German's Debut Sees a Dash of Novelty and Deja Vu for Three Lions

It will take time, a resource Thomas Tuchel is not granted with a short, one-and-done, 18-month contract, but he has now set sail on his England career, final destination United States, Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup.

- John Brewin

It will take time, a resource Thomas Tuchel is not granted with a short, one-and-done, 18-month contract, but he has now set sail on his England career, final destination United States, Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. The 2-0 defeat of Albania on March 21 was much like any qualifier, a level the England national team have had no problem with for almost two decades now.

What did we learn? A dash of novelty in a goal from Myles Lewis-Skelly. A troublesome Albania—no pushovers at Euro 2024—were finished off by the old reliable in Harry Kane. There is still no alternative to the Bayern Munich striker, who worked with Tuchel in Germany. Goals, it seems, will always come, no matter how peripheral England's captain and record scorer is to the rest of the game.