Thomas Tuchel’s England era is upon us, with the new Three Lions boss preparing to take to the Wembley dugout for the first time next week.
The German’s first match will be a World Cup qualifier against Albania on Friday night, with another home clash against Latvia following on three days later.
And according to one former Chelsea and England favourite, the ex-Blues boss knows how to make a quick start in a new job.
Joe Cole expects a fast start from Tuchel
Tuchel – ranked at No.10 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best managers on the planet last year – takes over an England team that lost last summer’s Euro 2024 final to Spain, with interim boss Lee Carsley leading the side to five wins and one defeat in the six matches he took charge of following Gareth Southgate’s departure.
But England fans can now look forward to an immediate impact at the start of this new era, according to Joe Cole.
“One of Tuchel’s big strengths when he arrived at Stamford Bridge was his clarity of judgement, Cole said, speaking in association with TNT Sports. ”He came into a talented Chelsea side, albeit one down on its luck, and quickly identified which members could fit into a system that would win matches.
“He restored Antonio Rudiger, who transformed into an aggressive, physical leader at the back. He gave Kai Havertz a fixed role at centre-forward after a lot of moving around under Frank Lampard. Mason Mount was given more responsibility to lead the press.
“Reece James could gallop up and down that right flank all day long. It seemed to suit every single player in the squad. They were putty in his hands from day one.”
Tuchel’s fast start at Stamford Bridge saw the club go unbeaten in their first ten games, winning six of them on their way to a top four finish and Champions League victory. Perhaps the biggest improvement came at the back, as predecessor Frank Lampard’s first 19 games saw the club ship in 23 goals, a number that fell to just 13 under Tuchel’s watch.
“His system was about reducing space between the lines, suffocating teams, being hard to break down,” Cole adds.
“It was Jose Mourinho-esque in terms of becoming horrible to play against. I think his ability to galvanise a group is one of his biggest strengths.”
