After two consecutive defeats in the EURO finals, the English Football Association (FA) has decided to put its trust in Thomas Tuchel. In the past, the FA has been criticized many times for its intention to choose foreign coaches.
However, the decision to appoint the German strategist has satisfied most of the "Three Lions" fans. Compared to English coaches, Tuchel is highly regarded for his clear football philosophy and tactical acumen. That has helped the 51-year-old strategist impress and win many titles when leading teams in Germany, France and England.
However, football at the national team level is always different from that of the club. After his successes with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, can Thomas Tuchel repeat the same and help England win the title?
The Athletic described the German captain as a "tactical flower embankment" because of the diversity of tactical systems and competition diagrams throughout his coaching career since 2015. He does not have a favorable lineup but mainly adapts and develops the talents of the players in hand. After failing to succeed with a back four at Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel has mainly used a 3-4-3 formation during his time in charge of Chelsea.
Tuchel's playing style emphasizes control and imposing the game but is still flexible and practical when necessary. This philosophy helped Chelsea win the Champions League thanks to their ability to control the ball and put high pressure in midfield. The ball was concentrated in the central area with situations of patting the face, where players with good technique could hold the ball and immediately put pressure when losing the ball. Meanwhile, the full-back duo Reece James and Marcos Alonso and Ben Chilwell often play along the two edges to pull the opponent's formation and make the most of the width of the pitch.
In Thomas Tuchel's only full season at Stamford Bridge, The Blues made a strong impression thanks to their ability to control the match and defend solidly. They approached the match slowly, proactively dominating the ball control right in the opponent's half. The team distance is always maintained tightly to help prevent counter-attacks by opponents if they lose the ball. This style of play helped Chelsea finish in 3rd place with the lowest number of goals conceded, shots on target and expected goals in the Premier League 2021-2022, only behind champions Manchester City.
This tactical system of Tuchel will help England defend in a more organized and structured way in counter-attacks. Before that, England often did not have a clear plan and only blocked the opponent's quick counter-attacks thanks to the speed of Kyle Walker.
Tuchel's tactical flexibility promises to help England solve the problem to maximize the abilities of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham. Not only that, the German strategist is also expected to revive Harry Kane after a series of ups and downs in form since EURO 2024. In the 2023-2024 season, Tuchel helped Kane play brilliantly at Bayern Munich with 44 goals in all competitions. Therefore, the England captain will certainly be a top priority in Tuchel's plan to build a new tactical system when leading the "Three Lions".
However, Tuchel's football philosophy and tactical diagram still have weaknesses similar to the England team under Gareth Southgate. Despite having the highest expected goals index in the Bundesliga last season (1.6 xG), Tuchel's Bayern Munich still struggled and had to accept defeat against players with deep defense. This is also a similar problem England faced at EURO 2024, when Southgate's side often played deadlocked against disciplined and low-range defenses.
It is too early to confirm that a strategist who helped Chelsea reach the top of Europe like Thomas Tuchel will repeat the same thing in England. However, a clear football philosophy and tactical acumen promise to help Tuchel bring a new breeze to English football.
