His squad has been hit by withdrawals but the manager will aim to improve the mood music at Wembley on Tuesday
A negative reaction to a drab draw with Uruguay at Wembley? It sounds familiar. After all, the reviews were hardly glowing when England began the 1966 World Cup with a dismal goalless draw against the South American team. The criticism came from all angles but had become a cautionary tale by the time Bobby Moore had his hands on the Jules Rimet trophy.
Opinions in international football shift quickly. At the moment the mood music around England could be better. Presented with solid and streetwise opposition last Friday, they struggled to lift the tempo. Time to panic? Did it matter that these warm-up games double as learning exercises for Thomas Tuchel as he finalises his World Cup preparations? That what happens in a friendly in March often bears little relation to the real thing in June?
Maybe, but it was hard not to feel the anxiety as a makeshift England struggled, then not to wonder what the point of this camp is after a host of key players withdrew from the squad 24 hours later.
The cynicism was widespread once it emerged that Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were back at Arsenal with unspecified issues. The news punched a hole in Tuchel naming a split squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. Rice and Saka were among 11 regulars given a rest last week, so it does seem unfortunate that they will be out when England host Japan at Wembley on Tuesday night.
