England have maintained a flawless defensive record, registering clean sheets in all four of their World Cup qualifying matches thus far – a feat unmatched by any other nation in this year’s campaign.
Following their victory over Andorra, England’s players completed a customary lap of honour at Villa Park. However, the sight of their applause directed towards a stadium dotted with empty seats served as a stark reminder of the underwhelming nature of this World Cup qualifier.
Typically, it is the visiting team’s role to silence the home crowd in such encounters. Yet, in a reversal of this established dynamic, it was Thomas Tuchel’s side’s latest uninspired performance that drained the atmosphere from the stadium.
England secured a victory, their fourth under Tuchel in World Cup qualifying, solidifying their dominant position atop Group K. A 2-0 victory against a nation ranked 174th globally.
While it would require a monumental collapse for England to miss out on next summer’s World Cup, the transformative era promised with Tuchel’s arrival, succeeding Sir Gareth Southgate after Euro 2024, has yet to materialize.
Indeed, Tuchel has not yet imprinted a distinct identity on the England squad, which has arguably stagnated or even regressed since Southgate’s departure following the Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain.
This was evident as thousands of England supporters headed for the exits well before the final whistle, leaving Villa Park’s renowned Holte End sparsely populated.
England fans began departing Villa Park prematurely.
An own goal broke the deadlock after 25 minutes, with Andorra defender Christian Garcia inadvertently heading Noni Madueke’s cross past goalkeeper Iker Alvarez. Declan Rice added a second with a header from Reece James’ pinpoint cross in the 67th minute.
The usual caveats apply in these situations, and they hold some validity.
England accomplished what was necessary, regardless of the lackluster and uneventful nature of the match. Another step taken towards the 2026 World Cup.
Andorra adopted a defensive posture from the outset, forming a resolute yellow wall, while England dominated possession with 83%, the visitors rarely venturing out of their own half, leaving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford largely unoccupied.
Tuchel will justifiably highlight England’s unblemished defensive record in World Cup qualifiers, but it’s crucial to acknowledge the limited challenges they’ve faced.
Furthermore, the era of routinely scoring eight or nine goals against opponents in competitive international matches is largely a thing of the past.
Andorra, positioned between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Chad in the world rankings, will likely view a two-goal defeat as a near-moral victory.
A significant concern for Tuchel, and one that has consistently surfaced during his tenure, is England’s discernible lack of creativity, inspiration, attacking potency, and overall momentum in their play.
Tuchel handed a debut to Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, who proved to be one of the brighter performers in an otherwise mediocre England display.
He also reinstated Marcus Rashford on the left wing, but the forward, currently on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United, faded after an initial flurry. Captain Harry Kane struggled, and Eberechi Eze was largely marginalized.
Tuchel maintains that Rashford is a left-winger, but he appeared lacking in confidence and diminished as the game progressed. Tuchel may need to consider alternatives for the upcoming match in Belgrade on Tuesday.
Serbia, with its more challenging atmosphere, will pose the sternest test of Tuchel’s reign. This match will serve as a true litmus test for Tuchel’s new-look England, and significant improvement is imperative.
Tuchel called for greater urgency and aggression, but there was scant evidence of either on display here.
England lacked dynamism, irrespective of the fact that the match was played against an Andorra side whose sole objective was to avoid a heavy defeat.
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Tuchel’s side narrowly secured a 1-0 victory against Andorra in June, but despite Tuchel’s assertion that this performance was an improvement, the statistics do not necessarily support that claim.
Shot attempts decreased from 20 to 11, while clear-cut chances fell from six to four. Touches in the opposition box declined from 52 to 41, and expected goals decreased from four to 2.21.
England’s early strategy appeared to emphasize quicker forward progression, but the overall percentage of forward passes remained identical to the June match against Andorra at 23%.
Tuchel insists that England are progressing in the right direction, but their progress appears to be occurring at a glacial pace.
Anderson’s debut was a source of delight for England’s head coach, but he acknowledges areas requiring 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 marked England’s first match at Aston Villa’s ground in 20 years. However, few of those in attendance at Villa Park will likely consider it worth the wait.
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