Tuchel uses history and a dream to fuel England World Cup goal

Major step to qualification with win in Serbia brings back memories of Gascoigne and Italia 90 for head coach

- David Hytner

Thomas Tuchel has not been short of recommended reading material since his appointment as England's head coach. Or documentaries to watch. The suggestions have come from everywhere, but especially the media, who are eager to help out with presumed gaps in his knowledge of the nation's football history. This is the real cost of turning to a guy from overseas.

Has Tuchel seen the fly-on-the-wall programme with Graham Taylor from 1994: An Impossible Job? No? He has to put that right. In fact, wouldn't it be great if Tuchel could allow the cameras in for a sequel as he targets glory at the 2026 World Cup? It was put to him a few months back. Strangely, he did not seem keen.

As for the books, he has been given plenty, the latest handed over on Tuesday night after the 5-0 win against Serbia enabled his team to take a grip on the automatic qualifying spot from Group K. It was a copy of All Played Out by Pete Davies - the behind-the-scenes takedown of the England circus at the 1990 World Cup.

Tuchel, though, knows his stuff. Especially on Italia 90, which he followed as an obsessive 16-year-old fan. "I was watching like crazy... I was Chris Waddle with the collar up in my garden," he said, gesturing as to how the England winger wore his shirt. "I was Paul Gascoigne. I was all these kinds of guys."