Pros and Cons of Thomas Tuchel Becoming England Manager

The England national team often dreams big with little hope of reaching its goals. Suddenly, those "30 years of hurt" are nearly 60, as the hunt for a second major international trophy now has those children who were celebrating in 1966 telling their grandkids about the good old days.

Gareth Southgate took the Three Lions as close as they've been since Bobby Moore hoisted the Jules Rimet trophy aloft with two final losses in back-to-back European Championships. Even so, with England's squad, there's an argument he slightly underachieved.

The Football Association has found its replacement in Thomas Tuchel. Lee Carsley's spell as interim manager was so-so; a couple of good performances, one terrible, one average. He heads back to the Under-21s as the former Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager takes up one of the most pressured seats in football.

Here are some reasons for and against the 51-year-old's appointment.

Carsley didn't rule himself out of taking over full-time after the side's 3-1 victory over Finland on Sunday, but he did suggest he wasn't the best fit for the position.

"This job deserves a world-class coach that has won trophies and I am still on the path to that," he said, per BBC Sport.

That honesty is refreshing to see. For all of Southgate's excellence as a person, it was obvious he had little experience of navigating big matches and zero trophies to point to.

Bringing in someone of Tuchel's ilk–a coach who has won 11 trophies for clubs across three countries–speaks to Carsley's point in an emphatic way.

England should be going for the best and the most proven, just like Premier League clubs do.

The England women's side are a great example of identifying one of the top coaches in the world and having them bring all of their best traits to the national camp.

Sarina Wiegman's tactical nous, ability to develop players and sensibilities elevated the Lionesses to their first-ever trophy. Her previous success laid the foundations, something Tuchel could do with the men's side.

We've already established England are often elevated beyond their means.

Fans, whether it's genuine belief or misplaced bravado, always expect the team to be successful. Football doesn't work like that, as the Three Lions are rarely the standout side heading into tournaments.

Taking the ridiculous level of expectation and adding Tuchel to the mix could spell disaster. Under Southgate, even when possessing one of the best squads on paper, England always looked a little shy; under Tuchel, whose brain is always ticking, it feels like there's a greater shot at winning a trophy.

That's the problem, though.

England fans will know that feeling. Expectation builds even at the worst of times, so with a genuinely top-class coach now in charge, we might hear "It's Coming Home" head into overdrive.

Despite links to Pep Guardiola, England were never likely to do better than Tuchel, who should be considered an excellent appointment. He's a rung down from the Manchester City boss, but so is everyone.

What England now have is a manager who knows how to make his players tick in new and interesting ways. Tuchel revels in the details; he spots small issues and fixes them, often in ways other coaches wouldn't see.

It's no coincidence Jorginho and Thiago Silva had their best spells at Chelsea under his tutelage, with their slow-motion running speeds protected by a 3-4-2-1 system that put tremendous pace and energy around them.

Nobody has quite celebrated Reece James and Ben Chilwell–two full-backs who ripped forwards for Chelsea–quite like they did when Tuchel was in charge. He found something extra in César Azpilicueta and in Mason Mount. He led Harry Kane to record-breaking numbers last season at Bayern.

Tuchel has an excellent record at quickly improving many players he works with. This is inherently suited to international management, where training camps are so limited and effective communication is key.

The majority of England fans and media will not give a hoot that Tuchel is German.

However, a vocal minority will take umbrage with the appointment.

On the morning of Tuchel's appointment the Daily Mail ran the headline: "A dark day for England" with the caption "Three Lions gamble on a GERMAN." All caps. Also forgetting much of England's first team is made up of players with multi-cultural heritage and backgrounds.

Corners of the English media will act like Tuchel's best friend. They will ask him their questions and receive well-articulated responses. They will push "passion" and "spirit" when England do well. They will rip him apart when they don't, and he will again be pushed as someone who falls out with people.

Football often reflects society, and Tuchel's appointment will shine a light on a nation with deep-rooted issues from its working-class punters to its university-educated right-wing media cohort who publishes jingoism on a newspaper back page and calls it a good day's work.

Now, back to football. Tuchel's reading of opponents and how to get the better of them in big games is a huge plus for England.

Southgate often pressed "apply to all" when it came to his tactics, rarely moving away from two holding midfielders or a back four even when the situation obviously needed a change. Great managers know how to adapt and, crucially, when to do it.

Tuchel's Chelsea did this against Manchester City in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, reducing the prolific side to just one shot on goal before Kai Havertz scored a famous winner.

That's the same Havertz who was being lambasted for not quite being a midfielder or a striker, who sprinted beyond the City defence to win the biggest trophy in club football. The same Havertz who now does this regularly for Arsenal.

Chelsea won the game by deleting City's greatest asset at the time. Guardiola's midfield was beaten with one pass and Havertz's run wasn't picked up because he wasn't previously a player to worry about in that capacity. It's just one example of Tuchel outthinking his opposite number in a career of success.

He worked to that detailed level of planning on the hectic club schedule, so it's exciting to think about what he could do with weeks to prepare for each international break.

How Tuchel balances a Jekyll and Hyde squad that has best-in-the-world attacking potential and a poor defence will define his tenure. Immortality awaits if he can put his natural talent to use and go one better than Southgate.