Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged that England must “do better” despite securing a 2-0 victory in his first match as manager, against Albania in their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
A debut goal from Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly and a milestone 70th international goal for captain Harry Kane sealed the win for the Three Lions at Wembley. However, Tuchel expressed that the performance was far from perfect, particularly against an Albania side that largely defended with 11 players behind the ball.
In an interview with ITV, Tuchel remarked, “We can do better, we have to do better. We started well, with seven or eight minutes of 100% ball possession, playing with high energy and making a lot of passes.” He added, “The opponent was tough to break down, as they defended with a deep block. In the Euros last year, they were able to avoid conceding many chances.”
Tuchel continued to assess the performance, stating, “In the second half, I felt we were too slow, and in general, we lacked enough runs off the ball to get behind the defensive line.”
The German manager made several bold selections for his debut match, including giving debuts to Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle defender Dan Burn. Both players impressed, with Lewis-Skelly scoring a composed finish through the legs of the goalkeeper in the 20th minute, while Kane doubled the lead with a 77th-minute strike.
Tuchel praised Lewis-Skelly’s contribution, saying, “An amazing player, an amazing personality. He came into camp and straight away showed it’s easy to fall in love with him. It’s well deserved.”
Despite the victory, Tuchel’s comments highlight that there is plenty of room for improvement as England continues their journey towards the 2026 World Cup.
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