CLOSE BUT SO FAR! Tuchel was hired to help England beat the world's best teams - he's failed and that's why Spain defeat felt inevitable

Thomas Tuchel’s England have played three matches at Wembley in 2026 and have not recorded a victory. They have been beaten by Japan and Spain and have drawn against Uruguay.

It continues to be a small wonder that Wembley is packed for every international. It will probably be close to full for the visit of the Czech Republic on Tuesday week.

To be fair, the 84,525 who showed up for the UEFA Nations League game against Spain were treated to a highly entertaining contest and an extended look at the wonder of Lamine Yamal.

But they heard familiar reflections from Tuchel. England could have won the game had certain moments gone their way.

If my aunt had … etc, etc. You get the drift.

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The England manager suggested his side would have gone on to win had Harry Kane extended their one-goal lead from the penalty spot early in the second half, and, quite obviously, he has a point.

But the Kane miss averts scrutiny of the gap in class between the two squads.

The statistics showed that Spain were marginally the more threatening side in a game that could have ended up with double its five-goal tally. The eyes showed that Spain were comfortably the more accomplished side.

England managed to win a knockabout bronze medal match against France at the World Cup but are generally found wanting against high-class opposition.

Tuchel was brought in to change that. He hasn’t. Spain could have been out of sight before Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane led England’s impressive resurgence.

And it was impressive. Gordon was a constant threat and Jude Bellingham was at his belligerent best.

But there was a feeling of inevitability about the defeat. It is why punters were heading for the tube station some time before the final whistle.

It is why England’s lap of appreciation went pretty much unnoticed. There was an indifference to Tuchel on Saturday night and that will be the case all the way to the Euro finals.

A victory over the world champions might - just might - have changed that, but the cold truth is that Tuchel failed in his original brief yet is still the manager entrusted to take England forward.

The fantastic attendances at Wembley are all the Football Association needs to be convinced their decision to keep the England team in Tuchel’s hands is the right one. And a slightly cavalier and error-prone display against the Spanish certainly made the latest game value for money.

But even if you did not agree with the move to have a third foreign manager in charge of the England national team, Tuchel’s initial short-term, win-or-bust mission had a frisson of excitement about it.

There was in-game excitement against Spain, that is for sure. But there was also a familiarity about being second best against quality opposition - and an acceptance that Tuchel is unlikely to change that.