Thomas Tuchel says that he is impatient for his team from England to learn his tracks before the 2026 World Cup.
The third game of the German in charge ended with a 1-0 victory against Andorra to maintain the perfect start of the three Lions for the World Cup qualifications, but it was a disappointing performance.
Having done so closely in three major tournaments under Gareth Southgate, there are additional expectations and pressure under Tuchel to finally gain silverware, with all eyes on next summer competition in the United States.
But there is still clearly a lot of work to do for the former boss of Chelsea and Bayern Munich, who admitted that he hoped to see the progress of his players quickly.
Before Tuesday’s friendly match against Senegal, he said: “I am very impatient, which is not always a good thing. I am always impatient because you go out in a stadium even if the match is not always as exciting, after a season which fights for titles, the Champions Legue places.
“But for me personally once I entered a good statium, see the grass, see 7,000 supporters, I expect something from myself and players.
“It will be to see tomorrow, I am impatient and I want to do better. We are thinking of giving players a little more freedom within the structure. I always think it was a very offensive structure and alignment to break the defense.
We live from St. George’s Park where Thomas Tuchel – followed by Bukayo Saka – will speak before tomorrow’s match against Senegal! 🎙️ https://t.co/1pt2m91vqj
– England (@england) June 9, 2025
“Tomorrow, we are faced with a strong and physically demanding team, but at the beginning, we may not be as offensive, but give players more freedom to express themselves. Perhaps on Tuesday, we will see the next step.”
Tuchel was asked about his start to the life of the national team and admitted that he would have preferred a more prolific opening.
He added: “I’m not sure, I think I would have preferred the other way, but in the end, we kept three clean sheets and won three games [in his first three games in charge].
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“There is no reason to look at only the negative side of things. After the match, we were critical, which may be a good thing to improve.
“It’s a learning right now. Today will be our 11th training session together, the same as a week and a half in club football.
“We have to love training and every minute in matches. Of course, we learn things. It is good to see players in tight situations and in times when things are not easy.”
The skipper strikes against Andorra 🦁
© @Hkane pic.twitter.com/a4yupg9trb
– England (@england) June 8, 2025
Demanding and intense
The Arsenal star, Bukayo Saka, was seated alongside Tuchel for pre-match press tasks and had a sly smile on his face after asking if he went on vacation after Tuesday’s match.
The winger will not participate in the Club World Cup and can rather relax, but not before starting for the three lions.
On the boss of Tuchel and Gunners, Mikel Arteta, he added: “I don’t really like to compare, if I am honest. The qualities of a person will always be overshadowed.
“So, if I talk about Thomas himself, since I entered the camp, he was quite demanding, quite intense on the field and out of the field, he was more relaxed.
“He’s a nice guy, he let us appreciate and created a pleasant environment for all players.”
