There can’t have been many in the wider world of football who saw former Chelsea gaffer Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as Gareth Southgate’s replacement as England head coach coming, but here we are and the reaction to the Football Association’s decision ha certainly been varied.
We have the somewhat predictable ‘he’s not English’ routine, added to those who feel that Tuchel’s past achievements in the game make him the perfect manager to kick on with the group of players we have and take us to the next level. Then we have those picking out his flaws and the fact he rarely seems to stay at one club for more than two season’s really and expressing genuine concerns, whilst there are also no doubt a small pocket of fans who have pulled up a chair, grabbed the popcorn and are sat back waiting for the whole thing to explode as they know our media well.
Reactions amongst former players has been just as mixed, and former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney, was very much walking the line as he expressed his own ‘surprise’ at the FA appointing someone who was not a homegrown coach given all the FA pathway talk we had with Southgate’s appointment.
Rooney’s thoughts are relevant though, England have not had a foreign permanent manager since Fabio Capello back in 2012, and prior to that we had Sven Goran Eriksson, and the former Everton Academy graduate played under both, yet he still felt we would go homegrown again even if no homegrown manager could match Tuchel’s success in the game.
“What the FA have built – and I was part of that and have seen first hand what they’ve built over the last 10, 15 years – it’s been great. It’s been a great platform for young coaches coming through, so I’m surprised they haven’t gone in with one of their own. But they’ve made the decision and I wish him all the best, and I hope he does well for us.”
I think it is fair to say that Rooney is not overly impressed with the decision, but the fact remains the two most talked about for the role were Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, and no Englishman comes close on the success front. Let’s not delude ourselves either that Southgate made some bizarre decisions that ultimately cost us, had his favourites who let us down and for many, he had long undone the excitement, spirit and excitement that fans felt at the beginning.
Whether that was pressure related is open for debate, but you don’t go from an entertaining attacking side, to playing two defensive midfielders when you have a kick about with the local school team or go out for a pizza for no reason.
A manager with success trusts themselves and their instincts – they don’t change the whole system because the press say a few naughty words. Which current England manager has that confident arrogance right now?
And that’s your answer – Thomas Tuchel.