The English FA saw the United States men’s national team electrify its fanbase by snagging former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino and decided to take a page straight from the same book.
By snatching up Thomas Tuchel, the best unemployed manager currently available on the market, England have made a massive splash in replacing the recently departed Gareth Southgate.
Tuchel is not only extremely experienced but has won top trophies in his career and appears a strong selection for the Three Lions. While this will be his first international position, German managers are often touted for an eventual job at their own native national team side, meaning he will be well prepared for the role.
England will be a big challenge for the 51-year-old, but the FA will be happy to have him aboard. The Sporting News breaks down how Tuchel likes to play and how he may fit the England job.
MORE: Thomas Tuchel’s managerial record | Why did Chelsea sack Thomas Tuchel?
Thomas Tuchel preferred formation
Throughout his managerial career, Thomas Tuchel has proven extremely tactical flexible, to the point where Pep Guardiola described him as “so creative” once, admitting he’s “one of the few managers I learn from.”
Tuchel is so flexible that he has often prioritised consistency when taking over at a club by continuing with the formational setup from the previous manager. He did so at Borussia Dortmund when he refused to change Jurgen Klopp’s 4-2-3-1 and again at PSG by keeping the similar 4-3-3 from his predecessor Unai Emery.
However, at times Tuchel has shown his ability to adapt, using a three-defender setup on occasion at both Chelsea and PSG, although those systems often morphed into a 4-4-2 when out of possession.
At England, it will be fascinating to see the formation and tactical system he truly prefers, as one advantage of leading a national team setup as opposed to a club is the ability to assert greater influence over the entire federation and pick players who fit your preferred tactical model. He will have a deep pool of players to pick from.
Looking forward to starting the journey together 💪
— England (@England) October 16, 2024
Thomas Tuchel tactics, style of play
Regardless of which formation Tuchel selects to deploy in a given match, one thing remains constant. The German boss prefers to play a possessional style of buildup, going back to front on most occasions.
One key feature to Tuchel’s setup is an emphasis on width. Tuchel is not one to force the ball out wide ad nauseam, but he likes to use wide players to take advantage of overloads. For example, Tuchel will instruct his team to play the ball out wide on one side, and then have his full-back on the opposite side get forward and take advantage of the attention payed to the on-ball flank.
While at Chelsea, Tuchel adapted this particular strategy into his 3-4-3 formation where he used tireless wing-backs to create width and then brought versatile forward players like Timo Werner, Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Puulisic, and Kai Havertz inside to overwhelm the central areas and allow his quick passers to operate in space and create confusion.
Tuchel is not of the more stereotypical German mould that values extremely high off-ball work rate to win possession high up the pitch and create chaos – but that is not to say Tuchel avoids pressing. The new England boss is happy to drill into his squad a more trigger-focused press that is activated by certain opposition movements. The philosophy is to press in a way that prevents the opposition from playing a comfortable style, aiming to win the ball in particular areas of the pitch.
Finally, it seems a truly important feature of players in Thomas Tuchel’s preferred system is some level of technical ability. Tuchel seems to even prefer more stylish players in nuanced skill-based positions such as striker, defensive midfielder, or centre-back which are traditionally seen as less technical.
MORE: Harry Kane breaks silence on Thomas Tuchel getting the England job
Thomas Tuchel style of man management
While his on-field tactical setup can be flexible and feature innovation and fluidity, Thomas Tuchel has a very defined managerial style when it comes to his leadership abilities.
Tuchel is known for a fiery personality, both on the touchline and in the media. He has been involved in famous clashes with opponents and supporters, such as the famous post-match “handshake” with Antonio Conte or his red card while managing Bayern Munich in the Champions League against Man City.
Additionally, Tuchel has experience managing big names and egos, having been in charge at PSG early in the Messi/Neymar/Mbappe era, taking the French club to the Champions League final – the furthest the club has reached in Uefa’s top competition.
He has, critically, also managed many of the players in the current England setup at previous stops. Most notably, Tuchel was in charge of Bayern Munich in Harry Kane’s first season at the club, when the Three Lions talisman scored a Bundesliga-leading 36 league goals, while Reece James and Raheem Sterling were both at Chelsea under Tuchel’s leadership. Jude Bellingham did not cross paths with Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund, but will certainly be familiar with his style at a club where Tuchel had a major impact.
However, the biggest detractor of Tuchel’s managerial style comes from a pattern noticed by many followers of his at the club level. When things take a turn for the worst in a Tuchel-led squad, they have often spiralled out of control.
Tuchel is known to prioritise squad togetherness, often organising outings for his team, but he can also be harsh when criticising his players. For example, The Athletic reported in the wake of Tuchel’s dismissal at Chelsea that he was “brutal” when highlighting mistakes in training and video analysis sessions.