England's narrow 1-0 victory over Andorra in World Cup qualifying has prompted scathing criticism from the German media, who labelled the Three Lions' display as "lacklustre" against a team of part-time players.
German outlet Bild wrote that "a dwarf almost brought a lion to its knees" in their assessment of Saturday's match at the RCDE Stadium.
The unconvincing performance under Thomas Tuchel, the first German to manage England, saw the team struggle to break down opponents who had previously lost their six encounters with England by a combined score of 26-0.
Harry Kane's 72nd international goal proved to be England's salvation, with the Bayern Munich striker's second-half strike the only breakthrough against determined opposition.
England's narrow 1-0 victory over Andorra in World Cup qualifying has prompted scathing criticism from the German media, who labelled the Three Lions' display as "lacklustre" against a team of part-time players
PA
The uninspiring display drew jeers from supporters in the stands, as England failed to impose themselves on a match that should have been a routine victory.
What was expected to be a straightforward encounter for Tuchel's side instead became a significant test, with Andorra effectively keeping the Three Lions at bay for long periods.
Bild noted that whilst Kane was exempt from criticism for his match-winning contribution, the overall team performance fell well short of expectations.
England star Harry Kane scored the only goal of the game against Andorra
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Tuchel acknowledged the poor performance after the match, admitting: "I think in the end, we played with fire, honestly."
The manager compared the display to "a cup game where the favourite does not smell the danger", suggesting his players had underestimated their opponents.
"I didn't feel a team that was aware it was only 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier. Step by step the energy dropped when we needed exactly the opposite," Tuchel said.
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The German coach's frustration was evident from the touchline as he attempted to motivate his team, with the former Chelsea boss looking visibly annoyed at times during the match.
Despite securing three victories and three clean sheets since taking charge in January, Tuchel's side delivered a performance that raised questions about their progress under the new manager.
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The former Chelsea boss had enjoyed comfortable wins against Albania and Latvia to begin the World Cup qualifying campaign, making Saturday's struggle all the more concerning.
"But we couldn't deliver and so we got away with a win. I think we still deserved the win and we've got three wins and three clean sheets," Tuchel said, attempting to find positives from the display.
England boss Thomas Tuchel was left frustrated following his side's narrow win over Andorra
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He added: "We will not stop encouraging them and make clear after we have a proper look at the match what we want from them."
England are next in action against Senegal on Tuesday night (7.45pm).
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