<strong>Tuchel named England head coach: Five things he will bring to the Three Lions</strong> | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel will be the next permanent head coach of the England national team, the FA have announced.

Tuchel, who has been out of work since being sacked by Bayern Munich at the end of the 2023/24 season, will take over from interim head coach Lee Carsley, who has shied away from the full-time role since stepping in.

Tuchel will already have a strong reputation among home fans, after a brief spell at Chelsea saw him bring the Champions League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup to Stamford Bridge.

With Gareth Southgate’s eight-year trophyless tenure now in the rear-view mirror, Tuchel will be tasked with taking his squad’s boundless talent and ending England’s 58 years of trophyless hurt, but how will he go about it?

With a no-nonsense attitude and knack for winning, Tuchel may well be the man to finally end the 58 years of hurt. Here are five things he will bring to the Three Lions.

Tactical revolution

Throughout his managerial career, Tuchel has relied on two tactical systems. With Bayern, he tended towards a traditional 4-2-3-1, but his period of continental dominance with Chelsea was born of a more modern 3-4-3.

With on well-drilled fullbacks in Reece James and Ben Chilwell, he developed a system which was rock-solid in defence, only conceding four goals in the Champions League, and incisive in attack.

The shortfall of this system will be England’s current lack of full back depth, but Tuchel is not one to shy away from experimentation. Tactical flexibility is among his greatest strengths and the ability to change formations on the fly, something his Mainz side became infamous for.

After eight years of Southgate’s stubborn refusal to deviate from plans, England support can expect more rotation and changeability in international breaks to come.

Tuchel will hit the ground running

Fast starts are habit for Tuchel. He won five of his first eight matches with Bayern Munich, went undefeated in his first 14 matches at Chelsea, and won Ligue 1 with PSG in his first season in charge.

Having already managed or faced a wealth of England players, he will be set to settle in quickly with his new surroundings.

Time in the Bundesliga has left him familiar with two of England’s biggest stars in Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, with his time in the Premier League allowing plenty of exposure to most of the rest of the squad.

Tuchel will waste no time in imparting his tactical philosophy, either. The wait to see Tuchel’s new-look England will not be a long one.

The end of Southgate’s diplomacy

Southgate was renowned for being mild-mannered and delicate in his interactions with players and press, but this will soon change with Tuchel’s appointment.

The German is not one to mince words. Managing Chelsea through an ownership change and a period of sanctioning, he often snapped at the media as he was quizzed on geopolitics, bringing that same attitude to the touchline.

He made headlines in 2022 for locking horns with Antonio Conte after an intense derby, for which he faced a £35,000 fine.

It is almost impossible to imagine Southgate in such a situation – England fans should prepare to see a lot more emotion from their coach.

Tuchel’s ‘all or nothing’ mindset will make or break his England tenure

The period of sanctioning at Chelsea was stressful for all involved at Chelsea, but put Tuchel’s true colours on display.

With club accounts frozen, it was reported that Chelsea could not pay to fly the squad to Lille for a round of 16 Champions League tie, to which Tuchel responded: “If [we cannot fly] we go by train, if not we go by bus – if not, I’ll drive a seven-seater! And I will do. Mark my words I will do.”

It is that ‘win at any cost’ attitude that will bring success with England, though it has also been pushed too far in the past. Romelu Lukaku’s extended Chelsea breakup stemmed from Tuchel’s decision making, with similar situations manifesting at Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

Faced with a team of big names and personalities, he may have to take a leaf out of Southgate’s diplomatic strategy to get the best out of his squad. The general pattern of a Tuchel premiership involves a fast start before a dramatic flame out. The onus will be on him to change break that cycle.

Reunion with Chelsea stars

Tuchel has never tried to hide his feelings about Chelsea, with various reports stating he feels he was removed from his post prematurely and has unfinished business in English football.

He developed close relationships with the likes of Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Chilwell, all of whom have fallen out of England contention in recent years. The same can be said for James, whose injury-prone nature has prevented consistent minutes for two seasons.

As Tuchel takes the England helm, there is every chance he will look to reunite with the Britons who helped him to the Champions League title, despite their respective drops in form.

He has already signed former Chelsea coaches Anthony Barry and Henrique Hilario to the backroom staff, but we will have to wait until November to see whether the squad will follow.

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