Key events
An excerpt from Barney Ronay’s piece.
With Tuchel now on the verge, it seems the current executive are in fact close to an objectively impressive piece of recruitment. While objectivity has never really had much place around here, Tuchel will represent a significant departure in two obvious ways.
For starters, this would be the first time the FA has appointed a coach who has worked in England and won the European Cup. Fabio Capello had the second of these, and undertook the first with all the infectious enthusiasm of a man cleaning out a particularly noxious cat litter tray. Don Revie and Bobby Robson won European trophies. Sven-Göran Eriksson hoovered up some high-spec silverware.
But Tuchel is something more specific. This is a former Uefa men’s coach of the year, who led two clubs to the final of the Champions League in three years. Plus, of course, alongside quite a few misses, he has that obvious recent major final victory, achieved with an English team, or at least one containing three English players in the squad for the final.
If the idea is to retain the possession-centred systems football of the England DNA years, while infusing this with some knowledge of how to actually win big games in the saddle; if being sacked for failing to appreciate Todd Boehly’s Monopoly-on-acid vision of team building can be considered in retrospect a massive tick; then Tuchel fits the job description very well.
Read the full article here.
What we know so far
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Tuchel is expected to be officially unveiled as England manager on Wednesday at a press conference from Wembley.
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Tuchel topped a list that also included Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and the interim manager, Lee Carsley, among others.
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The 51-year-old will be the third foreign manager of the men’s team and the first from Germany, after Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. Eddie Howe and Graham Potter were the leading English candidates but the FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, who led the recruitment process alongside the technical director, John McDermott, has long been clear that nationality should be no barrier to the role.
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England captain Harry Kane has spoken: “Until it’s announced obviously I can’t really comment, but we have to wait and see. Obviously, I know Thomas well from last year. Fantastic coach, fantastic person, so I am sure the guys at the FA will contact me, when they know more about it.”
Preamble
Two days is a long time in football. On Monday, the Football Association had identified Pep Guardiola as its dream target to manage England men, with Thomas Tuchel believed to have reservations about the role. Now, the FA are on the verge on confirming the German at the new custodian of English football.
Who can complain about that? He’s a creative, winning manager, knows the English game, and it probably the outstanding candidate of those that are available (or who wants the job). That might only be half the role but Tuchel has nimbly managed difficult situations in the past at Chelsea and Bayern, and he already has the respect of the players. Oh, and at least there won’t be too much furore over whether Tuchel sings ‘God Save The King’.
We’ll be keeping abreast of the latest developments in this liveblog, bringing you any news and analysis.
Feel free to stick your oar in/get in touch with your own opinions. You can reach me via email: michael.butler@theguardian.com or @michaelbutler18.
