Thomas Tuchel has called on England to embrace a fearless mindset, criticizing their hesitant approach during their Euro 2024 campaign under former manager Gareth Southgate.
As he prepares to lead England for the first time in their World Cup qualifier against Albania at Wembley on Friday, Tuchel is determined to instill a more dynamic and attacking philosophy.
The German, who officially started in January after being appointed in October, was unimpressed by the cautious and tense performances that marked England’s journey to last year’s Euros final.
“They seemed more concerned about avoiding elimination than embracing the excitement and hunger to win,” Tuchel told ITV in a recent interview.
When asked about what Southgate’s team lacked, Tuchel pointed to a missing identity, a lack of rhythm, and an absence of freedom and hunger in their play.
Despite leading England to two European Championship finals, Southgate stepped down after the 2-1 loss to Spain, unable to break the nation’s long-standing trophy drought.
Tuchel now hopes to convince his squad to adopt a bold, attacking style that could be the key to success at the 2026 World Cup.
“My impression, even before I knew I’d be in charge, was that there was too much pressure weighing on the players,” Tuchel said on Thursday.
“They played as if they were trying not to lose. But we have every reason to be confident. I want us to compete with excitement, hunger, and joy, accepting that failure is part of the process. The goal is to foster unity and give players the freedom to express themselves at their best.”
‘I Have to Make People Believe’
England captain Harry Kane, who previously played under Tuchel at Bayern Munich, was among those criticized for underwhelming performances at Euro 2024.
Kane acknowledged that England struggled with the high expectations placed on them as one of the tournament favourites.
“There was more pressure than in any previous tournament,” Kane admitted. “We had never gone into one as outright favorites before. Even with our past experience, we couldn’t find our rhythm. Thomas has analyzed that and focused on small details that could make a big difference.”
Tuchel has been encouraged by how the squad has responded to his approach in their first training camp together.
“The energy in training has been fantastic. Now, we need to bring that onto the pitch,” he said. “This has been a crash course for me in international football, adjusting to the rhythm of working with a national team.”
Having won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 and domestic titles with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel is no stranger to high-pressure situations.
However, he admits he still feels some nerves as he embarks on this new challenge with England.
“I’ll be a little nervous, of course,” Tuchel said. “But hopefully, we can make a strong start. My job is to make people believe in what we’re building.”
