By Daily Sports Nigeria on July 6, 2025

Thomas Tuchel says supporters need to be patient with England and not "over expect" when they play Andorra, the 173rd-ranked team in world football, on Saturday.

The World Cup qualifier at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona is just Tuchel's third game as England manager, and he will be looking to strengthen the Three Lions' position in Group K.

England are currently top after beating Albania and Latvia in March, but Tuchel warned that despite the differences between the teams, it could take his side some time to break down a resolute Andorra defence.

"It will be on us to get going. It is on us to keep the tempo high, it is on us to bring the energy to the pitch," he said.

"It is on us to bring the attacking energy to the pitch and to do this in a relentless way.

"The players come from a long and tiring season and then again accepting the role to be responsible for the majority of the game.

"It can be demanding, but at the same time it is what I feel from the group - they are happy to be here, happy to show."

It is just Tuchel's second England camp and a match they are expected to win comfortably.

But the 51-year-old referenced Andorra's match with Spain, where the European Champions were only 1-0 up at half-time and urged supporters to not get frustrated.

"It is also important not to over expect from us. Not to over expect in terms of that we expect a clear result, biggest chances and goals already after 10, 20 minutes and get impatient or frustrated with ourselves. It is a test of our patience," Tuchel said.

"When Andorra played against Spain it was 1-0 at half-time with a set-piece.

"It is a World Cup qualifier - you respect your opponent, you respect the quality and the defensive organisation of your opponent.

"Then you understand how difficult it is to break down. We expect a 5-4-1 formation which will be like 22-25 metres in front of the goal.

"Put this into consideration, get the energy right, get the detail right and get the energy level right in order to not get frustrated too soon.

"I hope that we are clear enough to the players in what we demand in details and go along with the details - and the result will hopefully follow."

Source BBC Sports

Posted June 7, 2025

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