Tuchel's 'silent Wembley' jibe takes shine off victory

The Three Lions boss urged the team's supporters to improve the atmosphere after an excellent 3-0 win over Wales on Thursday (The FA/Getty)

- JACK RATHBORN AT WEMBLEY STADIUM

Several paper airplanes took a sharp turn towards the dugouts at Wembley Stadium as England drifted a little during the second half of their 3-0 thrashing of Wales.

It was perhaps at this moment, with some fans distracted in a game long since settled, that Thomas Tuchel became irritated by a lack of energy from supporters.

The German had emphasised how it was “silent” despite their breathtaking display. He had seen Morgan Rogers dazzle, Ollie Watkins strike in relief of the injured Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka deliver a rasping strike into the top corner of the net to turn cheers into gasps of admiration.

“We could have been 5-0 up at half time,” Tuchel claimed, and he wasn’t wrong after Saka’s one-on-one was repelled by a desperate Joe Rodon lunge and Watkins contrived to miss from a yard. “We couldn’t score the fourth and fifth ones. The stadium was silent. We didn’t get any energy back from the stands. We did everything to win.”

“Yes [we expected more from the fans]. What more can you give in 20 minutes? We didn’t let them escape. If you hear just Wales fans for half an hour, it’s sad because the team deserved more support today.”

While it was not the raucous, bouncing Wembley Stadium famously seen in the Euros semifinal win against Denmark, it was never likely to be that in a friendly against an overmatched side.