Tuchel makes initial moves on English adventure with sights set on World Cup triumph
More than five months after being named England's newest manager, Thomas Tuchel will assume his role for the first time this Friday when he leads the team in their World Cup qualifier against Albania at Wembley Stadium.
Tuchel has no delusions regarding his goals with England since he was granted a contract valid only until the conclusion of next year's World Cup.
England hasn't claimed victory in a significant competition since their win at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, despite coming very near to breaking this long-standing streak in the last few decades.
During Gareth Southgate’s tenure before Tuchel, they twice fell short in the UEFA European Championship finals and made deep runs into the knockout rounds of the past two FIFA World Cup tournaments.
The English Football Association has placed significant faith in Tuchel’s history of success at clubs like Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain, despite criticisms for bypassing trust in an English manager to lead this gifted group of athletes.
A qualifying group that includes Serbia, Latvia, and Andorra should present minimal challenges for the team ranked fourth globally.
However, the following week will provide some indications of what to anticipate from Tuchel's team in England.
His initial team selection included several unexpected choices.
After missing out during the final phase of Southgate's tenure and under interim manager Lee Carsley, Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford made their comeback.
A debutant spot was also granted to 32-year-old Dan Burn, the Newcastle defender who found the back of the net during Sunday’s League Cup final victory against Liverpool.
Tuchel strongly asserted that each of them has genuine chances to make it to the World Cup roster, emphasizing that a mix of seasoned players and up-and-coming talents is essential for success in international competitions.
Henderson has not featured for England since November 2023, but Tuchel believes the 34-year-old Ajax midfielder can still play a vital role.
Tuchel stated, 'He’s a consistent victor, both in terms of his personality and character. He acts as the binding force within every squad he joins, and he’ll be the key element that transforms everything into something remarkable.'
Southgate and Carsley were eager to foster and nurture youthful potential.
However, by supporting players like Henderson, Burn, and Kye Walker, Tuchel is prioritizing experience instead.
-'High-intensity' gameplay mode
Post-mortem analyses of England’s major tournaments frequently center around emulating the player-development strategies employed by France, Germany, or Spain.
However, Tuchel appears eager to leverage the 'DNA' of English soccer by adopting the speed and physicality characteristic of the Premier League.
"The Premier League is highly physical and quite straightforward, so I believe we ought to have the courage to play with the style of an English team and avoid mimicking other countries’ approaches excessively," he stated.
Tuchel has requested increased "pace and vigor" from his team members.
However, he is already recognizing the challenge of adopting that approach under potentially scorching conditions in the USA, Mexico, and Canada next year, which would come at the conclusion of an exhausting season for his team.
For just this team, he lacks six first-choice players: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, and Ollie Watkins, all due to injuries.
Southgate turned England around, changing them from consistent underperformers to frequent participants in big competitions.
Tuchel is cautious about discarding Southgate's mostly effective strategy, but he aims to enhance minor aspects during the qualification phase with the hope that these improvements will set the groundwork for bringing the World Cup back to England for the first time in six decades.
He stated that if we aim to be ready for the upcoming finale and to take the final leap, we must start making progress at this initial stage.
We have just six training camps before the World Cup, which gives us only 60 days. Therefore, we must cherish each day and ensure everything is perfect. If we achieve this, the final stage should fall into place accordingly.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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