After a tumultuous and embarrassing fortnight, the FA were nearly left red-faced again when an NFL badge was still visible in the centre-circle hours before England played.
England beat Malta in a lacklustre 2-0 performance in Gareth Southgate's first game at the helm, but it was almost the state of the pitch that stole the headlines.
Last weekend saw the annual NFL game at Wembley between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts. In traditional American fashion the home team Jacksonville were marketed all over the pitch.
The groundsman were able to get the painted names of the teams at either end of the pitch off the turf before the start of the game but a mad rush had to be engaged when a painted Jaguars logo was still clearly visible in the centre circle.
Photos in The Sun show several groundsman painting over the large logo to make sure no signs were still visible from last week's events.
Interim England manager Gareth Southgate and assistant Steve Holland in the middle of the Wembley pitch. #ENGMAL pic.twitter.com/yYzz6aTNL5
At the end of October the NFL will return to the home of English football when the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Washington Redskins and a first ever match at Twickenham will take place when the New York Giants play the Los Angeles Ram.
On the pitch Southgate's first game at the helm did little to lift the gloom around English football as the Three Lions laboured to a win thanks to goals from Daniel Sturridge and Dele Alli. England will hope for a much improved performance when they go to Slovenia hoping to make it three wins from three in their World Cup qualifying group.