Following England's disappointing 3-1 defeat to Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest's City Ground, captain Harry Kane has admitted that the team's performance was "not good enough," but urged fans and the squad to avoid panicking. The loss, which came just three days after a narrow and unconvincing 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Andorra, has raised concerns about the team's form and readiness for upcoming challenges.

Kane, who scored England's only goal against Senegal, acknowledged the team's shortcomings in both attack and defense. "Again, not really good enough," Kane told ITV Sport. "We had again moments; just with and without the ball we aren't quite clicking, aren't quite finding the right passes, finding the right tempo." He further elaborated on the team's struggles, pointing out that "One v one, we're losing duels, we're losing just that aggressive nature that we've had and we got punished, we're playing against a good side. We just weren't good enough today."

The defeat to Senegal marked England's first-ever loss to an African nation, adding to the disappointment. The match saw goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra, and Cheikh Sabaly for Senegal, overshadowing Kane's early opener. The England squad was met with boos from their own supporters at the City Ground, reflecting the growing frustration with the team's recent performances.

Adding to the frustration, a late goal from Jude Bellingham was disallowed after a VAR review for a handball decision against Levi Colwill. Kane expressed his disagreement with the ruling, stating, “If you know the rules, it’s not handball”.

Despite the setback, Kane called for perspective and urged the team to remain calm. "We're not going to panic," he insisted. "But for sure we know we need to do better." He acknowledged that the team is in a period of transition, with new players and tactical adjustments being implemented. "There are some ideas that are new for the guys, we have new players coming into the team who haven't got experience it international level," Kane explained. "It's a mixture of things, but it's no excuses, we need to find it [a solution] quick."

Kane also reflected on the underwhelming victory against Andorra, where England secured a 1-0 win in a performance that was widely criticized. He told BBC Sport that the team "got away with it" against Andorra and admitted that their performance "wasn't good enough." He highlighted issues with the team's quality, fatigue, and overall mental sharpness. "We were just lacking quality [against Andorra], looked a bit fatigued both physically and mentally and, yeah, we got away with it because we're a good team and they had a couple of half-chances where we didn't get punished. But ultimately, it wasn't good enough."

Looking ahead, Kane emphasized the importance of analyzing their performances and learning from their mistakes. He acknowledged that the conditions in the Andorra match, with a dry pitch and warm weather, were similar to what they might face in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, highlighting the need to adapt and improve.

While acknowledging the need for improvement, Kane also stressed the importance of maintaining a positive outlook. He drew on past experiences, recalling the team's resilience after a draw against Scotland in the previous Euros. "It's a time to stay calm, reflect and try to improve," Kane stated, urging the team to use the setbacks as motivation to come back stronger.