Thomas Tuchel insisted that Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden needed to ‘do better’ following England’s victory over Albania. Goals from debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly and skipper Harry Kane saw the Three Lions secure a hard-fought win under the Wembley arch. It was far from a vintage display from the hosts, who showed flashes of quality but struggled to maintain their intensity levels for the full 90 minutes.
England were unable to create as many chances as they would have liked, often being forced to go back when trying to break into the box. Rashford and Foden were deployed in the wide positions but found it hard to make penetrating runs, even with Kane dropping deep to pick up the ball and make space ahead of him.
Speaking in his post-match interview, Tuchel claimed that England were too passive in attack and suggested that his two wingers failed to offer enough of a threat.
« We hope for more impact in these positions, » he said. « More dribbiling, less passing and more aggressive runs into the box. I thought this was all missing, the chances come from the little runs behind the line. They were not as decisive as they can be. »
Giving his overall thoughts on the performance, Tuchel was quick to identify areas for improvement after being left frustrated by the lack of intensity once the game had settled down.
« We can do better, we have to do better, » added the England boss. « We started well, we had seven or eight minutes with 100 per cent ball possession with a lot of passes and high energy.
« The opponent is hard to break down as they defend in a deep block. In the Euros they managed to not concede chances. Second half, I felt we were too slow and in general not enough runs off the ball to get behind the line. »
Tuchel also reserved some kind words for Lewis-Skelly, who excelled on his international debut in a position England have struggled with over the last few years.
« Amazing player, amazing personality, » said Tuchel. « He came in and showed straight away that it is to fall in love with him. He’s a top character and well deserved. »
Quizzed on Jude Bellingham’s performance in midfield, he added: « A key player for us, fantastic pass for the first goal. We expect special things from Jude and he is ready to take this responsibility. We have to create an environment where we can see more of it. »
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