'We played with fire' - Tuchel criticises England's 'attitude'

Thomas Tuchel criticised England's "attitude" and felt they "played with fire" successful a narrow 1-0 World Cup qualifying win distant to Andorra.

The Three Lions laboured against the world's 173rd-ranked broadside successful Barcelona, squeezing retired a 3rd successive triumph done skipper Harry Kane's 50th-minute onslaught to apical Group K.

Tuchel's men were jeered disconnected the transportation astatine half-time and again astatine the end, leaving the England manager "not happy" with the disappointing display.

"I was astir disquieted successful the past 20 minutes due to the fact that I did not similar the cognition that we ended the crippled with," said the German.

"I didn't similar the deficiency of urgency and it did not lucifer the juncture - it is inactive a World Cup qualifier. We volition fto them cognize [on Sunday] what we privation from them.

"I deliberation we lacked the seriousness and the urgency that is needed successful a World Cup qualifier.

"I deliberation we played with fire. I didn't similar the cognition successful the end. I didn't similar the assemblage language. It was not what the juncture needed."

England dominated the shot with 83 per cent possession, but frustratingly could not interruption down Andorra's well-organised defence and were chiefly restricted to efforts from distance.

Kane slid location the victor from a Noni Madueke transverse for his 72nd planetary goal, but the Three Lions had fewer clear-cut chances.

England adjacent look Senegal successful a affable astatine Nottingham Forest's City Ground connected Tuesday and Tuchel expects a amended performance.

"I deliberation we started good successful the archetypal 20 oregon 25 minutes," helium added. "We created a batch of chances and fractional chances, and we mislaid wholly the momentum and couldn't get it backmost successful the archetypal half.

"Got a small spot [back] successful the 2nd half, but past ended up successful a spot that was not bully capable successful presumption of urgency.

"We tin conscionable admit that, it's not what we expect from us. We request to look astatine it successful item and bash amended connected Tuesday."

There were immoderate mitigating circumstances for England's lethargic display.

The lucifer came astatine the extremity of a agelong home run for galore of the players and was besides played successful blistery and humid conditions successful Barcelona - this fixture played determination due to the fact that Andorra's nationalist stadium was unavailable aft the caller Games of the Small States of Europe.

But those watching intelligibly expected England to enactment successful a much convincing show against a broadside they had beaten six times antecedently by an aggregate people of 25-0.

"It looked similar immoderate of the players were bored successful the past fractional an hour," erstwhile Manchester United and Republic of Ireland skipper Roy Keane told ITV.

"Go and get immoderate much goals and impressment the manager who is inactive caller to the job."

Ex-England defender Lee Dixon added: "They volition beryllium getting pelters nary uncertainty astir that.

"When you are 4th [in the rankings] and they are 173rd you expect to bushed them handsomely, but that wasn't the case."

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown agreed the show was poor, but the precedence was to get the occupation done successful the bid for qualification to adjacent year's finals.

"It was a large disappointment but they did the occupation and won the game," helium said connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It could person been a batch much convincing successful attacking positions. There is going to beryllium disapproval due to the fact that of the squad we were up against, but it is occupation done, determination connected to the adjacent one."

Tuchel made 5 changes from the England squad that bushed Latvia 3-0 astatine Wembley successful March and played Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones astatine right-back and Reece James astatine left-back arsenic helium tried to marque the astir of England's power of the ball.

And the 51-year-old handed a astonishment commencement to Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson, his archetypal for his state since 17 November, 2023.

Declan Rice, 1 of England's cardinal players came disconnected the seat successful the 81st infinitesimal arsenic Tuchel utilized the lucifer to person a look astatine options wrong his squad.

"Declan [Rice] looked a small spot retired of bushed and I deliberation Jordan [Henderson] deserved to play." said the England boss. "And besides for what Jordan brings to this group, good deserved.

"We started good and past mislaid the bushed and precision and besides the vigor to beryllium much decisive and people much goals.

"It is indispensable that we look astatine it and past contiguous successful item to the players what we don't like, what we privation to bash amended and what are the standards."

Chelsea winger Madueke has had a agleam commencement to his England career.

The 23-year-old registered an assistance connected his Three Lions debut against Finland past September, and his walk for Kane's victor was his 3rd successful six planetary appearances.

England tried to usage his gait to get down the Andorra defence and Madueke was perpetually affirmative connected the ball, repeatedly trying to bushed his man.

He created the astir chances with four, and besides had the astir touches successful the absorption container of immoderate subordinate (12).

"He was, implicit the people of the match, the astir dangerous. I could consciousness his hunger to bash what was the program passim the full of the match." said Tuchel.

"The connection got crossed due to the fact that we had a bully 25 minutes, but past the vigor and the determination weren't determination anymore. Then it looks similar it does."

Madueke started the lucifer connected the near helping to springiness England width, the other broadside to wherever helium usually plays for Chelsea.

His show could springiness him a accidental of making the presumption his ain arsenic no-one successful the England squad has regularly been capable to radiance successful that spot.