With precisely 1 twelvemonth to spell until the commencement of the 2026 World Cup, England bash not look similar a broadside acceptable to extremity 60 years of hurt.
They were beaten 3-1 by Senegal astatine the City Ground connected Tuesday, with Thomas Tuchel tasting decision for the archetypal clip since taking charge.
It whitethorn person lone been a affable with a much-changed team, but the nonaccomplishment was met with a chorus of boos from fans successful Nottingham.
Tuchel says determination is "no request to panic" but, with the countdown connected to the World Cup, however acrophobic should England fans be?
Before decision by Senegal, England had won each 3 matches nether Tuchel, beating Albania, Andorra and Latvia without conceding a goal.
But Senegal's triumph - the first for an African side against England successful 22 attempts - soured the temper for immoderate supporters.
"We fto ourselves down. We fto the state down. We fto the badge down. It truly wasn't bully enough," said England midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
"It felt similar aft we went 2-1 down, that's erstwhile we started to play. That's erstwhile we started to person that state and effort and bash thing with the game, but we should person started the crippled similar that and took our chances."
Tuchel replaced Gareth Southgate pursuing past summer's decision by Spain successful the Euro 2024 final.
While Southgate guided England to 2 finals and a semi-final during 8 years successful charge, they struggled to get implicit the enactment successful large tournaments.
Another of the main complaints was the deficiency of individuality successful their playing style, and determination has been small grounds that Tuchel has shifted the squad successful a caller direction.
"Senegal were better, they deserved the triumph and England spell into the summertime disconnected the backmost of an eye-opening defeat," erstwhile Everton playmaker Leon Osman told the BBC's Football Daily.
"I expected England to inactive beryllium playing the aforesaid strategy they had done for the erstwhile tournaments but with immoderate flimsy tweaks.
"Yes, this is simply a affable and the infinitesimal to effort and alteration something. And that's my question: is this the commencement of Thomas Tuchel reasoning 'now we request to play a antithetic benignant of shot and system?' Or was this conscionable a one-off?"
Tuchel signed an 18-month declaration erstwhile helium replaced Southgate.
Lee Carsley, the England Under-21 manager, was fixed six matches successful interim complaint betwixt September and November 2024 - contempt Tuchel being a escaped agent.
It has near erstwhile Chelsea manager Tuchel with small clip to stamp his authorization connected the team.
"He'll beryllium concerned," erstwhile Manchester United skipper Roy Keane told ITV.
"We're connected the extracurricular looking in, but there's thing missing. They don't look similar a blessed group.
"Are they each successful it together? Is determination that due tone successful the group? I'm not truthful sure."
Depending connected your outlook, the World Cup being 1 twelvemonth distant is simply a blessing oregon a interest for England.
For some, determination is small clip near for Tuchel to robust retired the issues that person played retired during his archetypal 4 matches successful charge.
For others, determination is plentifulness of clip near for him to get to grips with the occupation and to amended recognize his players.
Tuchel picked an experimental starting XI against Senegal, with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalaboh and Levi Colwill successful cardinal defence and Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze connected the wing.
"We had a batch of changes with a batch of players that don't person truthful galore caps playing unneurotic due to the fact that I wanted to spot them successful precisely this situation," Tuchel told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"It is the 2nd camp; determination is simply a batch of learning going connected for each of us. At the infinitesimal it is pugnacious learning.
"We request to enactment calm. It is not what we expect from ourselves, result-wise, and we request to judge the disapproval and get better.
"The World Cup is not adjacent week. I americium inactive confident."
Former Manchester City and Sheffield United midfielder Michael Brown told Football Daily: "Let's not person 1 of these antagonistic feelings again towards this nationalist side.
"Look astatine the backmost four. We had Kyle Walker, who made the mistake, who is precise experienced. And the adjacent 3 on the enactment - precise inexperienced.
"The strength changed erstwhile we made the substitutions and we had each the attacking players on.
"The mode we dropped off, I consciousness we were a small spot afraid. That is the danger; that is the worry."
England are apical of their World Cup qualifying group, with 3 wins from three.
They resume the radical signifier with a location crippled against Andorra connected 6 September, earlier a further 4 qualifiers to marque it to adjacent summer's World Cup - and a affable against Wales successful between.
Provided they suffice automatically, determination volition beryllium opportunities for friendlies successful the planetary interruption successful March and successful the weeks earlier the World Cup.
England played 2 friendlies earlier Euro 2024, beating Bosnia-Herzegovina earlier losing to Iceland.
Should Tuchel bash the same, England volition person astatine slightest 9 matches earlier the World Cup, with 5 qualifiers and astatine slightest 4 friendlies.
Is that capable clip for Tuchel to physique a World Cup-winning side?
Time good tell.
English (US) ·