Comment: Thomas Tuchel has set England's template – now the battle is on for Jude Bellinghm, Phil Foden and co to fit into it
When England last qualified for a major tournament, two years ago, so much seemed set in stone. Considering they have just become the first European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup on the back of six wins out of six without conceding a goal, a lot is uncertain right now.
It need not be a bad thing, and it is more other people's problems than Thomas Tuchel's.
Squads need different things at different times, and after such a long and fairly successful period under Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions needed poking out of their comfort zone. Southgate recognised as much with his final squad, leaving out Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson.
Tuchel has warmed to his task.
Out of his unconvincing start in the second half of last season, England's latest coach has built a very clear way of playing. Which players fit into it is far less certain.
Fitness permitting, Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Declan Rice and Harry Kane will start at the World Cup. Elliott Anderson is getting close to being inked in, and one of Ezri Konsa or Marc Guehi will surely partner Stones in central defence.
Bukayo Saka, Reece James, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon and Dean Henderson can all bank on spending next summer across the Atlantic but given the competition for their places, have a fight on to make the XI.
As for Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Adam Wharton, Conor Gallagher, Miles Lewis-Skelly, Ollie Watkins, Grealish... it is up to them.
All are talented enough to make the squad but have just four matches, two camps, to earn it through the quality of their football at club, then international level, and their willingness to embrace the squad ethic Tuchel has quickly built.
England's silver generation of players look so good together, perhaps some of the more golden options can be cast to one side.
With so much talent to pick from, Tuchel can afford to turn a blind eye to bad tourists and bad team-mates; he can ignore those unable to consistently translate stellar club performances into international football, and to not hold too much store by past achievements.
He has four games to experiment, but a higher priority should be not losing the alchemy he has hit on.
So far under Tuchel, England have only beaten third-rate opposition, so it will be important to test them against higher calibre opposition in March's friendlies.
But when he threw down challenges in October’s window, Saka, Rogers, Watkins, Gordon, Anderson, Lewis-Skelly, Stones, Djed Spence, Eberechi Eze and even the England fans rose to it. They will have to keep doing so.
Others will fall by the wayside.
England's chances of winning the World Cup will be better if Bellingham can compliment, not suffocate, this squad, if Foden plays like the Manchester City version, if Alexander-Arnold improves enough defensively to fit the framework.
If not, Tuchel will just go elsewhere. It will be their loss, not that of a country which has set the bar for under-achievement.