Thomas Tuchel has taken aim at his England side following a laboured 1-0 victory over Andorra, stating their display was “by far not good enough” and questioning their “attitude” during the closing stages of the World Cup qualifier.

England secured a narrow win over the team ranked 173rd in the world on Saturday, with Harry Kane’s second-half strike proving decisive at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona. Despite the result extending their perfect start to World Cup qualifying to three wins from three, the nature of the performance left Tuchel visibly frustrated.

Speaking to ITV Sport after the match, the England head coach said:
“I’m not happy with the performance, of course. We started quite well in the first 25 minutes — that was the only period where I felt it was just a matter of time.

“We created a lot of chances, half-chances, and numerous set-pieces. I thought we would score and push on from there, but we completely lost momentum.

“We couldn’t recover it throughout the rest of the first half. We regained a bit of control in the first 15 minutes after the break, but then entered a phase that was by far not good enough. There was a lack of urgency, a lack of quality, and a lack of energy.”

Tuchel, clearly displeased, continued:
“We simply have to admit it — that’s not the standard we set for ourselves. We need to analyse this closely, address it head-on, and improve by Tuesday [against Senegal].”

The former Chelsea manager, speaking from the touchline post-match, cut a visibly agitated figure as he added:
“We had a good opening 25 minutes, but then couldn’t sustain the energy levels. It’s as simple as that.

“I was most concerned by the final 20 minutes, as I did not like the attitude we showed. It felt as though we were just playing out time until the 93rd minute.

“There was a distinct lack of urgency. It didn’t match the occasion — a World Cup qualifier away from home.

“All the players are fully aware, as I said it clearly in the dressing room.”

England return to action on Tuesday evening when they host Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.