Tuchel insists ‘no harm done’ by honest criticism of England win over Andorra

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.

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.

“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.

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View image in fullscreen England’s Harry Kane celebrates his goal with Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters

“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.”

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.”

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