To much approval and equal lashings of ridicule, Thomas Tuchel has been announced as the next man to prowl the touchline for England.
His remit is simple: win the World Cup. Add that extra star to the badge. Do whatever you can to end… how many years of hurt, now? Fifty-eight.
Gareth Southgate and Lee Carsley are leaving this team in a good place for the new boss, but he will be faced with tenure-defining decisions from the off.
Tuchel needs to find a way of keeping that harmonised culture Gareth Southgate created (despite the German’s history of quarrelling) and make his mind up on some familiar faces, among other things.
Mail Sport’s Kieran Gill presents the five things on Tuchel’s in-tray.
Thomas Tuchel has multiple tasks in his in-tray as the new England boss, despite the good position that the squad has been left in
Pick your tactics – fast
Find your favoured system – preferably one which gets the best out of our vast array of attacking talent – and get to work on perfecting it. If that is the 3-4-3 which won Chelsea the Champions League over Manchester City, so be it. The 2026 World Cup will be here before we know it.
Launch a charm offensive
With Tuchel technically not beginning work until January, now is the time to do your homework before the big examination. England’s manager can boost that by becoming a regular at Premier League stadiums and putting in the face time, not only with the players but the managers also. It helps to keep them onside when you’re borrowing their big names every so often.
Rekindle old flames or move on?
We will need to wait to see if Tuchel leans on any players he has previously worked with. That includes at Chelsea, where Reece James and Ben Chilwell were his wing backs in 2020-21. The left and right sides of the defence are incredibly important in today’s game, and we saw at Euro 2024 how Gareth Southgate was criticised for his lack of left-back selections.
Keep stars on the straight and narrow
Maintain the ‘Team England’ vibe that was alive under Southgate, who did well to ensure there were no cliques or club squabbles in the camp. Ensuring his players put the Three Lions first and their egos second will be a task for Tuchel, who needs to decide whether Harry Kane should continue as his captain, having declined to confirm that on Wednesday.
Bring home a trophy
Win! The pressure placed on the England manager when that does not happen is as intense as any in football. However, Tuchel will need to wait to discover his opponents for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March as that draw is not due to be made until mid-December.
