Thomas Tuchel has a lot of work to do with the England national team.
The German coach now understands the extent of the job he has on his hands during the current international break as the Three Lions struggled against Andorra as part of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, before losing 3-1 to Senegal in a friendly on Tuesday night.
Tuchel experimented against the African nation and as part of that, the former Chelsea boss played Kyle Walker at right-back; however, that backfired as the Man City star had a tough night in Nottingham with the 35-year-old being at fault for Senegal’s equaliser, while also picking up a yellow card.
The English national media have been reacting to Walker’s latest display for the Three Lions, and it is fair to say, they do not want the veteran star on the plane to the 2026 World Cup.
Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Walker is expected to leave Man City this summer as Pep Guardiola continues to search for a new right-back in the summer transfer market.
The Man City defender spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan and was not a regular starter in Italy, which showed on Tuesday night against Senegal, resulting in the English media blasting his performance.
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The Daily Mail gave Walker a rating of four out of ten and stated: “Walker will be 36 by the next World Cup and he looked it when Sarr exposed his snoozing to equalise.”
This rating was shared by the Standard, which stated about the Man City star: “A nightmare night for the right-back. Looked off the pace and was on his heels for Senegal’s opening goal. Did create a golden chance for Gordon with a great cross.”
The Telegraph were a bit harsher with a rating of three out of ten, with Matt Law stating that Walker should be nowhere near the World Cup: “He is not going to the Club World Cup and surely cannot go to next summer’s World Cup. Dozed off for the Senegal equaliser and booked for a poor challenge.”
The right-back would also receive a rating of three out of 10 from The Independent, who wrote: “Messy spacing from Walker throughout the game, often running too narrow. Did not anticipate the attacking threats of Sarr and Jackson and was slow to react, leading Sarr to score.
“Was also booked for a foul on Diouf on his 96th England cap. Lazy and no concentration for a vastly experienced player. At 35, could now easily be consigned to the scrapheap.”
Last week, Tuchel told Jack Grealish to leave Man City in search of more minutes, and after yesterday’s match, the German was left talking about another City star in Walker.
Thomas Tuchel defends Kyle Walker after poor performance for England
In his post-match press conference, Tuchel was asked about Walker after his display against Senegal, and the German coach defended the Man City star’s selection, stating that the veteran was a great person to have around the camp.
“He pushes the standard and the level. He deserved to play.” Tuchel stated via Henry Winter. Before later adding: “I see the lack of rhythm in misjudgements, duels and anticipation.”
This international break was the perfect time to see where Walker was at ahead of the rest of England’s qualification matches and potentially the 2026 World Cup, and the German coach got his answers regarding the right-back.
The Man City legend is very unlikely to be included in the World Cup squad next summer at this stage in his career, as it is now time for the Englishman to decide where he wants to continue his story next season.