Tuchel Must Restore Faith in England After Problems

England return to World Cup qualifying, with manager Thomas Tuchel under pressure to solve a host of issues that threaten his bid to win the 2026 tournament.

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LONDON -

The German has made an underwhelming start to his reign and he must use qualifiers against Andorra (Sept 6) and Serbia (Sept 9) to resolve the problems that marred his first four games.

Here is a look at the most pressing topics ahead of the clash with Andorra at Villa Park.

1. LIFT THE GLOOM

England sit top of Group K with three wins from three games, six goals scored and none conceded - but appearances can be deceptive.

Tuchel's side laboured to a 2-0 win against Albania in his first match in March and then needed two second-half goals to put a flattering gloss on a 3-0 victory over Latvia.

And the sight of England labouring to a 1-0 win over minnows Andorra in June must have been alarming for Tuchel.

But worse was to come as the Three Lions finished their summer schedule with a dismal 3-1 defeat by Senegal in a friendly.

England's first loss to an African side provoked a scathing response from angry fans frustrated by the team's lethargic display.

It was a far cry from Tuchel's bold claim that he wanted his team to play an attacking style that would cast off the caution showed by his predecessor Gareth Southgate.