The FIFA Days in November should have been the time when Thomas Tuchel officially took up the England team. The German tactician could announce his first "Three Lions" list and direct the match against Greece this weekend.
This could be a favorable momentum for Tuchel before entering the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In addition, the new England captain will have the opportunity to introduce his philosophy to the players. Even if it is only a week of work, that time is still very valuable.
However, Tuchel has not been able to start working for the England team. Instead, the next two matches of the "Three Lions" against Greece and Ireland will still be led by Lee Carsley.
The England team has undergone many changes since EURO 2024. Under Carsley, the squad has many new players, new styles, tactical innovations but also new fragility. They have not shown the same solidity as when Gareth Southgate was in charge. The match against Greece at Wembley on 10 October was an example, when Carsley's defense was repeatedly penetrated, a performance worse than any under Southgate.
More importantly, the recent period has revolved around the identity of the next England coach. Carsley has faced constant questions about his future and seems uncomfortable in holding the interim position. Now that Carsley is certain to return to the U21 team, is it really necessary to have him take charge of the next two matches?
At the press conference to introduce Thomas Tuchel, FA CEO Mark Bullingham said that having the German coach start work in January 2025 will help him focus on the World Cup qualifying campaign. At the same time, his coaching staff is not yet complete as assistant Anthony Barry will still support the Portuguese team this month.
However, there are many doubts about the reason behind Tuchel's decision to delay. He himself admitted that his preparation time is very short as the first match will take place in March 2025.
Assuming there are 2 matches and a few friendly matches in preparation for the World Cup every FIFA Days, the team's opening match in the US will only be the 15th under Tuchel. This makes skipping the two games this month seem unreasonable, as it is an opportunity for him to learn and establish an initial strategy.
Tuchel may want to start with the World Cup qualifying campaign rather than the Nations League, but that is not entirely his decision. If England are second or third in their group, they will have to play in the Nations League play-offs in March rather than the World Cup qualifiers. If they are drawn into a group of four teams (rather than five), the qualifying campaign will not start until September, nearly 11 months after Tuchel signed.
Death time is inevitable in the national team and no one can blame the FA or Tuchel for the match schedule. However, the biggest limitation is the short contact time with the players and this will be a big lesson for Tuchel after many years working at the club level. Meanwhile, England will try to steer themselves in the remaining 2 matches without knowing where their next destination will be.
