Thomas Tuchel wanted smiles. He wanted a response after the lacklustre performance against Andorra in Barcelona on Saturday, albeit in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win. What he got was another line to his brow, plenty to ponder as he begins what could be a long summer debrief. And more boos.
There had been a bit of zip and character from Tuchel’s team in the final 25 minutes of regulation time. He made attacking changes, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder, Morgan Gibbs-White, showing up. Eberechi Eze, who played from the start, was good. The only problem was that Senegal were 2-1 up by then, having played around and through England far too easily.
England looked as though they might escape with a draw in this friendly when Jude Bellingham, who also came off the bench, took a touch on his thigh before lashing home in the 83rd minute after Levi Colwill had smuggled a corner towards him. That would be scrubbed out when the VAR spotted the ball had come off Colwill’s upper arm.
Tuchel went for broke, introducing Ivan Toney for Myles Lewis-Skelly and switching to three at the back. The problem was that the back door was not bolted and how Senegal made England pay, the substitute Cheikh Sabaly sweeping home after a flowing stoppage-time counter to send the home supporters streaming for the exits. The full-time whistle was the prompt for those who stayed to jeer with real feeling. Tuchel’s honeymoon period is firmly over after England’s first defeat by an African nation.
