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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tuchel insists ‘no harm done' by honest criticism of England win over Andorra
'I am the first one to ask if we could do better,' Thomas Tuchel told reporters at the post-match press conference. 'I am the first one to ask if we could do better,' Thomas Tuchel told reporters at the post-match press conference. Photograph: Eric Alonso/UEFA/Getty Images Thomas Tuchel has said his England players must accept his straight-talking criticisms if they are to advance to World Cup glory. The manager did not hold back after the lacklustre performance in the 1-0 qualifying win against Andorra in Barcelona on Saturday, questioning their attitude and body language. The result followed wins against Albania and Latvia at Wembley in March during Tuchel's first camp and means England have maximum points in Group K. They have also kept three clean sheets. Advertisement Related: England were dismal against minnows Andorra but it really doesn't matter | Jonathan Wilson Tuchel, however, was not shy about highlighting what he did not like against Andorra, which included how the players came to do their own things after they could not blow the tie open, a freestyle approach that led to an overall aimlessness. The travelling England fans also booed the team off at half-time and full time and they will want to see a significant improvement in the friendly against Senegal in Nottingham on Tuesday night. Tuchel said: 'What risk [in calling the players out]? What should I say? That we played a good match and are happy. The risk is only that you exaggerate it and make something of it that was not there. Everything I said I said already to the team. There is no harm done. We were not happy and no single player will be happy with what we showed. Why would the coach be? And why would we be shy of saying so? If we want to get better, we first need to address that we were not happy with the end of both halves. Advertisement 'I didn't name a single name. We do this as a team. Its always a 'we' and I didn't like how we ended the match and the way we ended the first half. I didn't like the attitude or the energy level and how that dropped. I liked the beginning [of the game]. It always includes me. 'This is a top group. I love the players. I love their character. They know that they underperformed. There is not a big thing in it. We know we underperformed and we are open about it and they are eager to do it better. We will now show them exactly what we want from them and how to it better in the video session tomorrow and the day after.' Tuchel was asked what he had done wrong. 'I don't know … we still won a World Cup qualifier. I am the first one to ask if we could do better. I felt us well prepared and I felt us good in the first 25 minutes. I don't really understand why we let the game slip away from us. 'It was OK at the start of the second half, we scored [through Harry Kane in the 50th minute] and we got a little bit like: 'Nothing will happen.' I would choose the same lineup again because that was my choice on what we saw and what we believed. I thought it was a very strong lineup.' Advertisement Tuchel was frustrated at the lack of dynamic running off the ball; how his players repeatedly settled for passes into feet. As for the body language, he has made great play of the need for positive interactions between teammates, good communication and even things like high fives. That did not happen. Tuchel made the point that Kane was 'one of the very few who stepped up and put a shift in at the end when things got a bit stuck and uncomfortable'. The German is not about to worry, even if there is the prospect of his honeymoon period in the job coming to an end. 'I always feel pressure as I am not happy with myself,' he said. 'The biggest pressure comes from myself. We have three wins and three clean sheets and we have a friendly match on Tuesday. I have felt more pressure than that. Are England managers judged differently? Fair enough. I am always ready for that.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
England 'got away with it' against Andorra
England captain Harry Kane says his side "got away with it" in their 1-0 win against Andorra in a performance that "wasn't good enough".In a disappointing display against a team ranked 173rd in the world, England won courtesy of a solitary Kane goal after 50 minutes in were booed by some of their fans at half-time and full-time, while manager Thomas Tuchel said his side "lacked the seriousness and the urgency that is needed in a World Cup qualifier"."It wasn't our greatest performance," said Kane, whose goal took his tally to 72 for England. "I don't think it's one many people are going to remember, that's for sure, but it's three points in the bag."But, yeah, for sure we know we can play better in all aspects, both with and without the ball."It's down to us now to analyse it, look back and try and learn from it because condition-wise it's going to be very similar to next summer - dry pitch, warm weather, humid."He added: "It [the goal] was probably our best move and we just didn't have enough of that, both with probably the runs and also the quality - a lot of balls kind of overhit, out of play, and it just kind of killed our momentum, especially there in the second half."The 2026 World Cup will be held across Canada, Mexico and the United beat Latvia and Albania in their first two World Cup qualifiers in March before the win against are top of Group K, with Albania second on four points, Latvia third with three points after two games, Serbia fourth with one point from one game and Andorra added: "We were just lacking quality [against Andorra], looked a bit fatigued both physically and mentally and, yeah, we got away with it because we're a good team and they had a couple of half-chances where we didn't get punished. But ultimately, it wasn't good enough."England's next game is a friendly against Senegal at Nottingham Forest's City Ground on Tuesday (19:45 BST).
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tuchel slams England's lack of 'seriousness' in win over Andorra
Thomas Tuchel slammed England's attitude and accused them of a lack of "seriousness" during Saturday's lacklustre 1-0 win against minnows Andorra. Tuchel's side were booed at the final whistle in Barcelona after Harry Kane's 50th minute tap-in saved England from a humiliating draw with a team ranked 173rd in the world. Advertisement Although England have won all three of their World Cup qualifiers since Tuchel took charge, they have struggled to fulfil the German's desire for a more attacking style of play. Their laboured efforts against Andorra infuriated Tuchel, who saw alarming signs that his players threw in the towel in the closing stages. "I didn't like the attitude how we ended the game," he said. "I liked the attitude how we started the game, the first 25 minutes, but I didn't like the last 25 minutes, the last half an hour. "I think we lacked the seriousness and the urgency that is needed in a World Cup qualifier. Advertisement "We played with fire and I didn't like the attitude in the end. I didn't like the body language and I think it was not what the occasion needed." England sit top of Group K as they progress towards next year's World Cup, yet they will need to improve signficantly to make an impact in the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Tuchel was relieved to secure the victory after Andorra pushed for a late leveller, but he conceded his team had played with a lack of energy. "In the end we played with fire, honestly. I felt it almost like in a cup game where the favourite does not smell the danger," he said. Advertisement "I didn't feel a team that is aware it's only 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier because we were not happy with ourselves. "I'm not blaming them. I even feel like they felt 'OK, we're not happy and this is stuck today, it will not happen today'. "Step by step the energy dropped. We needed exactly the opposite but we couldn't deliver and so we got away with a win." - 'The booing is ok' - Tuchel had admitted before the game that it might be hard to crush Andorra by a huge margin because his players were tired after a draining domestic campaign. Nine of England's squad will jet off to the Club World Cup after Tuesday's friendly against Senegal in Nottingham. Advertisement First, Tuchel will demand a more positive performance at the City Ground next week. "We will not stop to encourage them and make clear after we have a proper look at the match what we want from them," he said. England supporters made up the majority of the crowd at the RCDE Stadium and their displeasure was audible throughout a limp game that felt more like a pre-season friendly. Tuchel could not blame them for expressing their frustration, with jeers for the team mixed with abusive songs about British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "The booing is OK." "They were underwhelmed and not happy with our performance, especially how we ended the first half, so I don't think we can blame them for that," he said. Advertisement "We cannot even blame them how we ended the match. In the opposite. I thought they were fantastic throughout the whole match. "I did not hear anything about what you said about abusive songs or chants (about the Prime Minister), so if it happens of course it's not acceptable but I didn't hear it." smg/pb
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Thomas Tuchel unhappy with England attitude in laboured victory over Andorra
Frustrated Thomas Tuchel felt England 'played with fire' due to their lack of 'seriousness and urgency' towards the end of their unconvincing World Cup qualification 1-0 win against minnows Andorra. Boos greeted the final whistle, just as they did at half-time, after the 6,950 travelling fans watched the Euro 2024 runners-up put in a limp performance against the side ranked 173rd in the world. England failed to turn their dominance into a goal as the first half ended scoreless, with Harry Kane finally making the breakthrough when turning in star man Noni Madueke's cross in the 50th minute. But Tuchel's side failed to kick on in Barcelona and the skipper's third goal in as many games under the German boss proved the difference in an underwhelming win against obdurate Andorra. 'I didn't like the attitude how we ended the game,' Tuchel said after his first away match in charge. 'I liked the attitude how we started the game, the first 25 minutes, but I didn't like the last 25 minutes, the last half an hour. 'I think we lacked the seriousness and the urgency that is needed in a World Cup qualifier. 'We played with fire and I didn't like the attitude in the end. I didn't like the body language and I think it was not what the occasion needed.' England tightened their grip at the top of Group K by continuing their 100 per cent start to World Cup qualification and life under Tuchel. 'In the end we played with fire, honestly,' the head coach reiterated at the RCDE Stadium. 'I felt it almost like in a cup game where the favourite does not smell the danger. 'I didn't feel a team that is aware it's only 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier because we were not happy with ourselves. 'I'm not blaming them, I even feel like (they felt) 'OK, we're not happy and this is stuck today, it will not happen today'. 'Step by step the energy dropped. We needed exactly the opposite but we couldn't deliver and so we got away with a win. 'I think we still deserved the win and we have three wins and three clean sheets. From there we go. 'We will not stop to encourage them and make clear after we have a proper look at the match what we want from them.' Supporters also want more from the players and Tuchel could not blame them for expressing their frustration in Spain, where he heard boos but not abusive songs from some about Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 'The booing is OK,' the England head coach said. 'First of all, the support was amazing, unbelievable. They created a fantastic atmosphere for a match like this. 'When I came out, straight away I was excited and they made it a very special atmosphere first of all. 'They were underwhelmed and not happy with our performance, especially how we ended the first half, so I don't think we can blame them for that. 'We cannot even blame them how we ended the match. In the opposite. I thought they were fantastic throughout the whole match. 'I did not hear anything about what you said about abusive songs or chants, so if it happens of course it's not acceptable but I didn't hear it.'
Reuters
2 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Tuchel unhappy with England attitude after Andorra toil
BARCELONA, June 7 (Reuters) - England coach Thomas Tuchel criticised his team after they struggled to a 1-0 victory away to Andorra in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday. The German has won his first three matches in charge with no goals conceded but had it not been for Harry Kane's 50th-minute goal his team would have faced humiliation against a side ranked 173rd in the world. After collecting the three points that put England in command of Group K, Tuchel made no attempt to sugar coat a performance that was way below par. "We can just admit it that it's not what we expect from us. We need to look at it in detail and do better on Tuesday," the German told ITV Sport. "We lost all momentum after the first 25 minutes and lacked the quality and the energy. I was most worried in the last 20 minutes, I did not like the attitude that we ended the game with. I didn't like the lack of urgency. It is still a World Cup qualifier away from home." England had 83% of the possession against a nation they had scored 25 goals against without reply in six previous meetings, but suffered from a chronic lack of imagination. Asked if his message before the game had not got through to his players, Tuchel added: "The message got across because we had a good 25 minutes but then the energy and the determination weren't there anymore." It was a refreshingly honest take from the former Paris St Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager whose contract with England only runs to the date of next year's World Cup final. He did have kind words, however, for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke whose display was about the only bright point for England. "He was over the course of the match, the most dangerous. I could feel his hunger to do what was the plan throughout the whole of the match," Tuchel said. Captain Kane, whose goal was the 450th of his career for club and country, also praised Madueke. "I think he was a constant threat today and got the assist for the goal, but we need more of that," Kane said. "We have amazing players and we need players who are not afraid to take players on and if they lose it, do it again." England host Senegal in a friendly in Nottingham on Tuesday.
