Thomas Tuchel was announced as Gareth Southgate’s replacement in the role as England’s Head Coach on the 16th of October 2024. That seems like an age ago now and with England’s games for 2024 finishing on the 17th of November, and not resuming in 2025 until the 21st of March, the spotlight has been off the Three Lions.
However, Tuchel was officially appointed, and began in his new job, on the 1st of January 2025 and with his commencement of the role, more attention is being paid to what he does. He took in his first game in an official capacity on the 4th of January when he watched Newcastle United win 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Thomas Tuchel was in attendance at Tottenham vs Newcastle AND made it to Brighton vs Arsenal 👀 😯 pic.twitter.com/Oq2fpeSW28
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 4, 2025
England hopefuls Dominic Solanke and Anthony Gordon both scored that day, with Tuchel also keeping tabs on other players, including youngsters Archie Gray, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento. The former Chelsea boss has been busy, going to several games, including the blockbuster clash at Anfield between Liverpool and Man United. He will have been happy to see Kobbie Mainoo back to his best but much less convinced by the woeful performance of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The German has more than three months until England play Albania at Wembley in their World Cup qualifier and he will certainly cast his eye over many more players in the weeks ahead. His clearly stated goal is to win the World Cup in 2026 but first, of course, he must guide the Three Lions to the finals.
That should be simple enough, with England drawn in qualification Group K where they will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra. Realistically, there should only be Serbia capable of causing them problems, although Albania looked a decent side at times during Euro 2024. Nonetheless, Tuchel’s troops will be expected to qualify with ease, without having to resort to the play-offs.
But what will the new boss be most concerned about? Are there any players whose place in the team and even the squad are in danger? What are the problem positions and what are the main issues Tuchel faces as he seeks to end England’s long wait for a major trophy?
Solving the Riddle in Attack
Given it is a very nice problem to have, many may not feel that this is Tuchel’s most pressing concern. However, both Gareth Southgate and interim boss Lee Carsley failed to find the most effective way to get the best out of the wealth of attacking talent England has at its disposal.
The Three Lions need to use a system that can include Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and potentially other key attackers too (Anthony Gordon, the emerging Morgan Gibbs-White, Jack Grealish if he can rediscover his form, and maybe even Marcus Rashford and James Maddison if they can do likewise). Alternatively, they need to pick three, four, or perhaps even five of those players and stick with them, dependent to some extent on form, and give them a chance to develop together.
England would appear to have a surfeit of number 10s, with Palmer, Foden and Bellingham all preferring that role. In addition, some may question whether Kane is the best striker to work with that collection of players given his preference for dropping deep as well. Tuchel will also face a decision as to how to deploy his wide players, with various options and permutations possible.
Defence the Bigger Issue?
Many experts believe England’s bigger issue concerns defence, despite their decent record at the back under Southgate. Fans often longed for the former boss to “let the hand break off”, whatever that really meant. But for a variety of reasons Southgate preferred not to commit to a strategy of all-out attack.
Chief among those reasons was England’s lack of top-class defensive players. Some might argue that John Stones, Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire represented a solid back four. And for a while, on the rare occasions they were all fit, it did. However, Walker now seems past it and at 34 has lost the pace that was his key asset. Stones and Maguire are in their 30s and both have been hit by injuries, whilst Shaw’s series of fitness issues mean he has barely played over the past few seasons.
England have options and youngsters coming through, with the likes of Marc Guehi, Jarrad Branthwaite, Jarell Quansah, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, Levi Colwill and others, but only Guehi has really been able to make his mark thus far. One question for Tuchel will be whether to try to build a new defence and get them playing together in the build-up to the next World Cup, or to simply patch up the old one. If fit, it seems likely that Shaw and Stones could definitely be first choice options, whilst Maguire will still feel he has much to offer.
Other Issues for Tuchel
There are several other things the astute and forward-thinking German will have on his radar now he has taken up his new job. Whilst Jordan Pickford has many critics, the position of goalkeeper is one with which Tuchel will probably be reasonably content. If anything, deciding who is the Evertonian’s number two may be the main concern.
Perhaps his first and biggest decision will be what formation to deploy. Tuchel is very flexible when it comes to tactics and formation and not at all a stubborn idealogue, sometimes using three at the back. However, he does tend to favour a 4-2-3-1, something most England players are comfortable with. If he does opt for that, or a similar 4-3-3, then we may not see anything too different in terms of personnel, although the four defensive positions certainly seem the most up for grabs.
In terms of midfield, whether he plays with two defensive players, one, as he has used in a 4-1-4-1 at times, or three, it will be interesting to see if any new faces are brought in. Angel Gomes was favoured by Carsley and looked good at times, but Tuchel is sure to spring a surprise or two in his first squads. Ethan Nwaneri, Elliot Anderson, Jamie Gittens, Morgan Rodgers and others will all look to press their claims in the months ahead.