Thomas Tuchel has called for calm despite England’s 3-1 loss to Senegal—a humbling result exactly one year before the World Cup kicks off.
The defeat at the City Ground marked Tuchel’s first loss as England manager and ended the team’s 22-match unbeaten run against African opposition. Jude Bellingham had a goal ruled out controversially at 2-1, but the overall performance was underwhelming following a lacklustre win over Andorra. England were booed off for a second straight game.
Still, Tuchel downplayed panic, calling it a “test match.”
“We lost a test match—no need to panic,” he said. “We’re learning. We have nine points in qualifiers, haven’t conceded, and we’ll be ready in September. We don’t go to the World Cup next week—it’s in a year. By then, we’ll be more competitive.”
Tuchel defended his late substitution of Ivan Toney, saying the team wasn’t creating enough chances for a box-focused striker. He admitted the back-to-back poor displays would leave “a bad feeling” over the summer.
“I’m not happy with a loss, but this was a good challenge,” he said. “Senegal showed their quality and hunger. We felt what it meant to them to beat us.”
Captain Harry Kane, who scored England’s only goal, acknowledged the team’s dip in form.
“We weren’t good enough,” Kane said. “We’re lacking tempo and aggression. There’s no excuse—we have to improve fast with the World Cup approaching.”
