at club level and none has yet found a settled role for England. But to leave out all four of them? When you look at some of those selected ahead of them — some of whom also struggled at club level this season — it looks less like a brave new world and more like the kind of conservatism that has held England back in the past.I still fancy England to reach the quarter-finals; they have one of the strongest squads, a world-class centre-forward and one of the best coaches.But so often we come away from these tournaments lamenting how England lack intelligent, creative players who can keep hold of the ball and do something different in those tight spaces between the lines. Personally, I would prefer a squad that had more of those “different” players rather than prioritising pace and energy to the extent Tuchel has.Jay Harris: Elite options in attack, worries in defenceI grew up with England’s Golden Generation routinely being knocked out in the quarter-finals of major international tournaments and Southgate deserves a lot of praise for breaking that curse. Southgate’s style of play could be tough to watch, especially during the 2024 European Championship, but he raised the bar, which means anything less than reaching the semi-finals this summer should be considered a failure.England have arguably the world’s best centre-forward in Kane, while Rice and Jude Bellingham are elite central midfielders. Bukayo Saka has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons but remains an excellent option at right wing. Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Ollie Watkins can impact games from the bench.The biggest concern is around the defence. John Stones barely played for Manchester City last season, while Chelsea’s Reece James missed around a month of action with a hamstring injury. Will James, who has struggled with his fitness over the last few years, be able to cope with the tight tournament schedule?A few of Tuchel’s selection decisions have been questioned, including the omission of Alexander-Arnold, Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White, but the inclusion of Djed Spence makes more sense than people realise. Spence’s form has been patchy over the last few months but he is excellent in one-on-one situations against the world’s best wingers. Spence’s presence gives me confidence that Tuchel is prepared for every eventuality.Thomas Tuchel was brought in to win England the World Cup (Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images)Cerys Jones: The same old storyThe same as my expectations for any England men’s team at a major tournament. They will breeze through their group (with at least one stodgy, dull 1-0 win along the way), progress fairly comfortably through the new round of 32 and round of 16, and come unstuck when they meet a more dynamic opponent with a higher-quality defence, probably in the quarter-finals or semi-finals.Don’t get me wrong: this is an extremely talented squad with a wealth of goalscorers and a solid defensive spine. That is why I do not expect them to have any serious problems in the group stage. Even with the creative players that have been omitted, there should be enough attacking depth to rotate mid-game and conjure new energy and ideas in the final third.My concern is England being able to keep up with more technical, fast-paced passing teams, particularly in the stifling weather. Rice and Elliot Anderson have impressive engines but will carry an extraordinary burden throughout the tournament and need to stay on top of their game and at full intensity throughout.James and Stones’ respective availability issues make me a little nervous about their capacity to maintain intensity in such a challenging environment. Nico O’Reilly has never played such a long campaign before. I worry that the defence might just run out of energy against the best front lines in world football.Reece James is a class act but can his body stand up to a World Cup? (Alex Menendez/Getty Images)Tim Spiers: Tuchel needs to be smartHmm. England don’t have the best team on paper, they don’t have the best manager and traditionally they have struggled in hot, energy-sapping conditions, so it’s hard to make a really strong case for them winning the World Cup, but they can go pretty deep into the knockout stage.To win a World Cup you need a consistently robust defence and I’m not quite convinced England have that, plus there are concerns in the wide forward areas. The midfield is great, though, so there’s that.Look, they have the talent to go far and the firepower in Kane, whose form (and that of his back-up Watkins) is a huge plus. Kane looked laboured and lost at Euro 2024 but England should be getting the best version of him in the coming weeks, which gives them a chance of beating any opponent.Tuchel was hired to take what Southgate did and add the nous of what it takes to win a major tournament, preferably involving a more positive, fearless approach, some proactive substitutions and ruthless selections.He’s got the last box ticked with his squad choice and now it’s time to see if he can do the rest. Other teams have a better XI, so he needs to be pretty smart.Dan Sheldon: Reliance on Kane is a concern Tuchel has made no secret that his one goal with this England is to win the World Cup — but is that possible? It is difficult to look past Spain or Argentina, and France should be in that mix, too.England should have no issues navigating their way out of Group L and into the round of 16, where they could potentially play Mexico in Mexico City. That is where it becomes difficult. The crowd at the Azteca for Mexico’s opening game against South Africa was something to behold, and that will count for something should the two teams meet.For England to achieve anything they are going to be so reliant on Kane’s goalscoring ability. There is a gulf in quality between Kane and the other strikers in the squad — Ivan Toney and Watkins — but when they get an opportunity, they need to take it.You would expect Bellingham, Saka and others to also contribute in attack. But if they don’t, and everything is on Kane, then that is not a good position for England to be in — irrespective of how prolific he has been.My heart says England will have a great tournament; my head says a possible round-of-16 game at the Azteca will be tough, even if they are far superior to Mexico’s squad.