Thomas Tuchel has pointed out that England’s own ball‑play turned them into a threat to themselves during their 3‑2 loss to Spain. The Three Lions, who entered the match as the reigning world and European champions, made a series of costly errors that allowed Spain’s young star Lamine Yamal, midfield dynamo Alex Baena and experienced forward Mikel Oyarzabal to find the net.
England entered the Nations League fixture against Spain on a perfect defensive record in the World Cup qualifying campaign, having not conceded a single goal. However, the recent run of matches against elite opposition – Argentina, France and now Spain – has seen the back line surrender nine goals in three games. While the defensive shape has not been the primary issue, Tuchel believes the root of the problem lies in the way his side handled the ball when they were in possession.
"It’s not a concern yet," Tuchel told reporters ahead of England’s next Nations League encounter with 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 the structure and the individual units, I was quite happy and I think we were a step ahead." Nevertheless, he admitted that the team’s biggest vulnerability emerged during the build‑up phase. "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," he said.
"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." These comments come after a wave of criticism aimed at Tuchel’s tactical approach in England’s World Cup semi‑final loss to Argentina, where he chose to sit deep and protect a one‑goal lead rather than press for a second. The German manager later suggested that England’s footballing DNA does not naturally revolve around ball possession the way it does for Spain or South American sides. "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," he explained after the Argentina defeat.
The lack of a possession‑centric identity has been a recurring theme in the media, but Tuchel insists his players displayed their own style against Luis de la Fuente’s side at Wembley. "There was a lot of discussion about this before the Spain game," he said. "I think we showed our style and we showed our courage.
The players showed an identity and they showed it throughout the 90 minutes. 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." Despite the loss, Tuchel highlighted several positive aspects. He noted that England pushed forward even while leading, maintaining an attacking mindset that kept Spain on the back foot for long periods.
"We kept attacking when we were a goal ahead. We were even more dominant and more of a threat," he added. "We had the world and European champions on the edge of a defeat. In the decisive moments we played our best football." Tuchel also acknowledged that the team’s momentum stalled towards the end of the match, partly due to their own errors.
"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," he concluded. Looking ahead, England will face the Czech Republic away on Tuesday, September 29, at 7.45 pm, followed by a trip to Croatia on October 3 at 5 pm, and then host the Czechs again on October 6 at 7.45 pm.
Tuchel’s focus will be on tightening the team’s ball‑retention under pressure, reducing the frequency of individual lapses, and reinforcing the defensive discipline that has served them well in the past. Fans can follow a live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app for the upcoming fixtures, and a Q&A session with Sky Sports News England reporter Rob Dorsett is scheduled for Tuesday morning, offering supporters a chance to submit their questions. In summary, while England’s defensive organization remains solid, the manager’s analysis points to a need for greater composure and precision when the team is in possession. Reducing careless errors in the final third, especially during deep‑lying build‑up play, will be essential if the Three Lions hope to convert their defensive solidity into consistent victories against the world’s best teams.