Thomas Tuchel (53), England manager, showed a sharp reaction after the defeat to Japan. With two months until the World Cup, England fell 0-1 to Japan at home at Wembley, and Tuchel could not hide his discomfort in a postmatch interview.
England lost 0-1 to Japan in a friendly at Wembley Stadium in London on the 1st (Korea time). In the 23rd minute of the first half, they conceded the winning goal to Mitoma Gaoru. It was Tuchel's first defeat at Wembley since he took charge in October last year.
The content of the match was more disappointing. England dominated Japan in possession and number of shots. They also led in shots on target and expected goals. Even so, they failed to score. Although it was the last home match before this summer's North American World Cup, fans at the stadium responded with loud jeers.
According to the Daily Express, Tuchel encountered an uncomfortable situation while being interviewed by ITV after the match.
The issue started with the full-back discussion. Tuchel started Ben White at right back and Neco O'Rourke at left back in the Japan match. In the earlier match against Uruguay, he deployed Djed Spence and Tino Livramento.
When interviewer Gabriel Clark asked, "Don't you need to seriously consider the full-back positions?", Tuchel briefly stiffened. He replied, "Full-back positions?"
Clark explained it was "a discussion about options," but Tuchel replied briefly, "We have many options. We will go to the World Cup with good full-backs."
A more uncomfortable question followed. Asked why players competing for World Cup selection had shown below-par performances, the question was raised, "Isn't the weight of the England jersey too heavy?"
Tuchel drew a clear line this time. He said, "I don't want to get involved in that debate."
He added, "It is very clear what we want to do and how we want to play. Rather than talking about the weight or meaning of the jersey, I want to focus more on what principles we are playing with and what we are actually doing."
He also said, "If you play for the England team, pressure and noise naturally follow. We have to see how players adapt to that environment. You have to try it to know."
Tuchel emphasized, "We must learn from this match. Now there are two months until the World Cup. During that time the players will play many matches, and we will finish our preparation."
The problem is that there is not much time. England will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the North American World Cup group stage. The first match is against Croatia on June 18.
Recently England also drew 1-1 with Uruguay before the loss to Japan. Questions about performance are growing ahead of the World Cup. Tuchel said, "Everything is clear," but on the pitch England still has not clearly shown what kind of team it intends to be.
[OSEN]