‘Just nuances,” Thomas Tuchel says. As an outsider turned insider, England’s new permanent manager was mulling over the team’s long history of falling short. Was it tactical? A lack of individual quality? Perhaps, but in Tuchel’s eyes losing a major final on penalties or to a late goal was not necessarily evidence of a seismic failing. Sometimes, as the German says, success in international football really is just about mastering the little details in the biggest moments.
That said, the Football Association’s hope is that replacing Gareth Southgate with one of the world’s leading managers will ensure that England finally add a second star to the shirt. Tuchel does not hang around. The German’s aim is simple: win the 2026 World Cup. It is safe to assume that he will not view this job as a “process” or a “project”.
