ENGLAND 1, SENEGAL 3
One year and one day before the World Cup kicks off, England look a million miles away from being serious challengers.
It’s been a miserable international period with precious little to cheer for Thomas Tuchel’s side after limping to a 1-0 win against Andorra, ranked 173 in the world, and tonight being outclassed by Senegal in a friendly at the City Ground, Nottingham.
It was also a big night for Senegal who became the first country from Africa to beat England as they extended their unbeaten record to 22 matches.
Tuchel, who tasted defeat for the first time in his fourth international, was left with plenty to ponder as in the last two internationals he has looked a man without a plan.
“We lost a Test match, but there’s no need to panic,” he said. “We have nine points from our three World Cup qualifiers and we will be competitive for the two in September.
“The World Cup is not next week, but next year.”
England certainly seem to have taken a retrograde step since Gareth Southgate stood down – for all the criticism of him, always got to the latter stages of major tournaments.
Tuchel can have no complaints as Senegal, ranked 19 in the world to England’s fourth, would have won by a wider margin but for some decent saved from Dean Henderson and wayward finishing from the visitors.
Kane, as ever, found the net as he has done in all of Tuchel’s flour matches as he remains England’s most potent attacking threat.
But Senegal, lightning fast on the break, scored through Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra and substitute Cheikh Sabaly.
Tuchel, who explained he is happy what he sees in training, said: “Yeah of course, it’s a disappointing result. Not sure if we did not deserve a little bit more result-wise.
“We had two big chances to make it 2-0 and I was pleased with the reaction when we went behind to turn the game around.
“I liked the energy and quality from the bench to turn the game around, but didn’t manage it.
“It is learning, but tough learning and I hate to lose, but I wanted a test and challenge against a top 20 team in the world.
“We have to be smarter. Felt a bit frozen, not active enough for a long time over the match. We defended quite well for long periods in the first half and then our best period came when we were 2-1 down. We conceded the first two goals – very easy goals, we need to defend better.
“The reaction was good after we were down. We suddenly were more active, more free, more fluent, more aggressive. We had big chances to equalise.”
Of Jude Bellingham’s disallowed goal, which would have made it 2-2, Tuchel explained: “I just saw it, it looks more the shoulder than the hand.
Embed from Getty Images“I saw it as a goal needs to be checked, it is the first time the referee revisits a goal. So either it is a mistake, so take it away. Or it’s not a mistake, so it’s a goal.”
Captain Kane admitted: “Not good enough. We had moments, but with and without the ball things aren’t clicking, we’re not finding the right tempo. We’ve lost that aggressive nature that we had.”
“We’re not going to panic but we know we need to be better. New ideas, there’s new players coming into the team that don’t have experience at international level. It’s a mixture of things but no excuses. We need to find it quick, the World Cup is going to come around really fast, so every camp is really important right now.”
And of Bellingham’s disallowed goal, Kane said: “If you know the rules it’s not handball.
“That gets us back in the game and maybe we can go on and win the game, so it’s a big moment. It’s something we will discuss later.”
Only Kane kept his place as Tuchel opted for a very different line-up to the one that started the 1-0 win against Andorra on Saturday.
Trevoh Chalobah made his England debut while Crystal Palace’s FA Cup-winning goalkeeper Henderson started in place of Jordan Pickford.
Kyle Walker, 35, also started along with 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly while Conor Gallagher was called into midfield.
Home player Morgan Gibbs-White, who was being tipped to get his first England start, was again on the bench.
The Senegal side was packed with players with Premier League, either current or past.
They included Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Crystal Palace’s Sarr.
And it was Jackson who had the first clear-cut chance in the fifth minute when his effort was kept out by the legs of Henderson.
Senegal made the brighter start, but it was England who stole ahead two minutes later.
Eberechi Eze won the ball and Gallagher then fed Anthony Gordon whose shot was parried by Mendy with Kane lurking like the predator he is to slot home his 73rd goal for England in his 107th appearance.
Kane has also scored in all four of Tuchel’s internationals, a measure of his importance to the team.
Senegal kept probing and a cross from the left was met by the head of Sarr with Henderson making a smart save low to his right.
England ought to have doubled the lead shortly before the half hour when Gordon, unbelievably, fired wide at the far post from Walker’s cross though, in fairness, he was under pressure from a defender.
Henderson was called into action again with a saw low down to keep out a snapshot from Idrissa Gueye.
Senegal were rewarded for their considerable efforts with a 40th minute leveller as Jackson cut the ball back from the right for Sarr to fire home at the far post – the first goal England have conceded in the Tuchel era as Walker was caught out.
The African side ought to have taken the lead soon after the restart when Habib Diarra blazed over from a cut back when he ought to have hit the target.
Tuchel made a triple change just short of the hour as Kane, Gordon and Gallagher made way for Curtis Jones, Gibbs-White and Morgan Rogers.
Senegal’s bright start to the second period was rewarded when they went ahead in the 62nd minute.
Diarra made no mistake this cutting in from the left and squeezing an angled shot low through the legs of Henderson who got a touch but couldn’t keep it out.
England almost levelled immediately but Gibbs-White’s effort was well kept out by Mendy.
Bukayo Sako then forced a fabulous low save from Mendy as he had looked certain to score.
There were two further changes with 20 minutes left as Jude Bellingham and Noni Madueke replaced Declan Rice and Saka.
Senegal almost added a third when substitute Pape Gueye fired narrowly wide.
England thought they had made it 2-2 only for Bellingham’s goal to be ruled out after a VAR check as Madueke’s corner hit Colwill’s arm before rebounding to Bellingham to fire home from inside the six-yard box.
England made their sixth change with two minutes left as Ivan Toney replaced Lewis-Skelly.
Pushing for an equaliser, England conceded a third goal in the second of five added minutes on the break.
Lamine Camara broke away on the right and crossed for the unmarked Cheikh Sabaly to slot home as England left the field at the final whistle to a chorus of boos.
Surprisingly the game was not a sellout – about 4,000 below capacity – because there is always a clamour to stage games away from Wembley but fans voted with their feet and stayed away.