While arguing the case for progress on his watch recently, Thomas Tuchel pointed at England’s record in qualifying for the World Cup.‘Eight wins and no goals conceded,’ Tuchel said. ‘Does that not count?’It did count, once. But sadly not anymore. The road to World Cup 2026 was indeed smooth for Tuchel in terms of results. But that was against Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra. The problems for England start when they are asked to step up a level.It irritates Tuchel to be reminded of defeats to top-20 teams such as Senegal, Japan, Argentina and now Spain.‘You don’t mention that when we beat one,’ was his rather withering point at Wembley on Saturday night.But the truth is that England’s record of parsimony in 2025 and the early part of 2026 shrinks rather when we consider that his side have now conceded fifteen goals in the last eight games they have played. When the heat has been turned up, England’s back four have melted a little.And this is perhaps Tuchel’s biggest problem now ahead of a game in Prague on Tuesday night that really must be won if England’s Nations League hopes aren’t to disappear before we have even bought our pumpkins and if pressure slowly building on the German isn’t to crank up a little further. Thomas Tuchel struggled to find the answers in a tough evening at Wembley against SpainEngland have just started a run of four games in 11 days that he knows will test his players physically and he already has a defence on his hands that looks like it needs a lie down after 95 minutes chasing World Champions Spain around Wembley.If England’s attacking unit broke free from its World Cup chains on Saturday – Jude Bellingham and Anthony Gordon were particularly excellent – then the likes of Marc Guehi, Jarell Quansah and Nico O’Reilly had nights to forget at the other end of the field.But what does Tuchel do for Tuesday’s game against Czechia?Newcastle’s Lewis Hall would, on form, represent an upgrade on O’Reilly at left-back but, that apart, he doesn’t have much wriggle room.He has little – if any – love for Trent Alexander Arnold’s defensive attributes while his reserve central defenders in this squad are Trevoh Chalobah and Jarrad Branthwaite, who have four caps between them. Oh for Dan Burn, who is injured.Tuchel acknowledged the problem as he talked late on Saturday night, saying: ‘I would love not to rotate but I am not sure if it’s possible.‘An ideal scenario would be to go again and go again and go again. With six or seven players minimum from that start again that we trust. To put the responsibility on them and for them to feel the trust. But I am not sure it’s possible. Let’s see.’Over the course of Tuchel’s two years in charge, so much of the conversation has focused on his use of England’s attacking players. Nico O’Reilly gave the ball away for Spain’s second goal and Lewis Hall may be an upgradeIs there a problem with Jude Bellingham? Not anymore, gladly. Have we a replacement for Harry Kane? No. Can Phil Foden and Cole Palmer fit in? Not if Saturday’s full throttle, physical approach to attacking football is to be the way.But it’s across the back that England are starting to feel the pinch. With Harry Maguire in exile, John Stones inching towards the end and Reece James so often injured, England suddenly lack depth and perhaps real world class quality in that area.At Wembley at half-time against Spain, Kyle Walker was invited on to the pitch to receive thanks for 96 caps of service. The truth is we miss him already and indeed others like him.England should win in Prague. Czechia have not beaten a team of note since winning against Ukraine two years ago, lost at home to Croatia at the weekend and didn’t hang around at the World Cup longer than the group stages.Nevertheless, England could do with a performance of real and consistent authority. Not since the second half of their opening World Cup game against Croatia have England looked like a side ready to make the next big step forward.Tuchel’s team were in such a spot a year ago, too, after a dull 2-0 home win over Andorra in World Cup qualifying. Their response was to go and put five past Serbia in Belgrade.‘Hopefully we can find that kind of shape and form but if you mean like “do we go for it and try to impose what we did against Spain’ then yes that’s 100 per cent it,” said Tuchel.‘We need to be proactive and go for it. There is no room for managing or an economic style. It’s how the team want to play, how we wanna play so let’s go. It will be a different scenario and setting and a different challenge.’ Kyle Walker was presented with a shirt to mark his 96 caps at half-time on SaturdayIf England are now wedded to the Premier League style of football that has been so discussed over the last 10 days then Tuchel must find a way to make them more secure than they were against the world champions.His assertion that ‘If Harry doesn’t slip with the penalty we win the game’ was reasonable enough. England were in the ascendency at that point and would have gone 3-1 up with Wembley energised.Equally, Spain would have been 3-0 up within half an hour had they taken straight forward chances. So that’s probably where that game of ifs and buts begins and ends.This can still be a progressive international break for England. Victories against Czechia (home and away) and behind closed doors in Croatia on Saturday would take Tuchel and his players into November’s games against Croatia and Spain with a shot at winning their Nations League group.But if Tuchel sounded a little tetchy – by his own laconic standards – on Saturday night, it was not without reason. In the home Euros of 2028, the really big games will need to be won. From that point of view, the search for answers goes on.