Thomas Tuchel faced his first defeat as England manager in a 3-1 friendly loss to Senegal on Tuesday — a result that marked a historic moment, with Senegal becoming the first African nation to beat England in an international fixture.
Despite an early goal from Harry Kane at the City Ground in Nottingham, England were overrun by Senegal’s pace and intensity, conceding goals to Ismaïla Sarr, Habib Diarra, and Cheikh Sabaly. A late Jude Bellingham equaliser was disallowed by VAR for a handball by Levi Colwill, compounding England’s frustration and drawing boos from the home crowd for the second straight match.
🗣️ Tuchel: “We Were Frozen”
In his post-match comments, Tuchel admitted the team lacked energy and urgency:
“It felt a bit frozen, not active enough… I’m the first one to hate losing, but it’s not the World Cup next week — it’s in one year. We lost a test match, there’s no need to panic.”
He insisted that the match offered useful lessons and that England’s current nine-point lead in World Cup qualifying remains a stronger indicator of progress than a friendly setback.
📉 Selection Experiment Backfires?
Tuchel made 10 changes from the side that narrowly beat Andorra 1-0 last week, and the disjointed performance raised fresh concerns about squad cohesion and motivation — a problem that also haunted England in the late Southgate era.
He acknowledged that England’s players may feel inhibited by the weight of expectations:
“Maybe the latest history brings with it that they think everything is normal — we need to win, in style, and easily. That pressure maybe holds us down.”
Tuchel also questioned the emotional intensity of his squad compared to their opponents:
“I heard Senegal’s dressing room celebrating like crazy. I wondered, would we have done the same? Or would my players have just said ‘it’s only a friendly’? Maybe we need to learn from that.”
🔍 Key Takeaways
- England 1-3 Senegal: First African win over England in history.
- Kane scores early but England fades thereafter.
- VAR drama: Bellingham’s late equaliser chalked off.
- Tuchel’s first loss after three wins in World Cup qualifiers.
- Concerns emerge about attitude, rhythm, and performance levels in low-stakes games.
- Positive spin: Tuchel remains focused on long-term development with the 2026 World Cup still a year away.
🗓️ What’s Next?
England will return in September with two more qualifiers, where Tuchel hopes for a sharper, more expressive side as competition for World Cup squad spots heats up:
“The demands will rise. The players know it’s a World Cup season and competition will get real.”
For now, the message from Tuchel is clear: it’s not about panicking, but learning, adapting, and reigniting passion before the road to North America enters its final stretch.
