Football
New head coach Thomas Tuchel says England have a “sixth gear” to reach in order to achieve their target of winning the World Cup in 2026; Football Association chief executive officer Mark Bullingham defends length of “bitesize” 18-month contract for Tuchel
Wednesday 16 October 2024 18:18, UK
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Thomas Tuchel is convinced he can push England to find a higher gear as he targets success at the 2026 World Cup.
Tuchel has been appointed England head coach on an 18-month contract from January 2025, with the sole focus on ending the nation’s 60-year wait for a trophy in the USA.
England have finished runners-up at successive European championships under Gareth Southgate and reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018 but could not get over the line under Tuchel’s predecessor.
Tuchel believes he has inherited a group ready to win from Southgate, but admits he sees room for improvement.
Asked if England have a fifth gear they have not yet reached, the new England head coach said: “Maybe even a sixth gear. Let’s see where we are going. I think we have that. I am absolutely convinced that we have that.
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“Besides the talent, I know we have the character in the players. I can’t wait to work with them from March on the pitch. Hopefully with all the staff at St George’s Park we will push all the players to the limit.”
Tuchel’s brief as England head coach has been clearly defined as preparing a team capable of winning the World Cup in 2026. In his words, “let’s see”, after that.
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It stands in stark contrast to the four-year deal handed to Southgate when he was appointed in November 2016, with an emphasis on building a culture for years to come.
The FA’s more short-term approach to its latest hire is sure to create more scrutiny on Tuchel, who has already won the Champions League and French domestic treble as a club manager.
“The target is to win the World Cup, so I don’t know if it is a failure [if we don’t],” he said. “If we miss the target then we would have to talk about why we missed it.
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“We are not shy about talking about it, this is the first step toward it, and then we have to invest in the process and put all our energy into qualification.
“It feels like positive pressure, we want to make the seemingly impossible, possible. The record in tournaments is outstanding in the latest tournaments and we hope we can go the extra mile.”
The argument between picking the best available players and the ones who can form the best team is one which has long dogged international managers at Wembley and beyond.
Southgate was often criticised for his loyalty to certain players and defended his selections by saying he was trying to create a solid unit.
Tuchel hinted he may stick to that format, and look to form the best group possible to lead England to the World Cup in 2026.
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He said: “The most important thing is to have the right group of players. We will maybe not choose the 26 best individual players, but the best group that supports each other and builds a certain atmosphere and one that can make us overperform because this is what you need to do.
“The most successful teams almost play without ego, they play as teams and this will always be the core of football. It will also be the core in our new nomination process. “
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham pointed to the success of another foreign appointment, Sarina Wiegman, as to why they had chosen “proven winner” Tuchel to replace Southgate.
Wiegman became the Lionesses’ first overseas manager in 2021 and led the country to its only major silverware barely a year later, when they lifted the Euro 2022 trophy at Wembley.
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“It’s an absolutely critical factor to get a proven winner,” Bullingham said.
“We saw the impact Sarina had when she came and joined the Lionesses, and the confidence that gave them to have a proven winner with them.
“We feel that Thomas can do the same with our men’s team.”
Bullingham was pushed about the length of Tuchel’s contract, which gives no guarantee he will still be in charge when the home nations combine to host Euro 2028 – with the final potentially at Wembley – in four years’ time.
The CEO defended the move, saying: “The best way to think of it is bitesize chunks. Thomas was really clear at the beginning he was signing up for 18 months with the sole goal of doing as well as possible in the men’s World Cup.
“He wanted all of his focus on that World Cup. If you sign up for longer, people start drifting their focus.
“One of the lines he said to us at the beginning was that he’s signed for 18 months but I might be with you for 10 years. Let’s take it in chunks.
“That allows the absolute focus to be on winning in the USA.”
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