Thomas Tuchel slams England fans after comfortable Wales win | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel Questions England Support Despite Dominant Wales Win

Frustration Over Atmosphere

Thomas Tuchel expected Wembley to be bouncing after England surged to a 3-0 lead against Wales, yet his post-match remarks painted a very different picture. Instead of basking in a comfortable friendly win, he chose to call out the mood in the stands, describing the home support as “silent”.

Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka delivered early goals that effectively settled the contest before half-time. Wales brought around 7,000 travelling supporters and Tuchel was quick to acknowledge their impact, praising their noise and constant chanting. England’s own backing, however, came under scrutiny.

Photo: IMAGO

“We had one and a half training days to prepare against a well-trained team and we did very well,” Tuchel told ITV Sport. “We could have been 5-0 up at half-time. We couldn’t score the fourth and fifth ones. The stadium was silent. We didn’t get any energy back from the stands. We did everything to win.”

Expectation of Stronger Backing

When pressed on whether he wanted more from England’s support, his response was immediate. “Yes. What more can you give in 20 minutes? We didn’t let them escape. If you hear just Wales fans for half an hour, it’s sad, because the team deserved more support today.”

That sense of disappointment carried through to his post-match press conference, where he expanded on his thoughts. “I said when we played in Serbia the support was brilliant. I said it and I meant it. I love English football fans and the support they give. But I think the support today did not match the performance on the field.”

Tuchel stopped short of demanding anything specific, instead expressing belief that tournament backing will return. “Nothing. I am 100 per cent sure that we will have fantastic support in the tournament and in Latvia.”

Call for Energy at Key Moments

Despite the comfortable scoreline, Tuchel made it clear that atmosphere still matters even in friendlies. “But today we were 3-0 up after 23 minutes, had ball win after ball win after ball win, and it felt like, ‘Why is the roof still on the stadium?’ It could have helped us in the second half to regain rhythm. I’m sure we will get everyone going, it is on us, but today I was a little underwhelmed.”

His comments will inevitably spark conversation about what supporters owe their national team. England fans are renowned for their passion in major tournaments, yet Wembley friendlies rarely reach those levels. Tuchel appears keen to bridge that gap, emphasising that momentum on the pitch is far stronger when it feeds off emotion in the stands.

Focus Shifts to Latvia

England now travel to Latvia for a World Cup qualifier that could confirm their place at next summer’s tournament. Tuchel has already improved performances on the pitch. His next challenge might be rallying a nation off it.