After achieving six consecutive triumphs from six matches, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.
However, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the equivalent formation.
"Presently, if we keep the structure, they won't fit together.
"They can but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We presently employ with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."
England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.
So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?
Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad fell to the Spanish in the final.
In the 16 fixtures the trio have played together, England have secured 10 victories, tied three matches and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and letting in 14 strikes.
Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that transforms formation when England attack.
Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.
Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.
Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and one with more license to contribute to the attack.
Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.
Foden could play as the number nine, which potentially could enable both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.
There is one way all three could play in this system and Tuchel alluded to it this week.
"For Man City, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.
Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season.
That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the central midfielder, paired with a defensive anchor.
This would then allow Bellingham to play as the creative force and Kane as the nine.
No matter whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.
