From tactics and captaincy to Bellingham’s best role, the many problems facing Thomas Tuchel as England manager

Thomas Tuchel sets out on a quest to win the 2026 World Cup in America when he officially takes charge in January, but it is an enormous task to take England from nearly men to champions, writes Richard Jolly

2024 took England to the brink of the trophy that has eluded them since 1966, 2025 brings the arrival of a manager with the track record of winning silverware that Gareth Southgate lacked. Southgate’s achievement in twice coming agonisingly close, denied by penalties in the Euro 2020 final and by an 86th-minute decider four years later, earned him a knighthood. Thomas Tuchel is ineligible for such an honour. But he has medals from the Champions League, the Bundesliga and Ligue Un. A manager whose contract only lasts until 2026 will be charged with winning the World Cup. He has at least already won the Club World Cup.

Tuchel officially starts work on New Year’s Day, though he attended December’s draw in Zurich to determine England’s opponents in World Cup qualifying: Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra do not promise to form a pool of death. “It’s a difficult group,” said Tuchel but qualifying has rarely presented a problem for England since Steve McClaren failed to reach Euro 2008 and the German is a manager with a proven expertise in knockout football. Besides his Champions League win with Chelsea, Tuchel steered Paris Saint-Germain to the final and Bayern Munich to within a few minutes of it.

His reign starts in earnest against Albania on 21 March. There are some issues to navigate first. If Southgate excelled as an ambassadorial figure, Tuchel comes with complexities. He can be charming and witty in his second language; in any tongue, he has proved blunt and has fallen out with people.

The England job can call for diplomatic skills. Especially, perhaps, for a German. Lee Carsley’s interim reign began with a needless furore about his decision not to sing the national anthem. A Birmingham-born manager of England’s Under-21s is also a former Republic of Ireland international. He also seemed taken aback by the level of scrutiny. That, at least, will not surprise Tuchel.