Following England’s 1-0 win against Andorra in World Cup qualifying, Thomas Tuchel voiced concerns over their approach, describing it as reckless.
England, ranked far above their opponents, had a difficult match against the 173rd-ranked team in Barcelona, only managing a narrow victory thanks to Harry Kane’s goal, which secured their third consecutive win and topped Group K.
Following a poor performance, Tuchel’s team faced jeers from the crowd at both halftime and the final whistle, resulting in the England manager’s displeasure.
“I was most worried in the last 20 minutes because I did not like the attitude that we ended the game with,” said the German.
“I didn’t like the lack of urgency, and it did not match the occasion – it is still a World Cup qualifier. We will let them know [on Sunday] what we want from them.
“We didn’t approach the World Cup qualifier with the necessary seriousness and urgency.”
“I think we played with fire. I didn’t like the attitude in the end. I didn’t like the body language. It was not what the occasion needed.”
England controlled the ball (with 83% possession), yet Andorra’s organized defense thwarted their attacks, limiting them to long-range shots.
Kane scored his 72nd international goal, a winning goal assisted by Noni Madueke, but England had limited scoring opportunities.
England will play Senegal in a friendly match at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Tuesday, and Tuchel expects an improved performance.
“I think we started well in the first 20 or 25 minutes,” he added. “We created a lot of chances and half chances, and we lost completely the momentum and couldn’t get it back in the first half.
“Got a little bit [back] in the second half, but then ended up in a place that was not good enough in terms of urgency.
“Let’s acknowledge that this isn’t our usual standard. Let’s examine it closely and aim for improvement on Tuesday”.