Sam Allardyce got off to a winning start as England boss, although he had to wait until the final moments for Adam Lallana's strike to secure a 1-0 win over 10-man Slovakia.
Here Press Association Sport takes a look at Allardyce's first competitive day in the England hot seat.
SELECTION
Allardyce made his starting XI public two days before the match so the focus was not on who was playing, but in what role. Most eyes were on Wayne Rooney and while he wore the number 10 shirt, in truth he played a lot deeper in the kind of midfield role he was derided for during Euro 2016.
BODY LANGUAGE
Decked out in a suit and tie, Allardyce appeared calm and relaxed before kick-off as he finally got to lead out England a decade on from the disappointment of missing out on the job to Steve McClaren. He sat back in his seat for the majority of the first half, customarily chewing on some gum, but was on his feet for a fair chunk of a tense second period.
ACTIONS
Allardyce's expressions became more pained as the game appeared to be drifting towards the same 0-0 result Roy Hodgson could muster against Slovakia at Euro 2016. Cue delight when Lallana's strike went in - Allardyce reacted by lifting both arms above his head before turning to the England dugout with a double-fisted celebration.
TACTICS
After this first performance Allardyce has not effectively answered the Rooney conundrum - just where is the skipper's best position in this England team? The skipper was effectively an auxiliary midfielder as he dropped deeper than the advertised number 10 slot, which left Harry Kane an isolated figure. The merits of playing Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson together, after they did similar jobs, will also be up for debate.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Bringing on Dele Alli for Henderson as his first point of business after Martin Skrtel's 57th-minute dismissal was an obvious call, but nonetheless the right one. Alli provided the link between midfield and strikers as England pressed for a winner. Theo Walcott also appeared like a man who had a point to prove when he came on for Raheem Sterling, while the same could be said for Daniel Sturridge as he made himself busy after replacing Kane.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
Allardyce is not the type of man to be swayed by outside opinion and, while he will know there is work to be done, a winning start away to a team he identified as the toughest in the group will do just fine.
Source: PA
