S Poddar
Thomas Tuchel started his stint as England’s manager with a 2-0 win against Albania but admitted that his side must do better, with special mention of Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden. The duo, who played on the wings, failed to make much of an impression and were replaced after they were unable to convert their chances.
Providing a candid judgment of his first game in charge, Tuchel identified a deficiency of discipline in the second half and was also disappointed in the showing of his wide players. “We want more influence in these roles,” he commented. “More dribbling and more forceful runs into the box. Overall, that was lacking. The opportunities come from the small runs behind the line. They were not as concrete as they can be.”
Tuchel also wondered if Foden is not confident playing for England. “We will urge him to do what he is best at, to attack defenders, to attack with dribbles,” the German boss explained. “Both our two wingers who started were not as effective as they can be in club football. I’m not so sure why we could not get the ball quickly to them.”.
“We did not get runs off the ball. A bit too much passing and not enough dribbling, too soft in approaches to goal. They worked exceedingly well, were clear in training. That’s why I think also that they deserved [to start], were really good last weeks with the clubs. We will continue to support them.
England’s journey toward qualification for the 2026 World Cup got off to a strong start with a debut goal from Myles Lewis-Skelly and a late strike from Harry Kane. The standout performance of Lewis-Skelly, the 18-year-old left-back, was one of the biggest positives from the match. “Amazing player, amazing personality,” Tuchel said. “He came into camp and showed straight away that it’s normal to fall in love with him. It is richly deserved. He’s brimming with courage, brimming with quality.”
Although he recorded a victory, Tuchel is eyeing the larger objective—winning the World Cup. He emphasized that England needs to work on becoming better in order to do that. Looking at the game, he noted that the team lost confidence in their formation after half-time and was more susceptible to counterattacks. “I need to watch the game and look for solutions,” he stated.
As England make their way through their qualification process, Tuchel’s focus on improvement, discipline, and greater attacking intent will probably be central to his strategy. While the Lewis-Skelly debut gave a taste of things to come, the performances of veterans such as Rashford and Foden will have to hit new heights if England are to rule on the world stage.
