As England’s manager, Thomas Tuchel had a rather easy start as the Three Lions defeated Albania 2-0 at home. There were many good things to learn from the World Cup qualifier, even though it wasn’t a particularly dramatic match.
Most significantly, Myles Lewis-Skelly made history by opening the score and became the youngest debutant to score for England. Harry Kane later proved that he is still dependable by scoring a second goal to make history as the first Three Lions player to score on his debut under three different managers.
Even though they won all three points, the game had some concerning elements. Fans weren’t impressed with Phil Foden, and Tuchel himself expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance, claiming the team wasn’t “disciplined enough in the structure.”
But as the dust settles on the opening match of a new era, there appears to be another problem that is annoying the England supporters.
England Fans Unhappy with Jordan Henderson Cameo
“I was all for Tuchel but his inclusion of Henderson is worrying”
The announcement of Tuchel’s first squad was a major conversation point. Jordan Henderson, a 34-year-old midfielder, was questioned by both fans and reporters about his inclusion.
Given his inaction for Ajax leading up to the international break, Ryan Taylor of The Mirror said Tuchel’s choice was “utterly bemusing.” The former Liverpool captain, who was criticised for his “character,” was nevertheless spotted playing for the Three Lions once more.
He only played for eight minutes, by which time the score was already 2-0, and his play was clean, albeit not unduly ambitious. According to the statistics, he completed his lone long ball attempt, lost the ball just once, and managed 24/25 passes.
He was beaten by several fans who took advantage of his cautious passing decisions. “It could never be Jordan Henderson playing backwards and sideways when he came on,” one person wrote. I didn’t anticipate that. Another was added:
“So Henderson came on for England v Albania just to make a string of sideways and backwards passes…. Great!”
The fact that Tuchel chose to give the veteran another cap after the game was already won, rather than saving those minutes for a younger player who was more likely to play in the 2026 World Cup, seemed to irritate fans more than anything he did that day, which wasn’t particularly noteworthy either way.
Henderson was brought on at the 80-minute mark while the team was ahead 2-0 against Albania, according to one fan. Rioting would have broken out in the streets if Southgate had done that. Before ending: “Game’s won, give someone a meaningful chance, not a meaningless cameo for someone with 80 caps.”
In a similar sentiment, another wrote: “2-0 against Albania, in full control.” Should we give a young man like Eze some experience? Let’s give Henderson a useless cap instead. One person wrote:
“Bringing on Henderson on 80 mins whilst 2-0 up against Albania should be a sackable offence.”
One more merely said: “Henderson? Don’t understand. “I was all for Tuchel, but his inclusion of Henderson is worrying,” a final fan wrote. Hopefully, we’ll play at a faster tempo. Foden hasn’t performed well in the past six months. Gordon and Rodgers should be given more playing time.
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