Thomas Tuchel asks for calm after England suffer Japan setback before World Cup

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kaoru-mitoma/faIBBRXl/"]Kaoru Mitoma[/a]'s first-half goal [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/england-j9N9ZNFA/japan-ULXPdOUj/?mid=l0V9sPVq"]at Wembley[/a] condemned [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] to their first ever loss against an Asian nation at the 11th attempt.[/p][p]In their last friendly on home turf before the World Cup kicks off in June, Tuchel's side delivered a second successive lacklustre performance and were booed off at the final whistle.[/p][p]Hot on the heels of Friday's drab [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/england-j9N9ZNFA/uruguay-xMk44orG/?mid=IHvvmo8M"]1-1[/a] draw against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uruguay/xMk44orG/"]Uruguay[/a], England again lacked drive and cohesion.[/p][p]Tuchel, who was without [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rice-declan/zkQ8Cm6n/"]Declan Rice[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo Saka[/a] in both friendlies, conceded it was painful to watch England struggle to find any rhythm, but the German claimed it was still a useful exercise.[/p][embed guid="a119ff3a-fecc-4b70-9918-123ceafe23ce" url="https://x.com/England/status/2039093496921858338?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"For sure it hurts. It's always painful to lose, and to lose at home hurts a lot. We got punished for not a lot, for one counter attack in the first half,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"We need these matches, we know it is a tough opponent, we had several players not available. A new formation again, we tried a lot of stuff, and we need to learn.[/b][/p][p][b]"We need to put it into perspective, it is not the end of the world."[/b][/p][p]With England captain Kane sidelined by a minor injury, Tuchel opted to use [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/foden-phil/E7XjDJns/"]Phil Foden[/a] as a 'false nine' with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palmer-cole/h8agbDt7/"]Cole Palmer[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rogers-morgan/lp4jm80n/"]Morgan Rogers[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gordon-anthony/EFo95m2P/"]Anthony Gordon[/a] joining the attack.[/p][embed guid="a3ec28ec-b7fd-48e6-bfa7-f8c123bd8f11" url="https://x.com/England/status/2039089690129625563?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" social-type="twitter" /][p]Tuchel's plan backfired as England barely mustered a shot against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a]'s tenacious pressing and clever use of possession.[/p][p][b]"It is never nice and we don't like it but it's not a question of false nine or normal nine, it is a matter of performing and making a statement, and winning one on ones, and being brave," [/b]said Tuchel, who hauled off Foden and Palmer in the second half.[/p][p][b]"We can do better but it is a well drilled team that we are playing against, a new formation and new players."[/b][/p][p]Tuchel had no qualms about the importance to England of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a] striker Kane, who is the Three Lions' record goalscorer and has been in prolific form for his club this season.[/p][p][b]"Why would [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] not rely on ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel) Messi[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a] not rely on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Cristiano Ronaldo[/a]? This is totally normal. Key figures left camp for us and we saw that a bit. We lacked a punch," [/b]Tuchel said.[/p][p][b]"In the first half we played way too narrow. We didn't want that but we made the pitch too narrow for ourselves.[/b][/p][p][b]"In the second half we were more dynamic, we used the width more with our wingers and full-backs, which is what we wanted to do the whole time. We took more risks and had chances but we could not convert."[/b][/p]