THOMAS Tuchel said there was no need to panic after England were beaten 3-1 by Senegal at the City Ground on Tuesday night – their first defeat to African opposition in 22 games.
England went in front in the friendly through Harry Kane’s 73rd international goal, his fourth in four games under Tuchel.
Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr equalised five minutes before the break before Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly addled two more, either side of Jude Bellingham’s controversially disallowed goal for handball against Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.
England had won their first three games under Tuchel, to top their World Cup qualifying group a year out from the tournament.
“We lost a test match so there is no need to panic,” Tuchel said.
“We have three qualification games, we have nine points, we have not conceded and we will be competitive in September and we will go for two more victories, 100 per cent.
“We know more now, we are smarter. It is tough at the moment. I am the first one to dislike and hate losses but we don’t go next week, we go in one year and I think by nature it will get more competitive in the nomination process and in the demands for players to be nominated and to be with us in September, October, November because we are in a World Cup season.”
England host Andorra and travel to Serbia in World Cup qualifiers in September.
Tuchel added: “Now we go into a long break with a bad feeling and a loss which is simply not nice and not what we wanted. I will never be glad for a loss. I’m glad for a tough test and challenges. We wanted to feel the quality of a top-20 team and we felt their quality. We felt what it means to them. I heard them in the dressing room before the match, I heard them in the dressing room after the match so I know how much it means to them to play against us. How much joy they expressed if they make this happen.
“It’s the right thing to test, the right thing to challenge. Of course we demand a lot of ourselves and I demand more of myself, we wanted to play better against Andorra, and do better today. It is a tough learning.”
Kane defended his boss. He said: “This is only the manager’s second camp and we have a lot of young players and inexperienced players at this level and international football is different to club football. But these aren’t excuses, this is the reality. We have to be ready for the next season.”
