England head coach Thomas Tuchel was not particularly pleased with his side’s performance in their 2-0 World Cup qualifier victory over Andorra and appeared to call out three players.
Tuchel handed Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson his senior England debut at Villa Park, and the midfielder repaid his manager’s faith by putting in a solid performance, which resulted in him picking up the Man of the Match award for his efforts.
The win was a relatively routine exercise for England, who struggled to break down a resolute Andorra defence until Christian Garcia’s own goal broke the deadlock on 25 minutes.
The home side struggled to build on their advantage in the second half and lacked intensity in their play before Declan Rice headed home a pinpoint Reece James cross to double England’s lead and ultimately maintain their one hundred per cent record in the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
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Arguably, Tuchel’s toughest test as manager will come when England travel to Belgrade to face Serbia on Tuesday – and based on the German’s post-match interviews, there may well be changes to the side.
Speaking to ITV Sport after the match in Birmingham, Tuchel appeared to call out three players who he felt could’ve offered more against Andorra. The former Chelsea boss was also quick to praise Anderson’s debut performance.
“[Anderson was] very good, very, very good,” Tuchel praised.
“He was a bit nervous this week, but then did good, and we said let's try it, and he did it."
But not everyone received such positive words from the England boss.
Tuchel added: "I think we missed the little moments to accelerate the game. Maybe Ebz [Eberechi Eze] didn't have his best day in the number 10, the last pass from Noni [Madueke] wasn't clinical enough and [Marcus] Rashford had good moments but couldn't finish them. It's stuff that can happen against a narrow team. The second goal should have come earlier because it gave us a lot of freedom.
"We've learned a lot and I'm glad for the players. Now we will prove a point in Belgrade [against Serbia]."
Thomas Tuchel gives Serbia selection 'clue'
Several players in Tuchel's squad did not feature at Villa Park, with Jordan Henderson, Dean Henderson, Jarrod Bowen, Djed Spence, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ollie Watkins and James Trafford all missing out on game time and forced to watch from the bench.
And those who missed out on Saturday will, no doubt, be hoping for minutes in Belgrade on Tuesday.
With Jude Belligham currently out with a shoulder injury, now more than ever could be a time for central midfielders to stake their claim for a place in Tuchel’s side.
Alongside praising Anderson’s performance, the England boss also hinted at possibly starting him against Serbia.
Tuchel claimed: "That [the match against Andorra] was the test for him. We want to have all the options for Belgrade, we thought, 'let's try today and see if he is ready'.”
He added: “I think he passed the test. Why should he not play in Serbia [on Tuesday]?"
Topics: England, Thomas Tuchel, Football
Luke Davies