The football world was somewhat taken aback when Thomas Tuchel was appointed as the new England head coach, sparking contrasting notions of concern, excitement, and optimism. The 51-year-old German has 12 years of managerial experience with FC Augsburg II, where the former defender spent four years of his youth career alongside Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich.
He has an average tenure of two years and three months regarding his past clubs in management and has won 11 trophies in total. The pick includes two Ligue 1 titles during his time in France, one Bundesliga title with Stern des Südens, as well as UEFA Champions League, Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup honours with Chelsea.
On an individual note, Tuchel has collected two of the most prestigious management awards in football when he was crowned UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year and the Best FIFA Football Coach for the 2020/21 campaign success with The Blues. Coinciding with his success in winning titles such as the Champions League and Club World Cup, Tuchel’s overall knockout competition win percentage is a highly respectable 79%, which could hugely benefit England’s chances in major competitions.
Initially, Tuchel’s England contract will last 18 months until the culmination of the 2026 World Cup, at which point, depending on England’s fortunes, the FA will decide on his future. He officially took charge of the role on January 1, 2025, with Lee Carsley allowed to conclude his interim manager spell on a high following a 5-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland and numerous youth introductions to the senior team.
Tuchel has been seen in attendance at numerous Premier League games around the country as he prepares for his bow as head coach, but he has also received recent criticism for his permission to “work from home” for part of each week.
With the anticipation surrounding this international break for the World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Albania and Latvia at Wembley, fans are eager to see how Tuchel’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation will shape England’s squad. His reputation as a tactician suggests the potential for significant evolution, but many remain divided over whether this is the right move for the Three Lions.
On paper and in perspective, it weighs up to be a perfect move by the FA to secure his services. However, this breakdown just composes an educated and estimated opinion based on statistics and how Tuchel has fared in the past. While many will share views of such, a large proportion will also disagree.
Social Media Reacts
Opinions from England fans on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) highlight the polarised views on Tuchel’s appointment. The team at Lottomart has uncovered the following…
“Best manager available and has won important trophies. He has personality and passion,” an England fan stated in the X comment section of the Tuchel managerial announcement. “This is the most excited I’ve been to watch England in my lifetime.”
One user struck an optimistic tone in support of the comment above:
“Thomas Tuchel may just be the man to turn England’s fortune.”
Others were less confident, questioning his ability to deliver on the international stage, with the England post being his first experience of such:
“Thomas Tuchel can’t win unless he wins the World Cup, which England won’t. I’ll be amazed if Lee Carsley isn’t the permanent England manager after the World Cup, especially if he wins another U21 Euros.”
Some fans even lamented the past departure of Gareth Southgate following the UEFA European Championships final defeat to Spain while expressing concerns about Tuchel’s future with the team:
“I absolutely love Gareth Southgate. One final was incredible, but TWO still blows my mind! Lee Carsley was a huge let-down attitude-wise. I’m absolutely dreading Thomas Tuchel and fearing the worst for 2025.”
Back in December of 2022, SPORTbible ran a poll on Twitter aimed at England fans to ask who they would prefer to take over as England manager from Gareth Southgate. Options included Steven Gerrard, Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel. The latter came out on top, with 40% voting for him as the preferred replacement, while Pochettino came second with 23%. The current climate now reflects those wishes, while Pochettino is in national team management himself with the USA.
The Daily Mail labelled Wednesday, 16 October 2024, as “a dark day for England” – stating there is “no need for a German manager to help England.” Fabrizio Romano’s ‘LiveHereWeGo’ Instagram page created an ‘Agree’ and ‘Disagree’ button after picking up on the story, which garnered 39,600 responses. There was a 19% agree rate to the Daily Mail’s views, while 81% shunned their stance in support of Tuchel and the FA’s decision.
On the other hand, former West Ham boss Harry Redknapp has claimed the Three Lions should have looked for an English manager. Former striker Gary Lineker made it clear that Tuchel was not his choice to succeed Gareth Southgate.
The history between England and Tuchel’s home nation transcends beyond the footballing field and Matthias Brugelmann, the editor of Bild, one of Germany’s most renowned national newspapers, made a tongue-in-cheek reference to this in his following opinion on Tuchel’s appointment.
He said: “Let’s talk about Thomas Tuchel and the English. The motherland of football is getting a German dad. Crazy! Since 1966 – since 1966!!!! – The proud football nation has been waiting for a title (and I’m sorry, even the World Cup victory was only possible because the referee made a mistake on the Wembley goal).
“So it will soon be 60 years without a title. In that time, we have become world champions three times and European champions three times. Oops. The desperation on the island must be enormous if they admit that only a German can help now. What a tribute to Tuchel and German football that the English are overcoming their fears despite the huge rivalry.”
As Tuchel continues preparing for his new role, the spotlight will be on his decisions and his ability to inspire a squad hungry for success.
As of Friday 14 March, 2025, he released his first squad to commence proceedings. The likes of Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson have returned to the side, while Arsenal’s youth prospect, Myles Lewis-Skelly, has received his first senior call-up. There is also a place among the defensive line for Newcastle United’s Dan Burn who has had a whirlwind of a week with being included in an England squad for the first time and scoring at Wembley to help The Magpies to Carabao Cup triumph.
Tuchel’s England squad in full for the World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Albania and Latvia this month:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (AC Milan, loan from Manchester City)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa, loan from Manchester United), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur)
Whether his tenure brings triumph or turmoil remains to be seen, but for now, the debate rages on among England’s passionate supporters, journalists, and pundits alike.
Feature image by Omar Ramadan on Pexels
