Thomas Tuchel argued that England’s own ball‑play turned them into a hazard to themselves during the 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 Lamine Yamal, Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal to find the net.
After a flawless defensive record throughout the World Cup qualifying phase, England have now conceded nine goals across their last three fixtures against Argentina, France and Spain, a stark contrast to their earlier solidity. Despite the evident defensive frailties when facing top‑tier opposition, Tuchel insists the problem does not lie in the team’s structural defending.
Instead, he believes the mistakes stemmed from the way England handled the ball in possession, particularly during the deeper phases of their build‑up. "It’s not a concern yet," he said ahead of England’s upcoming Nations League clash 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 isolate the defensive structure and the unit work, I was quite happy and think we were a step ahead." The German coach, however, was candid about the individual lapses that occurred when the ball was in England’s hands. "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," Tuchel explained. He added a paradoxical observation: "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 remarks come amid a wave of criticism regarding his tactical choices during England’s World Cup semi‑final loss to Argentina, where he chose to sit back and protect a one‑goal lead rather than press for a second. After that match, he famously suggested that England’s footballing DNA does not prioritize ball possession the way Spanish or South American cultures do. "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 said.
The criticism sparked a broader debate about England’s footballing identity. Yet Tuchel maintained that his side displayed a clear style and courage against Luis de la Fuente’s Spanish side at Wembley. "I think there was a lot of discussion about this before the Spain game," he noted.
"We showed our style and we showed our courage. The players showed an identity and they showed it throughout the 90 minutes." He highlighted the positives: England gave Spain numerous problems, kept attacking even while leading, and at times appeared more dominant than their opponents. "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 said. "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." Tuchel also acknowledged that England’s momentum slipped towards the end of the match, partially 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 face a busy schedule: a home Nations League match against the Czech Republic on Tuesday, September 29, at 7:45 pm, followed by an away game against Croatia on October 3 at 5:00 pm, and a return fixture with the Czechs on October 6 at 7:45 pm. Fans can follow the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app, and a Q&A session with Sky Sports News England reporter Rob Dorsett is planned for Tuesday morning, inviting supporters to submit their questions. In summary, while England’s defensive shape remains solid, Tuchel emphasizes that the team must eradicate the careless errors that arise when they are in possession.
Improving decision‑making in the final third, sharpening the transition from defense to attack, and maintaining concentration under pressure will be essential if the Three Lions hope to convert their defensive resilience into consistent victories against the world’s elite.