The England Diaries #13: Thomas Tuchel enters the lion's den
For an international break that no one wanted, there is a lot talk about
Well, that was eventful.
While it was difficult to dissect the action on the pitch in England’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying win against Andorra this past weekend and the 3-1 friendly
loss to Senegal in Nottingham on Tuesday night, there was much to discuss away from the pitch.
In The England Diaries #12, I applauded manager Thomas Tuchel for his honesty and it was on show once more.
Speaking to those Travel Club members who were in Barcelona, the win over Andorra was one of the worst performances they have watched the Three Lions produce in recent memory and Tuchel was not afraid to show his disappointment.
Ahead of the clash with Senegal at the City Ground, Tuchel mentioned he wanted the players he selected to play with a smile and enjoy their time with the national side, and when soaking up the Nottingham sunshine with a few beers, there was a sense of optimism amongst the England faithful.
Sometimes these blips happen in international football, and for the England players, facing the low ranked teams such as Andorra will be tough to get motivated for.
You would think that with all the criticism thrown at the team going into the clash with Senegal, it would be enough to motivate the players to prove a point against an established international side.
Unfortunately, the complete opposite occurred. Despite Harry Kane putting England 1-0 up in the seventh minute, the Three Lions offered nothing and Senegal took advantage when Kyle Walker failed to keep up with Ismaila Sarr for the equaliser.
Senegal continued to up the intensity while England stuttered in the second half and once the African side went 2-1 up through Habib Diarra in the 62nd minute, there was a mass exodus of white shirts. Yes, there was a controversial Jude Bellingham equaliser ruled out by VAR, but that would have simply papered over the cracks.
In the end, Senegal would go on to win 3-1 and for the first time in a long time, the England team were booed by the fans in a throwback hark back to the atmosphere pre-Gareth Southgate.
This second international break for Tuchel would have been a huge eye opener. While he made solid start with two wins from two in March, the England national team is a different beast where one slight hiccup can create an inferno of criticism and pressure.
Following the loss to Senegal, Tuchel was again his honest self, mentioning that all classic “weight of the shirt” phrase and also alluding that there was little enjoyment amongst the England players when they win after hearing a party in the Senegal dressing room.
As the fallout continued into this past Wednesday, Tuchel then appeared on talkSPORT, and this is arguably what he will be remembered for so far in his managerial tenure with the Three Lions, and that was his comments on star midfielder Bellingham.
"If he smiles, he wins everyone. But sometimes you see the rage, the hunger and the fire and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother when she sits in front of the TV. I see that but, in general, we are very happy to have him. He's a special boy," Tuchel said when commenting on Bellingham’s on-field demeanour at times is Marmite.
This has sparked some debate, and while openly calling out players is something that seems to be another callback to the chaos that pre-dated Southgate and the recent run of success in major tournaments.
There is no doubt these comments won’t have gone down well with the Bellingham camp due to the superstardom the 21-year-old is enjoying, but maybe a public assessment could be what’s needed for Bellingham to realise that his fiery personality could have a detrimental effect for both club and country.
If England’s fans and players had access to the Men in Black eraser device, it would be in overdrive as June’s international window will be one to forget. Football is a machine which shows no signs of stopping and being around Nottingham and the City Ground, it felt like many, including myself, were ready for a football mini retirement.
A reset is definitely needed and the two month gap until the next round of international fixtures will benefit Tuchel as he will have time to find out why things are going wrong, and how he can re-energise a squad of players with some more or less playing football all year round due to the re-vamped FIFA Club World Cup.
But if there is one thing that Tuchel has learnt, it’s the brutality and volatility of the England manager’s job.
Raise money for the Bobby Moore Fund with the Three Lions Podcast
Three Lions Podcast host and friend Russell Osbourne has been a busy man fundraising for the Bobby Moore Fund with England Shirt Day in Nottingham.
This encouraged those attending the match against Senegal to wear an England shirt, and donate whatever they can afford to the charity.
It’s safe to say it has been a roaring success with £615 raised so far just online, with a number of donations being made by purchasing a Bobby Moore Fund pin badge (which I now proudly own).
While the day may have past, the fundraiser is still accepting donations, to find out more click here.
If you are in a position to donate, it will be a great help in funding research into bowel cancer research.
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