Kane: “No Need to Panic, But Improvement is Essential Following Senegal Defeat”

Captain Harry Kane has asserted that England needs to make swift improvements if they are to be contenders in next year’s World Cup, following a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Senegal in a home friendly on Tuesday night.

This marks England’s first-ever loss to an African nation, putting coach Thomas Tuchel under significant scrutiny just four matches into his tenure.

After managing a narrow 1-0 victory against lower-ranked Andorra in World Cup qualifying on Saturday, Tuchel’s ten changes had little impact as Senegal claimed a well-deserved win in Nottingham, with goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra, and Cheikh Sabaly.

“Not good enough. We had our moments, but both with and without the ball, we’re struggling to click; we’re not finding the right rhythm,” remarked Kane, who managed to score his 73rd international goal.

“We’ve lost that aggressive edge that we once had.”

Tuchel, the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain manager, was brought on board with the aim of guiding England to success in major tournaments after two consecutive finals losses in the European Championship.

Kane acknowledged that the side is experiencing a transition period following Gareth Southgate’s exit after Euro 2024. However, he is aware that time is of the essence, with the World Cup now just a year away.

“We won’t panic, but we recognise that we need to improve,” added the Bayern Munich striker.

“With new ideas and fresh faces in the squad, some lacking international experience, it’s a mix of factors, but there are no excuses.

“We must find our form quickly; the World Cup will be upon us before we know it, making every training camp crucial at this stage.”

Fortunately for England, they currently sit in a strong position for qualification, having secured victories in all three of their qualifiers to date against Albania, Latvia, and Andorra.