Thomas Tuchel has urged England to play with confidence, criticizing their “fearful” approach during their run to the Euro 2024 final under former manager Gareth Southgate.
Tuchel will make his England debut on the touchline today as they take on Albania at Wembley in their opening World Cup qualifier.
The German, who officially took charge in January after his appointment in October, is determined to instill a more dynamic and fearless mindset in his squad after witnessing their tense performances in last year’s European Championship.
Despite reaching the final, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Spain, Tuchel was unimpressed with the anxious nature of their play.
“They were more afraid to drop out of the tournament in my observation than having the excitement and hunger to win it,” Tuchel told ITV this week.
Asked what was missing from Southgate’s squad, Tuchel said: “The identity, the clarity, the rhythm, the freedom of players, the hunger.”
Southgate led England to two finals at the Euros but resigned after the Spain defeat, unable to end their decades-long trophy drought.
Tuchel wants to convince his players to buy into an attacking philosophy he believes can be the difference between success and failure at the 2026 World Cup.
“It was just my feeling watching the TV, long before I even knew I may be in charge,” Tuchel told reporters. “I think it is a pretty clear statement and I don’t know how to put it in other words. I felt tension and pressure on the shoulders of the players.
“They were playing to not lose. We have every right to be self-confident. I want us to play with the excitement and the hunger and the desire to win and the joy to win and the acceptance of failure is part of it.
“We want to implement the togetherness and the joy and for everyone to feel safe to express themselves and give their very best. We want to play with a hunger and a joy to win and not with the fear to lose.”
England captain Harry Kane, who played under Tuchel at Bayern Munich, was one of several players criticised last year for his lacklustre displays at Euro 2024.
Kane agreed with Tuchel that England did not cope well with the burden of being title favourites.
“I think there was more expectation than we had at any other tournament. It was the first one where we were one of the favourites,” Kane said.
“Even though we leaned on experience from other tournaments, we just couldn’t find the rhythm. Thomas has obviously looked at that.
“He has spoken about interactions between each other on the pitch. He knows you don’t have to change everything but there are a few details that if you do change you have a greater chance of success.”
Tuchel has been impressed with the way England’s players have responded to his methods in their first training camp with the former Chelsea and Bayern boss.
“What I saw in the last days was amazing. I hope we can transport that into the stadium. There is a buzz for the first match,” he said.
“It’s also been a crash course for me in international football and how to adapt to the rhythm and being with the squad.”
Tuchel, who guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 and has won domestic titles with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, brings a wealth of experience to his new role.
However, despite his impressive résumé, the 51-year-old admitted to feeling a sense of anxiety as he embarks on a new chapter with England.
“I will be a bit nervous. Hopefully we can prove the point and take the first step. I have to make people believe in me,” he said.
