WELL, Thomas Tuchel can surely forget about putting that second star on England’s shirt.
Just qualifying for America next summer will be a decent achievement on this evidence.
There is no way on Earth the Three Lions are going to win the World Cup with defensive options as poor as these.
As England suffered their first-ever defeat by African opposition – in their 22nd match against nations from that continent – the Tuchel experiment is beginning to look seriously troubled.
Coupled with Saturday’s dire 1-0 win over the muppets of Andorra, this has been a thoroughly deflating international break.
Harry Kane’s early opener was overturned by strikes from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra and Chiekh Sabaly as England suffered their first defeat under Tuchel against the first half-decent opposition they had faced.
Trevoh Chalobah and Kyle Walker were at fault for the first goal, Dean Henderson, Lewis-Skelly and Levi Colwill should all have done better for the second.
And with no world-class defensive midfielder either, why did Tuchel ever even walk into this job boasting that he intended to win the World Cup?
The truth is England over-achieved significantly in eight years under Gareth Southgate and this is nearer to their natural level.
The German, who waited for three months before he even started the job, missing the November international break as a consequence, seems to have little idea what his best team is.
There have been too many square pegs in round holes, especially against Andorra, and it seems as though he didn’t do his due diligence on his back-up striker Ivan Toney, who wasn’t introduced until the dying minutes of this international break having failed to impress the manager in camp.
Much more of this and England might not even make the World Cup.
A visit to Serbia in September is looming large for Tuchel – and this whole situation could turn very messy if his side do not improve significantly before then.
Tuchel selected a stronger starting line-up than he had for Saturday’s debacle against Andorra – and, unlike in that World Cup qualifier, he at least selected everybody in their correct positions.
If it wasn’t a particularly exciting fixture for most of us then it was a memorable night for Chalobah, who earned his maiden cap seven years after his brother Nathaniel made his single England appearance.
England had never lost in 21 previous meetings with African opposition – yet Senegal were probably the strongest team Tuchel’s side will meet this year.
And despite Kane’s early opener, the visitors were the more impressive team early on.
When Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye skinned Conor Gallagher – who still doesn’t really look like an international footballer – Dean Henderson stuck out a foot to repel Nicolas Jackson’s shot.
Still, England were soon in front with a neat move, involving Eberechi Eze and Gallagher, who fed Anthony Gordon for a weak shot which Edouard Mendy spilled, allowing Kane to stab home.
Senegal continued to play most of the football – Henderson making an unconvincing save from Diarra’s long-ranger at the second attempt and then plunging low to push out a Sarr header.
Gordon ought to have doubled England’s lead but shot wide at the far post from Kyle Walker’s low driven cross. The Newcastle man misses a lot of chances.
Yet Henderson had to be alert after a neat turn and shot from Idrissa Gueye.
And it was little surprise when Senegal equalised before the break – the first time England had conceded in the Tuchel, although this was the first opposition to show any serious attacking intent.
Gueye’s lofted ball over the top allowed Jackson to nip in behind his Chelsea team-mate Chalobah and cut back for Sarr who outpaced Walker to poke home.
Walker used to be rapid, Sarr still is.
Before half-time Walker was booked for a meaty late challenge on El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Only four short of a century of caps, it feels unlikely that the 35-year-old will gain too many more.
Early in the second half, Diarra spurned a close-range chance and soon Tuchel decided he’d seen enough.
Gallagher and Gordon were hauled off with Kane given a breather before the Club World Cup.
On came local hero Morgan Gibbs-White, Curtis Jones and Morgan Rogers – Tuchel preferring Rogers and Eze as false nines, to Ivan Toney, who clearly hasn’t impressed him around the England camp.
Then, Senegal took the lead – and it was totally merited.
Kalidou Koulibaly’s searching pass left Lewis-Skelly and Levi Colwill horribly exposed, allowing Diarra to cut in from the right and nutmeg Henderson at his near post.
England were close to a swift equaliser, Chalobah’s ball over the top locating Eze who teed up Gibbs-White with a saucy back-heel only for the Forest man to shoot too close to Mendy.
Eze was England’s one real bright spark and he soon teed up Bukayo Saka for a shot which Mendy turned round the post.
Bellingham almost proved Tuchel’s saviour when he lashed past Mendy, only for the effort to be ruled out for handball against Colwill when the Chelsea defender met a Noni Madueke corner.
Then late in injury-time, Jones lost possession, Lamine Camara centred for Chiekh Sabaly to lose Chalobah and stick home the third to a chorus of sustained boos.
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