Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has voiced his disappointment over the Football Association’s (FA) decision to appoint Thomas Tuchel as the new head coach of the England national team. Tuchel, who previously managed Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Bayern Munich, is set to be officially unveiled at Wembley Stadium following quick negotiations with the FA earlier this week.
The German coach, who guided Chelsea to a Champions League triumph in 2021, becomes the third non-British manager to lead the England team, following Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. Despite Tuchel’s impressive club achievements, his appointment has drawn mixed reactions, with some pundits, including Redknapp, questioning whether an international manager is the best choice for England.
Redknapp’s Disappointment and Criticism
In an interview with Sky Sports, Harry Redknapp did not hold back his concerns, expressing skepticism over Tuchel’s track record and whether he is the right fit for the England national team. He made it clear that he believes the role should have gone to an English manager, emphasizing his patriotic stance on the matter.
“It’s not like he’s been a massive success. He’s come and gone at a couple of clubs,” Redknapp said. While acknowledging Tuchel’s managerial experience, Redknapp implied that the German coach’s club stints have been short-lived and lacked consistency, casting doubt on whether he has the right credentials to lead England on the international stage.
For Redknapp, the bigger issue is the scarcity of opportunities for English coaches at the top level of football. “I’m very patriotic, I think we should have an English manager but the field was very small to choose from,” he lamented. Redknapp’s comments highlight the frustration many have voiced about the diminishing presence of English managers in the Premier League and in top international roles.
He further explained, “Englishmen don’t get many chances to manage in the Premier League now. It’s all foreign owners and it’s always got to be a foreign manager. We’ve only got two or three managers in the Premier League who are English. The FA, with all the money they spend on coaching courses, it’s sad.”
National Team vs. Club Management
Redknapp also took the opportunity to point out the significant differences between managing a club and managing a national team. This will be Tuchel’s first experience coaching a national side, and Redknapp questioned whether the German coach has the specific skills needed for such a unique role.
Managing a national team involves a completely different set of challenges compared to the day-to-day demands of club management, and Redknapp believes this transition may not be as smooth for Tuchel as it would be for a more experienced national team coach.
“It’s not like Jurgen Klopp who went to Liverpool and was a great success and stayed for many years,” Redknapp explained, highlighting Klopp’s long-term success as a club manager compared to Tuchel’s relatively shorter tenures at some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Redknapp also elaborated on the difficulties of managing a national team, emphasizing that national coaches often have limited time to work with their players. “You need to have a little bit of common sense, pick the right players, pick the right positions, make them feel great about themselves, make them feel great about playing for the best country in the world,” he said, offering his perspective on what it takes to be a successful England coach.
He added, “How long do you get to work with them? You don’t really get a chance to work with them – it’s not like you’re coaching them.” Redknapp used the example of England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley to demonstrate the short amount of time national team coaches have to implement their ideas, citing that Carsley only had about 20 minutes to work on a system with his players.
A Divisive Appointment
While Redknapp’s criticism echoes the sentiments of many who believe the England national team should be led by a homegrown coach, others see Tuchel’s appointment as a step toward modernizing the team and bringing in a fresh, tactical perspective. Tuchel’s tactical acumen and ability to get the best out of players, especially in high-pressure situations, are some of the key factors that may have appealed to the FA when making their decision.
Tuchel’s challenge will now be to win over not just the players but also the English football community, many of whom, like Redknapp, would prefer to see an English coach at the helm. The upcoming months will be crucial for Tuchel as he steps into one of the most high-pressure jobs in international football, with Euro 2024 qualifiers and the World Cup on the horizon.
Whether Tuchel’s appointment turns out to be a masterstroke or a misstep remains to be seen, but for now, the debate about whether foreign managers should lead England continues to dominate the headlines.
