COACHES NEED OPEN PATHWAYS

What is the point of international football? It’s a fairly straightforward question, but one that has probably been aired more extensively in the past few days than at any point in the preceding two decades. One that sits at the core of the debate about Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as England manager – whichever side of the fence you sit on.

- Gregor ROBERTSON

By almost any measure, the FA have chosen an outstanding candidate to replace Gareth Southgate. The former Borussia Dortmund, Paris St Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss is one of the finest head coaches of this generation. A master tactician. A Champions League winner. Fiercely intelligent. As comfortable facing state-of-the-nation questions in press conferences as he is locking horns with Pep Guardiola on the touchline.

The thought of what he might be able to do with the galaxy of stars at England’s disposal is genuinely exciting – and I’m Scottish.

Tuchel, in case you hadn’t noticed, is German. If the 51-year-old succeeds in putting a “second star” on England’s shirt at the World Cup in 2026, even the staunchest critic of his appointment will be swept away by the euphoria. Just look at Sarina Weigman’s Lionesses. But, if we return to the question – what is the point of international football? –Tuchel’s appointment has divided opinion along fascinatingly unpredictable fault lines.

Holding the view that not being English should have disqualified Tuchel from the role does not make you a swivel-eyed loon or a right-wing bigot – even if a few of those types have crawled out from underneath their rocks in the past few days. It might just mean you believe appointing a foreign head coach goes against the grain of a fundamental principle of international sport: measuring the very best of one country’s talent against another.

Yet beyond that matter of principle, it can also be seen as a tacit admission of failure. The FA have long trumpeted the idea that St George’s Park was a home for the development of coaches as well as players. Twelve years since its opening, and after eight years of continuity and progression under Southgate, the pool of English talent coaching at the top of the game is arguably shallower than ever.