England coach Tuchel not satisfied with winning start

Thomas Tuchel admitted lacklustre England must “do better” after the Three Lions boss started his reign with a spluttering 2-0 win against minnows Albania on Friday. 

Tuchel had hoped to mark his debut with a dynamic display in England’s opening World Cup qualifier at Wembley. But England struggled to deliver the wow factor Tuchel had demanded earlier in the week when he claimed they were “afraid” to lose during their inconsistent run to the Euro 2024 final under his predecessor Gareth Southgate. 

Myles Lewis-Skelly repaid Tuchel’s faith as the teenage Arsenal left-back put England ahead with a composed finish in the 20th minute of his debut. England captain Harry Kane finally wrapped up the win with a clinical strike in the 77th minute. 

However, between the two goals  there were long spells of tedious sideways passing from the hosts as they laboured to prise open Albania’s defence, prompting Tuchel to concede they had performed well below his expectations. 

“We can do better, we have to do better,” Tuchel said. “The opponent was hard to wear down as they defended in a deep block. But in the second half I felt we were too slow. In general we did not make enough runs off the ball to get behind them. We will have video sessions and make sure we find solutions,” the German manager added.

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