Thomas Tuchel praised Myles Lewis-Skelly’s “natural confidence” after the England debutant scored in Friday’s 2-0 win over Albania – but has challenged Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden to improve their performances.
The 18-year-old kick-started Tuchel’s tenure with a slotted finish 20 minutes into his England debut. The Arsenal defender continued to impress as England found a second through Harry Kane later on in the game.
Speaking to the media after the game, Tuchel commended the teenager’s bravery, which has lent itself to his speedy trajectory early on in his career.
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Jay Bothroyd was overjoyed to see Lewis-Skelly score 20 minutes into his England debut against Albania
“He is such an open character,” Tuchel said.
“He was amazing in camp. Full of confidence, full of humour. You see everything on the pitch, off the pitch. He does it with a natural confidence. That’s how he plays football. Full of courage and quality. He was decisive and opened this game for us.”
Tuchel was also impressed with Lewis-Skelly’s versatility throughout the victory, explaining how the teenager was deployed as a tactical weapon during the game.
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Dan Burn was full of praise for Lewis-Skelly after the 18-year-old scored on his England debut in their opening World Cup qualifier against Albania.
“The second half, he played as an eight, we wanted to take more risks,” Tuchel said.
“The first half we played in a 4-1 and 4-1 up front. He played more conventional and scored more up-front. He played as a No 8 or 10. I think his best position is where he plays for Arsenal in the left double six, inverted role.
“If you see him in possession games in training, the quality of first touch, body movement, how he plays the passes is a very high understanding of the game. He’s very versatile and can do a lot of things. We tried to play more conventional today because there are many players for different clubs.”
Tuchel admits work needed as Foden and Rashford struggle
Foden has zero goal contributions in each of his last 17 outings for England
Marcus Rashford was a surprise inclusion in Tuchel’s first England lineup, earning his first England cap for over a year. The Aston Villa man, on loan from Manchester United, was joined by Phil Foden, who has been struggling for form at club level.
A barren evening for the Manchester City midfielder means Foden has failed to register either a goal or an assist in any of his last 17 appearances for his nation.
Rashford returned to England’s starting XI in Tuchel’s first game in charge
Asked about their performances after the game, Tuchel said: “Both of our wingers were not as impactful as normally they can be, as they normally are in club football.
“I’m not sure why we struggled to bring the ball quicker to them, not sure why it took us so long. We lacked a bit of runs off the ball, and not enough passing and dribbling.
“Not enough driving with the ball. Not aggressive enough towards the goal. They were decisive in training, that’s why we picked them.”
On Foden, he added: “We will encourage him to do what he does best: go at defenders, go to dribbles.”
