After two underwhelming performances against Andorra and Senegal, Thomas Tuchel has a lot to think about, not just for England and their next set of qualifiers, but for when they arrive at next summer’s World Cup.
Internationals Before the Club World Cup?
Watching the two performances, it was clear that the team looked flat and out of ideas. Therein lies the question: is there any need for an international window straight after a long, gruelling season?
The 2024/25 Premier League season concluded on 25th May, and England’s players reunited on 6th June.
The FIFA Club World Cup begins on 15th June, and the Final of that competition is on 13 July, which is just over a month before the start of the 2025-26 season.
The tournament will feature some of the World’s top teams, in which some of England’s key players, i.e Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, will also be involved.
Sometimes playing too much football in such a short space of time can take a lot out of you, not just physically but mentally as well.
It’s not to say that this was the case, but when you have players who are going to be involved in the Club World Cup, they don’t want to risk being injured.
Perhaps that could be one of the main reasons as to why England put in such average performances in two games which they should be winning.
Keane Slams ‘Lazy’ Walker
Embed from Getty ImagesFormer Manchester United and Irish midfielder was extra critical of veteran Right-Back Kyle Walker’s performance in the Senegal game, tagging it as lazy.
Embed from Getty Images“But do you know what I’m thinking? People maybe say a lack of concentration, I think he’s being lazy, I think he’s being lazy here. “He’s a vastly experienced player and he just can’t be bothered getting back in.
Keane: Football 365
You have to see he’s absolutely spot on. As a Right Back, your main job is to prevent the opposition’s Right Winger from making those penetrative runs into the box.
Ismaila Sarr’s opener for Senegal is the perfect example of the Manchester City defender switching off at the back, and therefore, as Keane rightly suggests, is being lazy.
Rogers, Gibbs-White, Madueke Impress
Embed from Getty ImagesBut it wasn’t all doom and gloom for England in the summer international break, as some of the fringe players gave us a glint of their talent on the International stage.
The likes of Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Noni Madueke, gave us an insight of the talent they posses, and the first half performance against Andorra + the first 30 minutes on Tuesday, was quite exemplary in terms of the way the team played.
But the issue with England, is the fact that they rarely control most of the games they play and/or hardly put on a performance for the full 90 minutes.
This is something which you would think Tuchel is trying to sort out, but he only has four windows to figure it out..
Nobody is doubting that Tuchel isn’t a great coach, but to make England have a chance of lifting the World Cup in the US next summer, an awful lot of work needs to be done.
For more information on Thomas Tuchel and England, visit World In Sport.