Thomas Tuchel is England’s new head coach (Picture: Getty)
Thomas Tuchel has been officially confirmed as England’s new manager, with the German set to take over the post from January next year.
England have been without a permanent manager since Southgate resigned following the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.
Interim head coach Lee Carsley, will remain in charge for England’s Nations League games against Greece and the Republic of Ireland in November before returning to his job with the U21 team.
Tuchel, who has signed an 18-month deal with the FA, arrives with an impressive trophy record from his time at Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
Follow our live blog for updates as Thomas Tuchel is announced as the new England manager
Often hailed as pragmatic during his time in the Premier League, the 51-year-old, however, presents as an exciting and bold appointment to finally deliver England a major trophy.
It also marks a clear shift away from Southgate who was renowned for his statesman-like qualities but often proved undercooked in the big tactical moments of major tournaments.
Tuchel will reunite with Harry Kane (Picture: Reuters)
While Tuchel is perfectly adept at handling the media like his predecessor Southgate, it is his tactical prowess and expertise in knockout football that England hope will come to the fore now as the German is tasked with ending the Three Lions’ long-running trophy drought.
What is Thomas Tuchel’s tactics and style of play?
Perhaps best known to English viewers for playing a back three during his time at Chelsea, it is important to note that the German has preferred a four-back formation for much of his managerial career.
Most recently, Tuchel deployed a 4-2-3-1 at Bayern, a formation that Southgate and Carsely largely used in recent months and one that would seem to fit the profile of England’s current squad.
Out of possession, Tuchel likes his teams to be aggressive, a departure from Southgate’s safety-first style which stifled teams effectively but did dampen his side’s creative spirit.
With the ball, however, the German will want his team to be bold. Despite falling short in the Bundesliga last season, Bayern scored a league-high 94 goals, with Kane scoring 36 on his own.
Linking up with his old boss, the England captain, unsurprisingly, is expected to play a similar role as he did for Bayern, linking up play for pacey wingers either side of him but also providing a clinical thrust down the middle.
England’s potential line-up under Tuchel (Picture: Metro)
Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry were often deployed on the wings for Bayern, and Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon may be best-suited for that. Cole Palmer, just beginning to find his voice in an England shirt, could replicate Jamal Musiala’s role in the No. position and leave Phil Foden with questions over his place in the team.
Tuchel’s desire for a steely midfield partnership behind his attacking quartet could see Jude Bellingham deployed deeper – a role more similar to his time at Dortmund – alongside Declan Rice, but given the license to get forward and become a second No.10 alongside Palmer.
In lieu of the added protection afford by a back five, Tuchel may seek to be more cautious and balanced with the back four to maintain an impressive defensive record in front of Jordan Pickford.
Levi Colwill could use his versatility at left-back to provide balance for Trent-Alexander-Arnold’s attacking creativity on the other flank, while Marc Guehi and John Stones seem the obvious centre-half pairing for now.
Reece James was a favourite under Tuchel at Chelsea and could be handed a lifeline back into the national team, but the right-back will need to rid himself of his long-documented fitness problems if that is to become a reality.
A similar situation greats Luke Shaw, who was one of England’s best players under Southgate, but currently holds an uncertain international future having not even played for Manchester United this season.
What is certain is that Tuchel will look to be pragmatic and strike a balance. In some ways he combines the best qualities of England’s most recent head coaches: the attacking instincts of Carsley, but the tournament pragmatism of Southgate.
If he can marry that blend, England’s gamble on their third-ever foreign boss may pay off handsomely.
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