Thomas Tuchel’s deep passion for Italia 90 inspires his England World Cup ambitions. He emphasizes teamwork and clear roles after a dominant win against Serbia, aiming to avoid past mistakes of prioritizing individual talent over team cohesion, focusing on structure and defined player positions.
Thomas Tuchel, the newly appointed England head coach, has been inundated with suggestions on how to best grasp the nation's footballing heritage. From recommended reading lists to documentaries, everyone seems keen to fill perceived gaps in his knowledge. The primary assumption being that someone from overseas needs a crash course in English football.
One recurring suggestion is the fly-on-the-wall documentary featuring Graham Taylor's ill-fated 1994 World Cup campaign, 'An Impossible Job'. The media even proposed a sequel, chronicling Tuchel's journey to the 2026 World Cup. Surprisingly, he didn't jump at the opportunity.
However, Tuchel is far from ignorant. His deep understanding of Italia 90 is a testament to his passion for the game. At 16, he was an avid fan, captivated by the tournament's magic.
Following England's dominant 5-0 victory over Serbia, solidifying their position in Group K for automatic qualification, Tuchel received yet another book: Pete Davies's 'All Played Out,' a behind-the-scenes account of England's experience at the 1990 World Cup.
"I was watching like crazy... I was Chris Waddle with the collar up in my garden," Tuchel reminisced, imitating the England winger's iconic style. "I was Paul Gascoigne. I was all these kinds of guys."
These reflections were tinged with emotion, fueled by the realization that he was on the verge of fulfilling a childhood dream: competing at a World Cup. Though qualification remains the immediate priority, the prospect is deeply meaningful to him.
"There was no internet back then, no online focusing... there was just this book you got from the Euros and from the World Cup," he explained. "I always got it as a present, either for my birthday or for Christmas, so we had these books and all the photos from every match of a World Cup."
"I looked at these things for four years. I knew every player. I looked at their shoes and their style and this was something magical. That's why, if you know me, you know what it means to me to hopefully go to a World Cup, what it means to me to qualify and go with England... just a brilliant moment in my journey. I enjoy it a lot and I will give my very best."
The resounding victory over Serbia has injected a new sense of optimism into the England camp. The team's performance was a stark contrast to previous underwhelming displays, signaling a shift in momentum and a renewed sense of possibility.
Tuchel playfully avoided commenting on whether West Germany deserved their semi-final victory over England at Italia 90, a match etched in history for Gazza's tears and Waddle's penalty miss. However, his enthusiasm was evident as he highlighted the team work displayed in the Serbia game. "It was the effort we put in to help each other out, the intensity. We never stopped running."
"There was no attitude after a mistake, no frustration, no waving, no eyeballing, no bad words. It was just a team ready to work and put 90 minutes’ effort in," he stated.
Tuchel aims to foster a cohesive unit, a lesson learned from England's past struggles. Previously, managers often prioritized individual talent over team cohesion, attempting to shoehorn star players into mismatched roles, a strategy that often backfired.
At Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate, found himself grappling with the challenge of accommodating players like Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden. A similar situation occurred when Lee Carsley deployed an array of attacking talent against Greece in the Nations League, only to suffer a 2-1 defeat.
Tuchel's approach emphasizes clarity and defined roles. Players are assigned specific positions, such as right and left center-halves, or 6s, 8s, and 10s in midfield. While flexibility is acknowledged, it's carefully managed within the team's structure.
Tuchel seeks to establish a solid framework before selecting individual players for starting roles. The No 10 position is particularly competitive, with a plethora of options including Bellingham, Foden, Palmer, Rogers, Eze, and Gibbs-White. The key question is whether Tuchel can make the right selection decisions for the greater good of the team.
"We try to be very clear to the players and have a new start," he said. "One of the learnings from the previous camp in June was: 'The players need clarity. What do we play in this camp, how do we play, what is the structure and where do I compete?'"
"So we told them and trained them very, very clearly because everyone comes from a different club and a different style. From there, step by step, the intensity increased, the accuracy came and I'm happy it all clicked against Serbia."