England defeated Andorra 2-0 at Villa Park on Saturday evening to maintain their perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Although the Three Lions strolled to victory and took away all three points, the performance was incredibly underwhelming, which has been a theme of England's performances since Thomas Tuchel was announced as the new boss 11 months ago.
In recent years, England have put four and five goals past Andorra, but they struggled to break them down in their latest victory over them, which is surprising given the depth of attacking talent they possess.
Although fans would've viewed this as a nothing match and a guaranteed three points, there are plenty of talking points coming out of the game, with most of them being negative, and GIVEMESPORT will take you through four things we learned from the match.
Marcus Rashford's Struggles Highlight Tuchel's Big Problem
Marcus Rashford in action for England against Andorra
Although England's front line as a whole struggled to break down Andorra's defence, Marcus Rashford was the quietest of them all. Barcelona's new man had a quick start to the match, but he was quickly figured out and went on to have little success against Andorra's right-back, Biel Borra. As well as being quite easily figured out, Rashford also squandered a golden opportunity in the 50th minute, which he really should've converted.
People may look at Rashford's performance and solely attribute it to him having a quiet night at the office. However, his lack of success could also be attributed to Thomas Tuchel's tactics and the system he has employed since becoming England boss.
Although the Three Lions have incredible depth and quality in the final third, the attackers haven't had much success at all since the German was appointed, which shows that his tactics may not be built to get the very best out of the abundance of attacking talent which England possesses.
Creativity has been Tuchel's biggest problem since being appointed, and if he wants to make sure his side is competitive going into the World Cup next year, he needs to solve those problems very quickly.
Elliot Anderson is Here to Stay
elliot anderson
A big talking point coming into England vs Andorra was the senior debut of Elliot Anderson for the Three Lions. The 22-year-old had a breakout season for Nottingham Forest last season, and performance-wise, has also enjoyed a very bright start to this season's Premier League campaign. Despite going back and forth representing both England and Scotland in the youth age groups, Anderson chose to represent the Three Lions at senior level, and it looks like he will be in and around the squad for a long time if his debut is anything to go by.
Anderson had the joint second-highest number of touches of any England player, which shows that even though it was his debut, his teammates trust him and recognise his talent already. The Forest midfielder didn't produce much in the final third of the pitch, but he controlled the midfield and showcased his incredible passing range plenty of times, spraying diagonals left and right to the wingers and full-backs.
Another thing which will make Anderson a valuable and important player for years going forward is that he has a skill set which means he can play in pretty much any role in the midfield. As mentioned, although he excelled on the ball, he also has the ability to be a pressing force and put in some big challenges.
Thomas Tuchel Still Has Lots to Prove as England Manager
England manager Thomas Tuchel called out by Jeff Stelling
Although there was plenty of hype around Tuchel becoming the England manager when he was officially announced as the new boss 11 months ago, the hype has failed to translate into performances on the pitch, where it matters. The German has four victories in five matches, and although this is decent on paper, especially when you take into consideration that the only loss he suffered was in a friendly, it has been incredibly stale to watch.
England fans were looking for a manager to come in with new, exciting ideas and a more thrilling style of play following Gareth Southgate's departure. However, it could be argued that England are now just as stale to watch, and they may have actually slightly regressed since Tuchel's appointment. His record and achievements in club football can't be questioned, but international football is a completely different game, and he may need to change his approach if he wants to get England anywhere close to World Cup glory in 2026.
It's Harry Kane or Bust For the Three Lions in 2026
Harry Kane in action for England against Andorra
A lot has been made about England's performances at the top end of the pitch lately. However, they may continue to get worse if Harry Kane suffers an injury or starts to slow down before going into the World Cup next year. In Tuchel's latest squad, he named just two strikers, one of them being Kane and the other being Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.
Kane and Watkins, on the face of it, look like two very good forward options, but the Villa striker has had a poor start to the 2025/2026 Premier League campaign, so once again, if Kane slows down or gets hit with an injury, which could rule him out of the World Cup, England's tournament could be over before it has even started, as there aren't many great striker options behind Kane and Watkins.