"Image source, Getty Images England's players went through the formalities of a lap around Villa Park at the end of their victory over Andorra but the sight of their applause being aimed towards thousands of empty seats was the brutal measure of this dire World Cup qualifier. It is traditionally the role of the visiting team to quieten the home crowd in encounters such as this."
"In a reversal of the time-honoured strategy, it was the latest underwhelming display delivered by Thomas Tuchel's side that sucked the life out of the atmosphere. England, as they have now done on four occasions under Tuchel in World Cup qualifying, won to cement a powerful position at the head of Group K. A 2-0 victory against the side ranked 174th in the world."
England secured a 2-0 victory over Andorra at Villa Park, moving into a commanding position atop Group K and closer to the 2026 World Cup. The goals came from an own goal by Christian Garcia and a Declan Rice header from Reece James' delivery. England dominated possession (83%) while Andorra defended deeply and rarely left their half. Thousands of fans left before full time, leaving many empty seats and draining the atmosphere. Thomas Tuchel's tenure has yet to produce a clear identity, and England's displays have arguably regressed since the managerial change after Euro 2024.
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]