Thomas Tuchel criticised the atmosphere at Wembley during England's 3-0 friendly victory over Wales, describing the stadium as 'silent' and stating that the team deserved more support. The head coach expressed disappointment that only Wales fans were audible during long periods of the match.
Goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka inside the first 20 minutes settled the contest, but Tuchel felt the crowd failed to provide energy. 'We did everything to win in 20 minutes, and we didn't get any energy back from the stands,' he said. 'If you hear just Wales fans for half an hour, it's sad because the team deserved more support.'
Tuchel defended his decision to omit Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden from the squad, pointing to Rogers's impressive display in the No 10 role. 'He is a No 10 and he is competing for his place,' the manager noted.
Wales manager Craig Bellamy said the match served as a valuable learning experience ahead of a crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium. 'This is why I wanted this game. I need to see where we are. Today fills me with motivation,' he remarked.
Ollie Watkins was withdrawn at half-time after colliding with a post and is a doubt for England's qualifier in Latvia on Tuesday.
