England beaten 3-1 by Senegal as Tuchel suffers first loss | Could Wirtz handle heavy price tag?
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Welcome to Back Pages, bringing you everything you need to know about the biggest sports stories making the headlines in the morning's newspapers. I'm Teddy Draper and joining me is David Ornstein from The Athletic and Charlotte Dunker from The Times. Welcome to your back.

OK, Charlotte, let's come to you with your paper. Nothing to smile about. Pretty distressed picture of Thomas Tuchel in the dugout tonight. Woeful England deservedly lose their first game under Tuchel. Paul Joyce writing that it follows a dismal win against Andorra. How bad was it, do you think?

Yeah, it was pretty bad. I think in terms of, especially as everyone was sort of looking for a reaction after the Andorra game, I think people were hoping there'd be a bit more positivity. Thomas Tuchel was quite harsh with his, realistically, but harsh with his remarks after that game. So I think everyone thought that maybe England were going to come out with a better performance. And when Kane scored after six minutes at

think maybe the optimism was there that this would be a good England performance but it was terrible and I think after this international break I think Tuchel has been left with more questions than answers I mean after this you've got four international breaks I think before the World Cup so there's plenty of things that Tuchel's going to have to sort and it looks like he's got a headache with that

paper the picture on the back page of the times there and I'm sure he has he's got lots of problems like I said that he's going to have to sort before that tournament starts so be interesting to see what happens between now and the next international break which obviously isn't until September.

Yeah, got a bit of time to think about it, David. Paul Joyce writes in The Times, true the match was a friendly but with exactly a year to go to the start of the World Cup. The Omens do not look good. It was their first defeat under Tuchel in four games. What are the positives, David, other than Harry Kane can score goals? Is that about it from the two games?

Yeah, tell us something we don't know. It was a painful evening, but that's not an unfamiliar experience for any of us who have been watching England over the years in certain friendlies, in certain qualification matches. And first of all, all credit to Senegal. It was an excellent performance. They deserved to win first ever African victory over England in men's football and fair play to them for that. Yeah.

I think you've got to look at the sort of embryonic stage of Thomas Tuchel's reign. He's only had a few games. He didn't start as early as some would like after being appointed. Of course, he didn't get going until the new year and with his first match in March.

So he's still getting a feel for the players, for the group, for the atmosphere. He's clearly unhappy about some of what he's seen and he's been quite outspoken on that. And it's a bit of shock and awe, I think, because you could say, you know, England under Southgate had made such progress and they really had that

maybe it only needed the finishing touch, a winner to take them over the line. So sort of harness what you've already got and make it that sort of small percentage better. Whereas Thomas Tuchel seems to be tearing up quite a lot of what we saw before, bringing old bits back and finding his way into it. There's a break now for him to take stock and England will go again in September. I think there are six matches before the end of the year and then it's really,

the action in 2025 heading into the World Cup and that tournament in the USA. He pointed out after the Spain-Germany Nations League final and sorry, Spain-Portugal Nations League final, which the squad watched together, that he's confident when England actually come to a match or opponents of that caliber, they will step up to the plate.

And I think the only positive I can really take at this point is one, he's feeling his way in, but two, and experimenting, but two, when it comes to the finals, Thomas Tuchel has been employed to win, not necessarily in a certain style, but to win that tournament. And England do have weapons. They've shown in recent major tournaments that they can go deep.

And he is a winning coach. He's won the Champions League and other titles in his career. So whatever we see in these qualification matches and the friendly tonight, there's one more friendly against Wales before the year's out. This isn't sort of Thomas Tuchel's job to impress now and wow us. It's his job to try and lift the trophy in the USA, Mexico and Canada. And that will be the sort of judgment of him and this England crop.

Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it, Charlotte, with the personnel there. Harry Kane, we know, scores goals. Walker has been evaluated, Karl Walker particularly tonight. Might be rather harshly by Sam Wallace in the telegraph. Walker nightmare leaves Tuchel with another headache. Was 35-year-old Karl Walker the main problem, Charlotte, or would you say that there are a few other issues there in the team?

I mean, defensively, they did look really bad. Kyle Walker, as you can see, just didn't switch on quick enough for that first goal that they conceded. So you can blame him for that, but I don't think you can blame him for the overall 3-1 defeat that England suffered tonight. I think in the three games that we'd seen under Tuchel previously, one of the main positives was that defensively they looked more solid. They'd obviously kept three clean sheets tonight. They didn't. They conceded three. So defensively,

We know that they made 10 changes. Like David said, he's experimenting, but it's going to get to a point where that experimentation needs to stop because these players, the ones that he sees starting in the World Cup and the system that he wants to play and those sorts of players, they need to forge these bonds. They need to forge these connections. We saw in the Southgate as well, especially in the last tournament that

There's a lot of big personalities. There's a lot of amazing talent in that team, but they were playing as individuals. We saw them not gel as properly as maybe they should have done. And I think we're seeing a repeat of that. And I don't think it's fair to expect Tuchel to click his fingers and wave a magic wand and fix those problems that were there under Southgate.

in what, four games that he's had? As he said, he's had 11 training sessions. So I think towards the end of the year, maybe might be a fairer time to judge him. Maybe we're going to see what sort of system it was that is that he wants to stick with Sarri, the personnel that he sees fitting in there. Towards the end of the game, he was playing with two number 10s. Is that how he sees England playing going forward? Is there a way to fit all this talent into one starting XI? I think these are all the questions he needs to answer, but

after 11 training sessions on four games, it's hardly surprising that he hasn't found the solution to those problems because in some ways Southgate didn't find the solution to those problems in all the years that he was in the job. So I don't think there's reason. I think it was in someone's report was saying that someone came up to the press box and saying, I think it's a bit too soon for that.

And the booing, I don't really agree with booing at games anyway. I get why fans were disappointed with the performance, but in the grand scheme of things, it is a learning curve, this game, and England do have to improve and get better. If this was the eve of the World Cup, then

I would get the hysteria, I'd get the reason to be panicking, but there's still lots of time for him to turn this around. On the positive note, Senegal look good. We'll just pause there for a second and we'll continue our post-mortem in just a minute. But let's get reaction now to England's 3-1 defeat to Senegal. Four in four for Harry Kane under Thomas Tuchel and he's been speaking to Rob Dorsett. Gave too many sloppy balls away.

especially when you're trying to have control of the game, you need to be better at understanding those situations because it builds momentum, it builds the feeling of where on top. And then without the ball, just probably not enough Jules one, not enough fighting spirit because everyone is trying, but just a bit more understanding of every game for England is a cup final, especially for teams like this. And they're coming to beat us and I just didn't quite have that feeling.

throughout the whole game, but it's a disappointing night for sure. It's not time to panic because there's stuff that we know we need to work on. But of course, coming up to September, we want to start to get it right because once the new season starts, the World Cup is soon around the corner. So it's down to us and the coach to just try and work on areas to improve.

No time to panic, but he says the jewels weren't won, David. How concerning is that? He says it's a big game for Senegal. Well, they're a good team on a good run. Are they just being more professional than England tonight? Is there a narrative we've created about fatigue and apathy that perhaps is, I don't know, becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy?

There's professionalism, there's quality. They were superior to England. There's togetherness and spirit, which is seemingly an age-old problem for England and it transcends different managers. So there's a lot for Thomas Tuchel to look at there. There's different playing personnel. I mean, when you see the tinkering centre-half, just for example,

You long for the days of Harry Maguire and John Stones and the way that they formed such an effective partnership that we've not seen for quite some time now. Myles Lewis-Skelly has made fantastic progress, but we saw this evening that he's got a long way to go at sort of international level. And the sort of build-up to that goal with Morgan Gibbs-White sort of jumping...

into thin air. Dean Henderson, the ball beating him underneath and it sort of reiterates that Jordan Pickford is easily England's number one but Thomas Tuchel has been talking about how he wants his goalkeepers to be playing European football which Jordan Pickford isn't at the moment. So in different areas of the pitch you can pick holes.

You know, Declan Wright and Jude Bellingham not playing together in these two games most recently. Of course, Bukayo Saka is coming back and he came very close to a goal that sort of underlines his excellence. But when Harry Kane went off, there was no number nine on the pitch. Ivan Toney travelling all that way from Saudi Arabia just to get a few minutes at home.

at the end of the game. So it leaves you with a lot of dissatisfaction. But in a way, this is kind of all part of the sort of process that the FA have put themselves in by...

by allowing Thomas Tuchel to start when he did. And Thomas Tuchel, of course, had a preference in that as well. Let's be clear, he is a top coach and he's got many top players at his disposal and it is his job to gel them. It's a bit concerning when he points to how lively they've been in training with smiles on their faces.

And we're just not seeing that on the pitch. And we're getting sick of this sort of suggestion that the shirt weighs heavily. There's just something missing or perhaps multiple things missing. And when you see...

sort of band of brothers like like a Senegal show tonight and many teams that come up against England they seem so much more than the sum of their parts as well as having such talents like a Diarra in with the goal and and many performances tonight from Senegal were way above England England's level and and that is cause for concern but it doesn't mean that England won't get it right when they need to which whether we like it or not is is next summer not now I

Absolutely, Neil. I hope that next summer Harry Kane can still deliver Charlotte at 32 years of age. We don't really know much about his possible replacement in terms of Ivan Toney, do we? Kane came off in the 59th minute, Ivan Toney came on in the 88th minute. What was all that about?

I think maybe the only thing that we learned tonight is that Thomas Tuchel doesn't necessarily see him as the direct replacement because if this was a game for experimentation, he wasn't trusted with having more minutes. Like I said before, well, like as David just said as well, when Harry came off, they weren't playing with the number nine. That was the perfect time to put Ivan Toney in, show what he can do. This is his point to prove because obviously at that point he was the only outfield player that England had brought to this camp that hadn't had any minutes.

and he came on three minutes before the end of the 90, so he didn't really get an opportunity to show what it is that he can do, if that's what Tuchel's trying to look at, who could replace Harry Kane as the number nine, then we weren't really given the answer tonight, is the answer that they don't actually play with the number nine when Harry Kane isn't on the pitch, so...

that's another one of those things we were talking about before. He's got a headache. He's got problems to solve. That's one of them. I think you looked at Tony's body language on the bench. He clearly looks a bit annoyed, as you would be, like David said, come from Saudi Arabia to get three minutes at the back end of a friendly that you're losing. It's not probably how he saw this camp going for him, but...

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what his role is going forward. But at the minute, there's little to suggest that he's going to have a big role to play going forward. Just looking, David, at Matt Law's points out, scores out of 10 for the England team tonight. Harry Kane's six, the top score. Is there anyone from this international break that looks like a guaranteed starter for England other than Kane? What do you think a year out from the World Cup?

There are some very likely starters. I would imagine Jordan Pickford retains his place between the sticks. But when you start to go through the team, there are fewer positions than there have been in recent history, actually. I think Mark Gahee, who's done so well at the last Euros, should definitely come back into the frame when fit and available as a regular starter. England have got a problem at right-back, clearly.

because Kyle Walker has done so well over such a long period of time, but clearly things weren't working out for him at Manchester City. He goes to AC Milan. It wasn't a spectacular success there. He'll be back at Manchester City. He's perhaps been at fault tonight.

we've had many years where Kyle Walker has sort of been suggesting that he's heading out of international football or others have suggested it and then he's come back. So fair play to him. But what's the permanent solution there? Is Rhys James going to prove his fitness? Could Ben White come back into contention? What's happening with Phil Foden, you know, not figuring and clearly had a really tough season. So Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, definite starters in there. Yeah.

But Kai Osaka, for sure. Let's see what happens with, say, Marcus Rashford, if he can get a good move and force his way back into the team because, you know, there's such a great player in there. England are blessed with options. You know, Harry Kane will start up front if fit and available. Ollie Watkins hasn't been available for this group, but he came on in the Euros semi-finals and was the national hero. So there are some positions where you kind of look around the team and think we're in very good shape here. But I think...

the amount of uncertainty is going to cause a lot of anxiety. And you heard that in the crowd tonight, and you're going to see that in the media reports in the coming hours and days and weeks. And it's Thomas Tuchel's job to put that right. I think in a way he can be absolved of a fair amount of criticism at this early part of his tenure where...

It's so difficult. And at this time of the year as well, at the end of the season they've had and players going off to the Club World Cup, but it's going to be the same scenario in a year's time. They'll have come off the back of a season and they'll be going to the World Cup in the same weather conditions as well, which is going to be stifling heat. And England perhaps...

And Thomas Tuchel have more questions than answers right now. And those answers are going to need to come very quickly if this reign is going to be a success. We'll start with Florian Wirtz, who a number of outlets in Europe, including Sky Germany, are reporting, David, that Liverpool have verbally agreed a deal in principle to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. Package reported to be 150 million euros, which is around 125 million pounds today.

plus add-ons. What's your understanding of this, David? And how big a statement is it? Well, full respect to those who are reporting it, but that's not what the clubs are saying. They say that there is no agreement yet. However, we know the direction that this is heading in. Clearly, talks are at a very advanced stage. And the expectation is that an agreement will be reached. It sounds like it requires a bit more time to

go through the finer details and obviously the transfer window is shut now until next Monday. So there is some time to do that. And then if and when the deal is sealed, then medicals can be undergone and everything can be finalised. But regardless, this looks like it's going to be an amazing signing for Liverpool.

of a top number 10, um, one of the best in world football, a player who many thought if he was to leave Leverkusen would be going to buy Munich, uh, or Manchester city when they showed their interest and for him to have decided that he wants to join Liverpool and for Liverpool to have pushed to get this signing over the line, um, at such expense, which will be a club record for them. It will be a club record. It'll be a German record sale, uh,

is pretty remarkable and exciting for Liverpool fans. But to our knowledge right now, according to the parties involved, it's not there just yet, but I suspect it will be pretty soon. Yeah, we'll keep across that when the window reopens. As we will, the left-back pitcher at Liverpool, Charlotte, in the Telegraph, Mike McGrath, reporting that Milos Kirkes is on the verge of sealing a £45m move to Liverpool from Bournemouth.

Pretty ominous for the rest, isn't it? They say strengthen when you're on top. Liverpool are certainly doing that. Yeah, and obviously it's a massive positive for Slot that he's been given the funds and he's been backed that he's gone and won the Premier League in his first season. They're bringing in someone like Wurz, a really, really exciting player for that number 10 position. They're going to have back-up or competition at both flanks at full-back. Obviously, they've already brought in Frimpong, bringing Kirkez as well.

then can they look towards a striker? I mean, you're talking about them getting all this business done so early in the window as well. When I went on Liverpool's pre-season tour last season, they struggled a bit in terms of, not that that affected them in the season, but they didn't have that squad with them ready to go and ready to train for the new season. So imagine what they can do next season if they have all these new faces in for when they go on pre-season tour as well. It could be a really good season for them again. Yeah.

Interesting to see how they line up, isn't it? Particularly without Trent Alexander-Arnold being their creative force. Let's talk Ryan Shirky, David, with you. Manchester City again reported in the Telegraph. Shirky realises his dream on a busy transfer day for City. Also on the front page of the Guardian Sports Supplement as well. What do you make of the City rebuild? He's a flair player. Will Pep allow him to be flair at Manchester City?

Let's see, people accuse Pep Guardiola of sort of shackling his creative players and putting them in a tactical straitjacket, the likes of Phil Foden or Jack Grealish. But I don't think either of those players or others have been complaining about the success and trophies they've enjoyed under Pep Guardiola. And I suspect it will be similar with Schurke, who's a mercurial talent. He'll have to learn the Pep Guardiola system and style of play. But

What, €36 million fixed fee plus €6 million in add-ons? That feels like a remarkable price. Yeah, he was into the final year of his contract. But early 20s with the ability to light up the attacking third of the pitch. France international already. I think this is a brilliant piece of business for Manchester City. I can't wait to watch him in the Premier League and Europe for them.

And also it adds to what they've already done in the market. We'll have the Rinders announcement. We've already had 8 Nuri and maybe they'll do more.

as the weeks go on and the months ahead to really sort of rejuvenate this squad ahead of trying to get back to winning ways next season. We've got about a minute left, Charlotte. Quick thoughts on Arsenal. They face Saudi competition for Seshko, according to Sam Dean in The Telegraph. With Liverpool and Manchester City strengthening, surely they're going to get a striker, aren't they, Arsenal?

You'd like to think that given Cesco's 22 years old, that he's got ambition to be still playing in the Champions League and still playing in the Premier League. Well, not still playing in the Premier League, but playing in the top league. So you'd like to think that the draw and lure of that will get him to Arsenal. But there's weeks left of this transfer. It's not even open yet. There's weeks and months to go of the transfer window. I'm sure they'll get someone through the door.

OK, well, let's hope so from Arsenal's perspective. Good for the title race next season. Quick thoughts in the Guardian in about 20 seconds if you can, David. Joe Bellingham following his big brother's path to Dortmund. Any surprise on your part that he's not going to play in the Premier League next season?

No surprise, but disappointment. It would have been great to see him here, but it's a tried and tested path, Dortmund. It served Jude Bellingham well. I'm sure it will serve Joe Bellingham well, and you wish him all the best for club and country. It does seem an exciting move. We certainly do. Maybe he'll be playing for England next World Cup. Optimism abounds, isn't it? Two Bellinghams in the midfield. David and Charlotte, been a pleasure to have you on Backpage tonight. Hope to see you again soon, hopefully on Brighter Times for England.