Thomas Tuchel is the new England manager, and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher will be among those keeping a very close eye on how he fares with the Three Lions .
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss was confirmed as the new England boss on Wednesday, and will take over from interim boss Lee Carsley on January 1, 2025. The appointment comes after the FA approached both Tuchel and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola about the job.
Tuchel will be tasked with leading England into a new era following Gareth Southgate’s departure in the summer. With the next World Cup now less than two years away, the German will hope to end the Three Lions’ 60-year wait for a trophy.
Having been without a club since leaving Bayern Munich in the summer, Tuchel had been linked with a number of Premier League jobs, including taking over as Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Anfield. In fact, the 51-year-old was advocated by Liverpool hero Carragher before Arne Slot was confirmed.
"I would have given more thorough consideration to a coach like Thomas Tuchel, who took on and beat Pep Guardiola in the ultimate test - a Champions League final," Carragher wrote in The Telegraph back in April.
"Tuchel followed Klopp at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund and did well. It has not worked out at Bayern Munich this season, but you only have to look at Carlo Ancelotti and Unai Emery to recognize how top coaches recover from setbacks.
"If another English club takes Tuchel, that would convince me they will significantly improve, but my sense is Liverpool don't want a coach with a reputation for being fractious.
"I would prefer a proven winner who could be difficult to manage to a coach who might be easy to manage but still have everything to prove. My overriding concern is this: does Slot move to England ready to take on Guardiola for the Premier League and Champions League?"
Although it’s not a club side that Tuchel has ended up taking on, it will be interesting to see how he gets on with England, especially with some of Liverpool’s current stars set to come under consideration for him in his new role.
Having reached two major finals under Southgate, there is only one outcome that would represent improvement under Tuchel for England, and that is winning silverware. Doing that would prove Carragher’s theory right, and potentially paint Liverpool’s decision to overlook him in a new light.
Liverpool has made a brilliant start under Slot, but the real test is about to get underway for the Dutchman as the Reds’ title credentials are scrutinized by the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal over the next few weeks.
If Slot can come through those and keep Liverpool in the title race by the time Tuchel begins his stint with the Three Lions, he should avoid any unfavorable comparisons. It will be fascinating to see how the pair fare now though.
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