The breathless way Thomas Tuchel discussed his affinity for England during his press conference unveiling as the first German coach to lead the national team was, at times, almost poetic.
“It’s the country, it’s the humour, it’s the way of life, it’s the attitude from the supporters to the game and what they demand from the players,” he said of why he likes the country, in which he once managed Chelsea, and its football so much.
“I said it many times, it shapes the character of the players, how they live, their expression, how they approach their training towards a team effort. For me it was a one-of-a-kind experience. To breathe that again is a big privilege. I am very happy to be back.”
Not so happy, it transpires, to turn up for even one of the two Nations League games the country will play next week.
Maybe the trip to Greece, where England will play in Athens next Thursday, is a schlep too far. But Wembley the following Sunday, where they will host the Republic of Ireland? Why not at least make the two-hour flight for the first home game after you have been announced as the new manager, six weeks before your £5m-per-year contract officially begins?
Tuchel is, evidently, happy to wait until after he starts being paid, on 1 January, before he will breathe in that culture and atmosphere at Wembley. Before he will inhale the home fans hurling paper aeroplanes from the stands, hoping to hit the pitch, from around 10 minutes onwards. Before he will suck deeply on the Mexican waves that usually begin in the second half.
They are some of the things that you won’t pick up watching on the telly – an indication of the size of the challenge awaiting: that England fans are a tough crowd to please. One that can turn, quickly.
Let’s not forget Gareth Southgate had beer cups thrown at him by his own supporters en route to reaching the Euro 2024 final.
Tuchel spoke of his “passion” for England and English football, how he loved to live and work there, recalled his memories, how they shaped everything, of all these experiences and emotions adding a British edge to his German passport.
If people are to be judged by their actions, rather than their words, then not turning up to England’s next two games feels like a misstep for Tuchel less than a month after being named the new head coach.
He will obviously – hopefully? – watch the games on the telly. But it’s not even about assessing the players, weighing up who can accompany Declan Rice in central midfield, if Jordan Pickford is good enough with his feet, how to fit Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham and, now, Cole Palmer into the same starting XI.
This is about optics, about showing you care, about demonstrating that this 18-month contract, which will expire after the 2026 World cup, isn’t simply about picking up a lucrative pay-cheque in the best job that came along for a hugely successful yet out-of-work football coach.
In the past 10 years Tuchel has not lasted longer than two-and-a-half years at one club. That was Paris Saint-Germain. He managed two years at Borussia Dortmund. At Chelsea, he developed a strong, almost magic magnetism to England in 19 months. In his most recent job, at Bayern Munich, he was in charge for only 14 months – although the club had already announced after 11 that he was leaving at the end of the season.
It is no wonder he has developed a reputation as a mercenary manager – in for a quick contract and a few trophies then on to the next adventure. You’d hope the England job would be different – that the incumbent would care about it, as Southgate did deeply.
Mark Bullingham, the Football Association chief executive who appointed Tuchel, insisted the reason for the delayed start was that Tuchel wanted to focus on the World Cup only. That the FA had promised interim manager Lee Carsley the autumn Nations League games and he wanted to honour that.
“We always said to Lee he would have three camps and we were very clear he’d run the Nations League campaign,” he said.
When he was pressed on the ridiculousness of that plan, Bullingham claimed that “what was so impressive” about Tuchel “was his singular focus on us and the World Cup and that project”. Quite why that is impressive is unclear.
“It made sense for it to start on the first of January and made sense for Lee to finish the campaign in the Nations League,” Bullingham added, attempting to draw a line under the matter.
Quite why that makes sense is also unclear.
Why you would show such dedicated loyalty to the interim manager, who will soon return to coach England’s Under-21s, rather than get stuck in straight away with the expensive, high-profile, serial trophy-winning shiny new manager who has only some World Cup qualifiers and a handful of friendlies to craft a group of world-beaters into actual world-beaters – something no coach has been able to do since 1966 – is baffling.
Why he wouldn’t even turn up to sit in a warm box, where hot food and nice drinks will be served all evening, to watch his new players and show his face to the paying fans is equally as perplexing.
“Hopefully I can convince people and show them and prove to them that I am proud to be English manager,” Tuchel said in another of his several answers about how proud he is to be a part of this great nation. “I will do everything to show respect to this role and to this country.”
Everything, that is, except turn up to watch two matches before his contract begins.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/lrywh7Z
Post a Comment