Awkward question about Gordon's goal: Tuchel justifies the slap from Spain and explains his decision on Arnold
From a historic night to a match to forget!
The England manager expressed his regret at the mistakes that allowed Spain to come back at Wembley, stressing that "at this level, details matter".
Spain came from behind to beat England 3-2 on Saturday evening in the opening round of League A fixtures in the UEFA Nations League, with Tuchel's side unable to protect the 2-1 lead they held at half-time.
Tuchel explained why he left Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the starting line-up, and insisted England must learn their lessons before facing the Czech Republic in Prague.
He added after the match, according to the Spanish website okdiario: "We faced the best team in the world, but we made a lot of mistakes, especially in the first ten or twelve minutes, and in the attack that led to the equalising goal."
England put in "a very good performance" in the first half and the start of the second, Tuchel believes, and he stressed: "Against an opponent like this, you have to take your half-chances. In the final third of the pitch, we lacked the execution and the composure."
The England manager went on: "We wanted to be the ones to beat them, and we felt we were capable of that at half-time, and because of our performance in the second half. But we lost."
Spain, he confirmed, "were more composed and more precise in turning our mistakes into clear-cut chances".
A model for success?
Tuchel refused to hold up Gordon's goal as a model for the way England want to win, and said: "No, the goal came from a counter-attack."
He explained: "If you want to call it that, it was a ball-winning and a brilliant transition attack. We scored stunning goals, and we could have created more had we been more decisive in the final 20 metres."
The work off the ball matters too, he added: "The effort put in without the ball is also part of our identity, and the daring and courage in winning the ball in advanced areas was exceptional. I think we won about 12 or 15 more balls than Spain in their own half, but we could not turn enough of them into chances and goals, otherwise we would have won the match."
Trent's absence
Tuchel justified keeping Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench by saying that "the match required a big defensive effort, so he gave priority to the pace and the ability of the chosen full-back to also play as a centre-back when the England team plays with three defenders".
On Lewis Hall, he said he did not want to take a risk after the player had missed training earlier in the week because he was feeling unwell... He will get other chances, we have three matches remaining."
Asked about the Czech Republic match, he concluded: "Pointing out each player's mistakes individually and advising them not to repeat them will not help. The mistakes were many, but there are positives to build on. We need the points, and we want to qualify."
Read also: 3 keys that dismantled Tuchel's plan: Spain lure England in the heart of Wembley
