Thomas Tuchel ‘Calls Out’ Three England Players for Performance in

Thomas Tuchel ‘Calls Out’ Three England Players for Performance in Andorra Win

Thomas Tuchel ‘Calls Out’ Three England Players for Performance in Andorra WinThomas Tuchel ‘Calls Out’ Three England Players for Performance in Andorra Win

Updated 20:05 6 Sep 2025 GMT+1Published 19:50 6 Sep 2025 GMT+1
The England head coach saw his side beat Andorra 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Villa Park on Saturday.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel was not particularly pleased with his side’s performance in their 2-0 World Cup qualifier victory over Andorra and appeared to call out three players.

Tuchel handed Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson his senior England debut at Villa Park, and the midfielder repaid his manager’s faith by putting in a solid performance, which resulted in him picking up the Man of the Match award for his efforts.

The win was a relatively routine exercise for England, who struggled to break down a resolute Andorra defence until Christian Garcia’s own goal broke the deadlock on 25 minutes.

The home side struggled to build on their advantage in the second half and lacked intensity in their play before Declan Rice headed home a pinpoint Reece James cross to double England’s lead and ultimately maintain their one hundred per cent record in the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

Thomas Tuchel was not pleased with England’s performance (Credit:Getty)

Arguably, Tuchel’s toughest test as manager will come when England travel to Belgrade to face Serbia on Tuesday – and based on the German’s post-match interviews, there may well be changes to the side.

Speaking to ITV Sport after the match in Birmingham, Tuchel appeared to call out three players who he felt could’ve offered more against Andorra. The former Chelsea boss was also quick to praise Anderson’s debut performance.

“[Anderson was] very good, very, very good,” Tuchel praised.

“He was a bit nervous this week, but then did good, and we said let’s try it, and he did it.”

But not everyone received such positive words from the England boss.

Elliot Anderson impressed on his England debut (Credit:Getty)

Tuchel added: “I think we missed the little moments to accelerate the game. Maybe Ebz [Eberechi Eze] didn’t have his best day in the number 10, the last pass from Noni [Madueke] wasn’t clinical enough and [Marcus] Rashford had good moments but couldn’t finish them. It’s stuff that can happen against a narrow team. The second goal should have come earlier because it gave us a lot of freedom.

“We’ve learned a lot and I’m glad for the players. Now we will prove a point in Belgrade [against Serbia].”
Thomas Tuchel gives Serbia selection ‘clue’

Several players in Tuchel’s squad did not feature at Villa Park, with Jordan Henderson, Dean Henderson, Jarrod Bowen, Djed Spence, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ollie Watkins and James Trafford all missing out on game time and forced to watch from the bench.

And those who missed out on Saturday will, no doubt, be hoping for minutes in Belgrade on Tuesday.

With Jude Belligham currently out with a shoulder injury, now more than ever could be a time for central midfielders to stake their claim for a place in Tuchel’s side.

Alongside praising Anderson’s performance, the England boss also hinted at possibly starting him against Serbia.

Tuchel claimed: “That [the match against Andorra] was the test for him. We want to have all the options for Belgrade, we thought, ‘let’s try today and see if he is ready’.”

He added: “I think he passed the test. Why should he not play in Serbia [on Tuesday]?”

Featured Image Credit: ITV Sport

Topics: England, Thomas Tuchel, Football

Thomas Tuchel Axes England Player From Squad Hours Before Andorra Game

Thomas Tuchel Axes England Player From Squad Hours Before Andorra GameThomas Tuchel Axes England Player From Squad Hours Before Andorra Game

Updated 12:18 6 Sep 2025 GMT+1Published 12:02 6 Sep 2025 GMT+1
England face Andorra in a World Cup qualifier at Villa Park

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has axed one player from his matchday squad to face Andorra just hours before the game on Saturday evening.

England will take on Andorra at Villa Park in a qualifier for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Three Lions are currently top of their qualification group – which also features Albania, Serbia and Latvia – having taken three wins from three since the start of the qualifying campaign.

England narrowly beat Andorra 1-0 in their last competitive match back in June and Tuchel will no doubt be hoping for a much more convincing victory against the minnows this time round.

Tuchel named a 24-man squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, who England will face on Tuesday.

Manchester City defender John Stones and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton were initially included but both pulled out through injury, with Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jarell Quansah and AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek called up as replacements.

England face Andorra on Saturday (Image: Getty)

However, Tuchel is only able to name a 23-man matchday squad, meaning one player must miss out for this weekend’s World Cup qualifier at the home of Aston Villa.

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has now confirmed that Quansah, who recently joined the Bundesliga club from Liverpool, has been dropped from the squad for the Andorra clash.

However, the 22-year-old could return to the squad for the match away to Serbia next week.

England U21 international Quansah is yet to make his senior debut despite several call-ups to the Three Lions.

He was named as a provisional member of an expanded 33-member England squad for Euro 2024, but failed to make the final 26-man squad named by Tuchel’s predecessor Gareth Southgate.

Quansah was included in Tuchel’s first England squad, for their World Cup qualifying matches against Albania and Latvia last year. However, he failed to play a single minute.

Quansah has been dropped from the squad (Image: Getty)

Earlier this summer, he played a crucial role in England’s triumph at the U21 Euros in Slovakia – playing every minute of the tournament as the Young Lions were crowned champions.

He will have to bide his time when it comes to the senior side but could make his debut when England face Serbia in Belgrade on Tuesday.
England’s squad to face Andorra

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan)

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United) Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: England, Football, Thomas Tuchel, Jarell Quansah, FIFA World Cup