On the 16th of October, 2024, Thomas Tuchel was officially announced as the new, permanent England manager. He replaces Gareth Southgate and interim boss, Lee Carsley, and Anthony Barry will be his assistant. The duo are set to officially begin work on the 1st of January, 2025. The deal was actually agreed on the 8th of October but was kept quiet to avoid distraction around England’s Nations League games on the 10th and 13th of October.
The fact that a deal had been done with the German may partly explain England’s lacklustre performances and it certainly accounts for Carsley’s clear reluctance to get too passionate about his desire for the job. The FA and powers that be were beginning to receive some flak over their seeming inaction, having initially given the impression they would be acting swiftly.
In the days prior to Tuchel being announced as the new manager, countless words were written by media outlets about what was going on behind the scenes. Why were England waiting? Who did they really want? What was going on with Carsley? And so on. Amazingly, the FA managed to keep the Tuchel deal quiet but now we know he’s the man to replace Southgate, should we be happy? Is Tuchel the right man for the job?
What Did the FA Want?
Thomas Tuchel. Our #ThreeLions head coach from 2025. 🏴
— England (@England) October 16, 2024
To some amusement, not too long after Southgate left, the FA advertised the position of England manager in much the same way you might see any role advertised in the newspaper or through the company website. They listed certain qualities, attributes and experience that were required and below are some of the most important:
- Significant experience of English football
- A strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions
- An ability to develop the side to win a major tournament and be consistently ranked as one of the top teams in the world
Tuchel certainly ticks the first two boxes to at least some extent, whilst, of course, we will have to wait and see if he is able to deliver when it comes to the third. Let’s take a closer look at his career so far to see how well the former Chelsea boss meets the first two criteria on the list above.
Tuchel’s Time with Chelsea
Tuchel was appointed Chelsea boss on the 26th of January, 2021, replacing Blues legend, Frank Lampard. He was brought in from PSG on an 18-month deal which included the option for an additional year. The German had previously been interviewed by the club in 2016 but on that occasion, the hierarchy opted for Antonio Conte.
He came in with the club struggling, having won just two of their previous eight games in the Premier League. His first game in charge brought a 0-0 draw but the Blues then won the following four PL matches and didn’t lose in the league again until the 3rd of April. In fact, they lost just three league games under Tuchel, having lost six of the first 19 under Lampard.
They would go on to secure a top-four finish, against the odds, and also made it through to the FA Cup final. They lost to Leicester but having beaten City in the semis, it was clear that the new manager was tactically and motivationally very strong.
It was in the Champions League, however, where Tuchel really proved what a good manager he was. Chelsea would go on to win the competition, ironic given a large part of the reason his former club, PSG, dismissed him, was down to his inability to deliver CL glory. They truly deserved it too, beating Atletico Madrid, then Porto, then getting the better of Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the semis.
They faced Manchester City in the final, with Pep’s men big favourites in Porto. However, it was a true masterclass from the German, his side limiting City to just a single shot on target. N’Golo Kante was superb and City hardly laid a glove on the Blues.
Decent Second Season, But Then Things Quickly Turn Sour
Whilst Chelsea fans were dreaming of a return to their glory days, things would eventually turn sour for Tuchel, despite him extending his contract with the club. In his first full season in charge the Blues made both domestic cup finals, though lost both on penalties to Liverpool. Early in 2022, they won the Club World Cup too, and in the 2021/22 Premier League season they would go on to finish third, an improvement on the campaign before. They went out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, though a defeat in extra time to eventual champions Real Madrid was hardly a disaster.
However, it unravelled unbelievably quickly for Tuchel after that. He spent heavily in the summer of 2022, splashing over £250m. And by early September he was gone, new owner Todd Boehly pulling the trigger amidst rumours of a rift between the two over board involvement in transfers.
Tuchel’s Other Jobs
51-year-old Tuchel had a very limited playing career and went into coaching and management in his early 30s. He worked under legendary German coach, Ralf Rangnick at Stuttgart, and then moved to Augsburg. His first full, senior management job came with Mainz in 2009 and in 2010/11 he led them to fifth in the Bundesliga.
His impressive performances with the small German side brought him to the attention of Borussia Dortmund and he joined the bigger club in 2015. He won almost 63% of his games with Dortmund over two seasons and won the German Cup but they fell just short in the league.
Even so, he did enough to earn a move to PSG, where he delivered multiple trophies. They won the league in 2018/19 and the domestic treble the season after that but struggled to make an impact in Europe. From there he went to Chelsea, then on to Bayern Munich.
Bayern won the Bundesliga in 2022/23 but left by mutual agreement at the end of the following campaign. That agreement was reached in February after a poor run and with Bayer Leverkusen looking increasingly likely to end Bayern’s run of 11 straight titles.
Is Tuchel the Right Man?
Time will tell, but whilst Tuchel has a lot of qualities, he has often been a nearly man. His Champions League triumph with Chelsea and the way he outthought Pep is a huge plus but so often he has come up just short. He knows English football and speaks the language very well and is the sort of pragmatist that the Three Lions need.
His tactical ability and flexibility, built on a foundation of a high press and collective ethos, are also major plusses. He has enjoyed a lot of cup success over the years, which may indicate he has what it takes to achieve tournament glory. However, for all that he brings to the table, he is no Pep, or even Jürgen Klopp, and so many may feel that opting for an English manager would have been a risk worth taking.