The pressure is mounting on Thomas Tuchel as England suffered a shocking 3-1 defeat to Senegal in a friendly match at Nottingham Forest's City Ground on June 10, 2025. This loss marks Tuchel's first defeat as the England manager and also represents a historic moment as Senegal becomes the first African nation to ever beat England in 22 attempts.
The defeat has sparked concerns and criticism, particularly with the 2026 World Cup just a year away. While it was only a friendly, the manner of the defeat and the team's overall performance have raised questions about England's progress under Tuchel.
England started the game brightly, with Harry Kane scoring early in the seventh minute, marking his continued scoring streak under Tuchel. However, Senegal responded strongly, with Ismaila Sarr equalizing before halftime, capitalizing on a mistake by Kyle Walker. In the second half, Habib Diarra put Senegal ahead, and Cheikh Sabaly sealed the victory with a late goal in stoppage time. A late goal from Jude Bellingham was disallowed due to a handball in the build-up.
Tuchel himself acknowledged the disappointing result, describing the team as "frozen" and "not active enough for a long time during the match." He admitted that the first two goals conceded were "very easy goals that we need to defend better." Despite the setback, Tuchel remained optimistic, highlighting the team's positive reaction after going down 2-1 and emphasizing that there is "no need to panic." He pointed out that the World Cup is still a year away, providing time to learn and improve.
The defeat to Senegal has exposed some weaknesses in the England squad. Midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White expressed his disappointment, saying, "We let ourselves down. We let the country down. We let the badge down. It really wasn't good enough." He noted that the team only started playing with freedom and urgency after going behind, which is a concerning trend.
Former players and pundits have also weighed in on the situation. Leon Osman, a former Everton playmaker, suggested that England still appear to be playing the same system as before Tuchel's arrival, with only slight tweaks. This raises questions about whether Tuchel has been able to implement his own tactical vision and address the team's long-standing issues.
Despite the concerns, England remains at the top of their World Cup qualifying group with three wins out of three matches. Tuchel and his team will regroup in September for the next phase of their qualifying campaign, facing Andorra and Serbia. The upcoming matches will be crucial for regaining confidence and demonstrating that England is on the right track for the 2026 World Cup.
