
Stuart Pearce was left disappointed by one England star’s ‘slow and lethargic’ display as the Three Lions underwhelmed with a 1-0 win over lowly-ranked Andorra.
Thomas Tuchel became the first England manager to win his first three games in charge without conceding a single goal.
But the manner of Saturday’s win left much to be desired, with England jeered off the pitch in Barcelona after a lacklustre attacking display.
Noni Madueke was the sole bright spark in an England shirt, and set up the game’s only goal with a low cross for Harry Kane to tap home.
But several England players failed to impress to leave Tuchel with plenty of food for thought just twelve months out from the 2026 World Cup.
And Pearce, in particular, was left frustrated by the performance of Cole Palmer, who was afforded the No10 role by Tuchel but failed to influence the game before his withdrawl shortly after the hour mark.
‘I dont think he got the game, Pearce told talkSPORT. ‘I don’t think he understood exactly what was needed from him as a player.

‘He played slow and lethargically because he had a lot of time to do so. When you have a lot of time to do so, that’s the last thing you need to do. You need to play it quickly, effectively and show energy.
‘He’s not an aggressive player, but every time there was a challenge and the ball fell between him and an Andorran player, he almost got out of the way apologetically and let the Andorran take the ball of him and the rest of the team had to get it back for him.’
Pearce continued: ‘I think we’re all disappointed with Cole today because we know he has the ability.

‘But he’s one of those over the next twelve months that has to prove his ability in an England shirt as well as in a Chelsea shirt, so we know we can trust you and you can be that matchwinner that is going to help us win the tournament.’
Palmer was far from the only England player who failed to make an impact on the game, with Tuchel critical of his entire side for their lack of intensity during large swathes of the contest.
‘I was most worried in the last 20 minutes because I did not like the attitude that we ended the game with,’ said the German.
‘I didn’t like the lack of urgency and it did not match the occasion – it is still a World Cup qualifier. We will let them know [on Sunday] what we want from them.
‘I think we lacked the seriousness and the urgency that is needed in a World Cup qualifier.
‘I think we played with fire. I didn’t like the attitude in the end. I didn’t like the body language. It was not what the occasion needed.’
England are back in action on Tuesday at the City Ground, where they face Senegal in a friendly.
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