Tuchel looking for a spark to make fans fall in love with his England

Head coach is determined to throw off the weight of history in search of a bolder style for the national team

- David Hytner

So, Thomas Tuchel, was the ball over the line? And, yes, we are still talking about it. "I don't think so," the new England head coach replied. "But there was no VAR so it stands." Ah, Thomas. You're on our side now. And if you want to earn the right to sing the national anthem, you are going to have to do better than this.

More seriously, though, as Tuchel throws himself into the challenge of managing England and moving on from the inconvenience of his German passport, this was an instructive exchange.

It reminded Tuchel, who is preparing for his first game in charge - the World Cup qualifier against Albania at a sold-out Wembley tonight - of the oppressive weight of England's history; a lone star on the shirt from 1966 when Geoff Hurst's crucial extra-time goal against West Germany did indeed stand. England were on their way, people would later run on to the pitch and so on and so on.

Perhaps, it also stressed the primacy of the result; how that tends to stand the test of time more than the manner of it. Tuchel took a long pause when asked what was more important to him: winning or providing entertainment? "In the end, winning - especially in a tournament," he said.

Tuchel's mission is afoot - to add a second star by winning the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted mainly by the United States. He said it still felt "surreal" to have been entrusted with the job, that he would be nervous before Albania because he always gets nervous before games.