The news that Thomas Tuchel will be the England manager come January 1, 2025, has caused a wave of comments that are bordering on the ludicrous, while others at least take into consideration the state of international football. This is a first and brief thought about the fact that a German will be in charge of the English men’s football national team.
The English Football Association took several months to find a permanent successor for Gareth Southgate who retired following the Euros2024. His interim successor Lee Carsley was said to be never quite happy with the role. Therefore, the FA acted and scoured the market to find a person with the right attitude and credentials to take on a job that many consider as impossible. In order to succeed you have to be thick-skinned, bloody-minded to the point of being stubborn and excellent at coaching at the highest level. Trophies are, of course, a vital ingredient. With these parameters, it is clear that not many English coaches or no English manager at all would be appointed. This does not mean that they were not interviewed and that the FA has not given English or British managers the preference for the post. However, as the Daily Telegraph reports, two outstanding English candidates were not interviewed: Eddie Howe and Graham Potter. Now this raises some questions.
However, in appointing Tuchel, the FA has done what English clubs have been doing for a long time: hiring the best talent available. With the advent of the Premier League and the ensuing nouveau riches, this meant almost plundering foreign leagues. And this is not only a trait common with the Premier League but something found throughout modern British and English history: to look for the best and to secure an advantage over the rivals by hiring it.
None other than Gary Lineker has phrased it succinctly:
“If you can’t beat them, sign them”
However, this is not yet finished and further research into the coverage and the wider consequences is currently underway. To be continued…
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