Thomas Tuchel has pointed out that England’s own handling of the ball turned them into a threat to themselves during the 3-2 loss to Spain. The Three Lions committed a series of costly errors against the reigning world and European champions on Saturday, ultimately conceding goals to Lamine Yamal, Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal. Until this match, England had gone through the entire World Cup qualifying phase without letting in a single goal. However, the defensive record has now slipped, with nine goals conceded across the last three internationals – against Argentina, France and Spain.
While the backline has shown vulnerability against top‑tier opposition, Tuchel insists the problem does not lie in the team’s defensive shape. Instead, he believes the mistakes stem from the way England manage possession, especially during the build‑up phase. "It’s not a concern yet," Tuchel told reporters ahead of England’s next Nations League fixture against the Czech Republic on Tuesday. "In terms of organised defending, block defending and active defending, we were at a higher level than in many other matches.
If you look at it in isolation, within the structure and the units of the side, I was quite happy and I think it was a step ahead." He went on to explain that the team’s shortcomings were most evident when they had the ball. "We suffered clearly from individual mistakes when we had the ball, especially in the deep build‑up, so that is of course something we cannot repeat – not at this level. Strangely enough, when we had the ball we were the biggest danger to ourselves around the box because we just had too many individual mistakes. Purely in defending, I have no concerns and I trust that we can do it." Tuchel’s comments arrived amid a wave of criticism over his tactical choices in England’s World Cup semi‑final loss to Argentina, where he opted to sit back and protect a one‑goal lead rather than pressing for a second.
After that match, the German manager warned that England’s footballing DNA does not naturally revolve around ball possession the way it does for nations such as Spain, Argentina or Brazil. He said, "I think ball possession plays a crucial role; it’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in Spanish DNA or in Argentinian‑Brazilian DNA, to take the ball and control the game with the ball." The remarks sparked a broader debate about England’s identity on the pitch.
Tuchel, however, defended his side’s performance against Luis de la Fuente’s Spain at Wembley, insisting that the players displayed a clear style and courage throughout the 90 minutes. "I think there was a lot of discussion about this before the Spain game," he said. "We showed our style and we showed our courage.
The players showed an identity and they showed it throughout the 90 minutes." He acknowledged that while England created many problems for the opposition, they also generated their own through individual lapses. "We gave them a lot of problems.
We caused ourselves some problems with individual mistakes. Mistakes can sometimes happen.
They shouldn't, but they did happen," Tuchel added. Despite the defeat, Tuchel highlighted the positives. England pushed the world and European champions to the brink, and in the decisive moments they produced some of their best football. "We kept attacking when we were a goal ahead.
We were even more dominant and more of a threat," he noted. He admitted that a loss of momentum toward the end of the match was partly self‑inflicted, but stressed that the overall performance offered many takeaways for future games. Looking ahead, England’s schedule includes a home Nations League clash with the Czech Republic on Tuesday, September 29, at 7:45 pm, followed by an away match against Croatia on October 3 at 5:00 pm, and a return fixture with the Czechs on October 6 at 7:45 pm. Tuchel’s focus now is on tightening the team’s possession work, reducing individual errors, and ensuring that the defensive structure remains solid while the attack continues to pose a genuine threat.
Fans can follow the upcoming Czech Republic versus England match via Sky Sports’ live match blog and app, with a kick‑off scheduled for 7:45 pm. Additionally, Sky Sports will host a Q&A session with reporter Rob Dorsett on Tuesday morning, inviting supporters to submit their questions about the Three Lions.
In summary, while England’s defensive organization appears sound, the manager believes the key to avoiding future setbacks lies in improving the quality of their ball play and eliminating careless mistakes in the final third. By addressing these issues, Tuchel hopes the national side can fulfill its potential and compete more consistently against the world’s elite teams.