Thomas Tuchel has openly admitted 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, who entered the match as the reigning World Cup and European champions, made a series of costly errors that allowed Spain’s young talents – Lamine Yamal, Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal – to find the back of the net.
After an immaculate defensive record throughout the entire World Cup qualifying campaign, England have now conceded nine goals in their last three fixtures, those being against Argentina, France and Spain. While the defensive line has shown moments of resilience, Tuchel insists the problem does not lie in the team’s structure or organization but rather in the way they manage possession, especially during the deeper phases of build‑up play. “It isn’t a concern yet,” Tuchel told reporters ahead of England’s next Nations League encounter with the Czech Republic on Tuesday. “When you look at the organised, block and active defending we displayed, we were operating at a higher level than many other matches.
Within the system and the individual units, I was quite pleased – it felt like a step forward.” However, he added a note of caution: “We suffered from individual mistakes when we had the ball, particularly in the deep build‑up. That is something we cannot afford to repeat at this level.” He went on to explain that the team’s biggest danger came from their own possession: “Strangely enough, when we had the ball we were the biggest danger to ourselves around the box because we made too many individual errors. Purely in defending, I have no concerns and I trust we can execute it.” The manager’s comments came amid a wave of criticism over his tactical choices during England’s World Cup semi‑final loss to Argentina, where he elected to sit back on a one‑goal lead rather than press for a second.
After that match, Tuchel remarked on what he perceived as a lack of a possession‑centric DNA in English football, contrasting it with the styles of Spain, Argentina and Brazil, where controlling the ball is ingrained in the national footballing culture. “Ball possession plays a crucial role; it’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in Spanish DNA or in Argentine‑Brazilian DNA, to take the ball and control the game with the ball,” he said following the exit.
This observation sparked a broader debate about England’s footballing identity, a topic Tuchel revisited after the Spain game. “I think there was a lot of discussion about this before the Spain game,” Tuchel explained. “I believe we showed our style and our courage. The players displayed an identity throughout the 90 minutes.
We gave the opposition a lot of problems, but we also created problems for ourselves through individual mistakes. Mistakes happen, they shouldn’t, but they did.” He highlighted the positive moments, noting that England pushed the world and European champions to the brink: “We had the world and European champions on the edge of a defeat.
In the decisive moments we played our best football. We kept attacking when we were a goal ahead. We were even more dominant and more of a threat.” Yet he also acknowledged a loss of momentum toward the end of the match: “We were a little bit self‑responsible for the break in momentum towards the end of the match.
But overall we have a lot of positives to take away.” Looking ahead, England’s schedule includes a home match against the Czech Republic on 6 October, a trip to Croatia on 3 October and another clash with the Czechs on 29 September. Tuchel’s focus will be on tightening the team’s ball‑handling in the final third and reducing the number of careless errors that have proven costly.
In addition to the tactical adjustments, the coaching staff plans to work on the mental aspect of possession, ensuring players are comfortable with the ball under pressure and make smarter decisions in tight spaces. Training sessions will likely emphasize quick, purposeful passing, positional awareness and the ability to transition from defence to attack without losing composure. Fans can follow the upcoming Nations League fixtures via Sky Sports’ live match blog and app, with the Czech Republic encounter kicking off at 7:45 pm on Tuesday. A Q&A session with Sky Sports England reporter Rob Dorsett is also scheduled for Tuesday morning, offering supporters a chance to submit their questions about the Three Lions’ performance and future direction.
Overall, Tuchel’s candid assessment underscores a key lesson: while England’s defensive framework may be solid, the team’s own possession errors can be just as dangerous as any external threat. By addressing these individual lapses and cultivating a more confident, controlled style of play, England can aim to convert their defensive solidity into consistent victories against elite opposition.