England’s victory over Andorra has sparked debate about their progress under Thomas Tuchel. The underwhelming performance, marked by empty seats and a lack of inspiration, has raised concerns about the team’s direction. While a win is a win, critics argue that England has regressed since Southgate’s departure. Tuchel faces mounting pressure to deliver improved performances and demonstrate a clear vision for the team’s future.
England secured a victory against Andorra at Villa Park, but the underwhelming performance has ignited a debate about whether the team has progressed or regressed under Thomas Tuchel. The sight of players applauding towards swathes of empty seats painted a stark picture of the fans' disappointment after what can only be described as a turgid affair.
Traditionally, the visiting team is expected to silence the home crowd, but in a twist, it was England's own lackluster display that drained the atmosphere from the stadium. Despite the win, secured in World Cup qualifying, questions linger about Tuchel's impact on the team.
The 2-0 victory against a side ranked 174th in the world did little to inspire confidence. While England's place at the next summer's World Cup seems all but assured, the transformative era promised when Tuchel succeeded Sir Gareth Southgate after Euro 2024 has failed to materialize.
Tuchel is yet to imprint a discernible identity on England, with some arguing that the team has declined since Southgate's departure following their defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. The exodus of fans well before the final whistle, leaving the Holte End dotted with unoccupied seats, served as a graphic illustration of the prevailing discontent.
Image source, Getty ImagesEngland fans started to leave Villa Park before the final whistle
An own goal broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when Andorra's Christian Garcia inadvertently headed Noni Madueke's cross past his own goalkeeper. Declan Rice added a second with a header from Reece James' cross in the 67th minute, but these moments of quality were few and far between.
While England accomplished their objective, taking another step towards the 2026 World Cup, the performance lacked the spark and excitement expected of a team with their pedigree. Andorra, adopting a defensive approach, made life difficult for England, who struggled to break down their stubborn resistance.
Tuchel can highlight the fact that England is yet to concede a goal in World Cup qualifying, but it’s a statistic somewhat undermined by the limited threat posed by their opponents. The days of England routinely scoring a glut of goals against weaker nations are largely gone, with Andorra viewing a two-goal defeat as a small victory.
A significant concern for Tuchel is the team's dearth of ideas, inspiration, and attacking impetus. England's play often lacked fluidity and creativity, hindering their ability to carve out clear-cut chances. The side edged a 1-0 victory against Andorra in June but, despite Tuchel himself suggesting this was an improved showing, the stats do not necessarily back that up.
Shots were down from 20 to 11 while big chances were down from six to four. Touches in the opposition box were down from 52 to 41, while expected goals were down from four to 2.21.
England's early strategy was clearly to get the ball forward more quickly, but the overall percentage of forward passes was identical to June's game against Andorra at 23%.
Tuchel gave Elliot Anderson his debut, while restoring Marcus Rashford to the left flank. However, Rashford, currently on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United, struggled to make an impact, while Harry Kane and Eberechi Eze also failed to shine.
Tuchel insists Rashford is a left-winger but he looked short on confidence and faded as the game went on. Tuchel may need to seek alternatives in Belgrade on Tuesday.
Serbia, in those more hostile surroundings, will present the sternest challenge of Tuchel's reign. This will be the real acid test of Tuchel's new England and they must improve.
Tuchel demanded greater urgency and aggression but there was little of that on show here.
England lacked spark, irrespective of the fact it was a game played against an Andorra side devoid of any ambition other than to avoid being embarrassed.
England faces Serbia in what promises to be a far sterner test. The match will serve as a crucial barometer of Tuchel's progress and a chance to silence the growing chorus of doubters. For now, questions remain about England's direction under Tuchel, with the Andorra victory doing little to provide definitive answers.
Tuchel insists England are moving in the right direction. If they are, they are doing it at a snail's pace.
Anderson's debut delighted England's head coach, but there are areas where he wants to see improvement.
"I think we missed some little moments to accelerate the game," Tuchel said. "Maybe Eberechi Eze did not have his best day in the number 10 position. He trained so well but he struggled a bit with his decision-making.
"The last pass from Noni Madueke was not clinical enough. Marcus Rashford had some good moments but couldn't finish them with an assist. It's stuff that can happen against a narrow 5-4-1."
This was the first England game at Aston Villa's ground for 20 years. None of those inside Villa Park will be rushing to say it was worth the wait.