Thomas Tuchel has to repair his relationship with the England fans by not only winning, but “winning well”, in the first international break since the Three Lions’ crushing World Cup exit.

That is the verdict of Danny Mills, the former England international and Leeds United defender, who along with many supporters felt badly let down by Tuchel’s negative substitutions and tactics in the World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.

England’s German manager has since joked that he was “told off” during the Football Association’s review of the World Cup - where England finished third, their best result since 1966.

But despite lenient judgment from his paymasters, the bulk of England fans were left angered and disappointed in his passive, defensive-minded approach and substitutions when England went 1-0 up early in the second half of their semi-final with Lionel Messi’s side in Atlanta.

England manager Thomas Tuchel faces the media ahead of the first game since the international break.

placeholder image — England manager Thomas Tuchel faces the media ahead of the first game since the international break.

That invited Argentina on and they swiftly turned the tie in their favour, their lame effort in the final against Spain a few delays later only exacerbating the feeling among England supporters that a huge opportunity had been squandered.

England face world champions Spain at Wembley today in the first of four Nations League appointments over the next 11 days.

It is the first time since the summer Tuchel will have faced the English public, and Mills believes he has a lot of work to do to restore the faith.

“He needs to win and win well, and England expect to do that in qualifiers,” Mills told The Yorkshire Post.

“When he first came in he said we’re not going to play the same way, we’re going to play sexy football, it’s going to be great and it’s going to be this and that.

“And ultimately it wasn’t. If he had come in and said we just need to win, doesn’t matter how, that’s not a problem. But he didn’t.

“Did he win? No. Did he play great football? No.

“So I think he’s quite a lot of work to do, and to heal the wounds with the fans as well.”

Tuchel has yet to find a striker to deputise for record scorer Harry Kane, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin rewarded for his form with Leeds United by securing a return to the England fold for this block of fixtures.

As deserving as he thinks Calvert-Lewin is of that opportunity, Mills wonders if the 29-year-old from Sheffield fits the bill if and when Kane is given a breather from leading the line.

“He (Tuchel) tried bringing Ivan Toney in at the World Cup, he got two minutes. Ollie Watkins has gone to different climes, so it’s almost who is that back-up,” asked Mills.

“DCL is different, he’s fabulous in the air, he offers something different.

"But there’s no point playing him if you’re not going to play that way.

“If you’re going to play DCL you’ve got to play with wingers. You’re probably looking at Saka and Morgan Rogers behind the front man - they’re not players who are crossing balls for Calvert-Lewin to head the ball in the back of the net.

“Leeds are, which is playing to his strength. I don’t see that player.”

England preview: Page 3