Credit: Google
The England men’s football team put on a dominant performance against neighbours Wales in an international friendly, defeating them 3-0 to prepare themselves for the World Cup Qualifier against Latvia next week. But following the conclusion of the contest, England head coach Thomas Tuchel criticised the fans for a “silent” Wembley Stadium in London, stating that his players didn’t get “any energy back from the stands”.
Notably, England were on fire at the start of the first half, scoring three goals within the first 20 minutes with the likes of Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, and Bukayo Saka finding their names on the scoresheet. But in the second half, England players weren’t at their best while the home crowd at Wembley Stadium wasn’t involved much, apparently quieter in comparison to their fellow counterparts from Wales.
While speaking to ITV Sport, Thomas Tuchel alluded to the fan atmosphere at the Wembley Stadium, which wasn’t anywhere close to his liking. He was quoted as saying, as per BBC Sport, “The stadium was silent. Silent. We never got any energy back from the stands. I think the players delivered a lot to get more from the stands. It was difficult to keep everything going in the second half. We did excellent, we deserved to win.”
You hear for half an hour from just Wales fans. It's a bit sad: Thomas Tuchel
When the German was asked about whether he expected something extra from the English fans, he replied, “Yes. What more can you give them? Twenty minutes, three goals. The way we attacked Wales and we didn't let them escape. If you hear for half an hour [it was] just Wales fans. It's a bit sad because I think the team deserved big support.” During his tenure with England, which began this January, Thomas Tuchel has won six out of seven matches, losing once to Senegal 3-1 at City Ground in Nottingham.
England will be taking on Latvia at the World Cup Qualifier at the Daugava Stadium in Riga on Tuesday, October 14, to get a step closer to making the coveted event next year.
