England cruised to a 2-0 win against Andorra at Villa Park, maintaining their 10-0 perfect record in World Cup qualifying. His win was marred by a clinical finishing deficiency. The same old song and dance repeated on the field. Even with 83% of the possession and 11 shot attempts, England struggled to unlock their disciplined foes.
The final game featured a dramatic own goal, and a powerful header from Declan Rice that put the match away for England. From the touchline, Thomas Tuchel was making his debut as the club’s new manager. She did say that while the outcome was positive, the performance was concerning. He stressed the importance of his side finding the passion and fire that was lacking in the summer shows.
Performance Analysis
Tuchel highlighted that his squad missed opportunities to accelerate their play, stating, “We missed the little moments to accelerate the game.” That resolve began to splinter under the mounting struggle visible in the second half. When England returned to those tendencies, they were met with fierce condemnation from ex-player Roy Keane.
Keane said that England had gone back to “sideways, backwards passes,” which was no good if there was a low block defense. Tuchel largely agreed, stating that his players had to be more clinical early on to create more confidence in their expression.
“I still think England fell back into their old ways tonight, certainly in the second half. Sidewards, backwards passes.” – Roy Keane
A full debut for debutant Elliot Anderson, as Tuchel was mostly pleased with the young 20 year’s performance. The manager was particularly impressed with his physicality, mobility and passing skills, which suggested that Anderson might be in for major responsibilities in the coming season.
“He’s just a very, very good football player. He has the physicality, he’s a very mobile No 6… it was a pleasure to see.” – Thomas Tuchel
Key Player Insights
Even though Anderson was bright on debut, no attacking player in the match held up under the intense examination. Tuchel recently vented his frustrations with Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Marcus Rashford for underperforming as profiled in the Daily Mail. He noticed how Eze was struggling to choose the right option when occupying the No 10 role. On top of that, both Madueke and Rashford squandered excellent chances to give England the lead.
“The last pass from Noni was not clinical enough. Rashford had some good moments but couldn’t finish them with a clinical assist.” – Thomas Tuchel
England was playing for three points in their recent match against the U.S. There’s a lot to build on as they start to train for their third match against Serbia.
Looking Ahead
After the win against Andorra on Saturday, England stands at the top of their World Cup qualifying group. Still, the team needs to clean up their sloppiness before continuing this window with an away match against Serbia on Tuesday. It is hard to overestimate the importance of Tuchel’s tactical analysis in determining their preparation. They want to overload down the flanks and maintain possession for the entirety of the game.
As England continues its campaign toward World Cup qualification, both fans and analysts will be watching closely to see if they can refine their strategy and execution on the field. Their next test against Serbia will be a match of opportunity for them to carry over their positives and improve on their flaws.
Leave a Reply