England player ratings as 4/10 Palmer sums up Tuchel’s muddled tactics

Andorra 0-1England (Kane 50′)

The only graph I really want to see after this match is ITV’s drop-off in audience numbers as the minutes rolled by.

That first-half… Dreadful. There were jeers, actual jeers, from the heavy English contingent inside a tenth-full RCDE Stadium in Catalonia when the half-time whistle sounded. And again at full-time.

“I was really disappointed with England’s attitude after the first goal went in,” Roy Keane said afterwards. “I felt like some of the players got bored in the last half-hour. I don’t like to see that. These players have to impress this manager. You can’t keep looking at Harry Kane.”

There is struggling to break down the nation ranked 173rd in the world – a team England had beaten 15-0 on aggregate across their previous three meetings – and then there was this, a laboured performance that eventually became comical.

England were largely reduced to crosses and had nothing to show for 45 minutes of 82.9 per cent with the ball, the boos summing up the confusion as to what exactly Thomas Tuchel’s tactics were.

Those predicting a goal-fest therefore tempered hopes, but victory was still the expectation, and come the second half Kane woke his team up from their slumber, although maybe not viewers at home.

Kane’s tap-in was the winner, meaning the lingering memory of this match – beyond the futility of international matches at the end of a long season – will be Tuchel’s shoehorning of Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer without a clear indication as to how they’re supposed to work in tandem.

It is something Tuchel has just 12 months to solve, and with the Club World Cup to come, burnout too must become a concern given Bellingham and Palmer are among the players off to the USA soon – all before the Three Lions (probably) head to North America for the biggest World Cup ever next summer. Hmm.

Jordan Pickford – 6/10

A passenger. Not a shot to save in the first half and very few touches required otherwise.

Curtis Jones – 6/10

A surprise starter at right-back in this attacking line-up, a lighter touch may have led to an early assist for Harry Kane as England sought the opener. His incisive pass then led to the winner.

Harry Kane opens the scoring! ⚽

He becomes the first player to score in each of a mangers 1st three matches in charge of @England since Peter Crouch#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/ouDYfXPKNH

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 7, 2025

Ezri Konsa – 6/10

A quiet match largely passing the ball to Dan Burn, he came to England’s rescue in the second half when Andorra threatened with 15 minutes to go.

Dan Burn – 5/10

A couple of sloppy passes typified England’s first half, where Burn had the most touches of any player on the pitch.

Reece James – 6/10

Played the most passes of any England player in the first half but often crosses were sub-par. A terrible free-kick late on was a good summary overall of England’s attacking prowess.

Jordan Henderson – 6/10

A first England start since November 2023, Henderson was the quarter-back in attack and did little wrong. The screen in front of the defence was never going to set this match alight.

Morgan Rogers – 6/10

Occasionally got bored and tried to do it all himself. Can hardly blame him. He was not the only attacking player who struggled, as the approach was not entirely clear.

Cole Palmer – 4/10

Spent a good amount of time early on swinging in corners – seven alone inside the first 18 minutes – and drifted thereafter, often searching for pockets Bellingham was already in. This could be the riddle that Tuchel struggles to solve, and it was no surprise he came off first in the 64th minute.

Jude Bellingham – 6/10

Took initiative early on but was reduced to shots from distance himself in the first half before a header in stoppage time. Wanted plenty of the ball but often found a yellow wall – not the one he was adored by a few years ago.

Noni Madueke – 8/10

The only bright note. Easily the man of the match. Double-marked at times but showed the endeavour that others lacked, and he deservedly secured the assist for Kane. Almost scored late on but miscued his effort from a narrow angle.

Harry Kane – 7/10

The closest to breaking the deadlock in the first 20 minutes, Kane had just nine first-half touches. It mattered less though when he scored the opener five minutes into the second half, poking home from close range moments after a smart run opened up the Andorra defence.  

Substitutes:

Trent Alexander-Arnold – On for Henderson in the 64th minute. 6/10

Eberechi Eze – On for Palmer in the 64th minute and almost scored with a header within 10 minutes of coming off the bench. At least appeared to try. 7/10

Declan Rice – On for Jones in the 81st minute. n/a

Anthony Gordon – On for Rogers in the 81st minute. n/a

Morgan Gibbs-White – On for Bellingham in stoppage time. n/a