Why Thomas Tuchel is the perfect fit for the England job

The new gaffer might not have been born and bred in Barnsley, but he’s long proved himself to be particularly astute in high-profile knockout competitions

- ADAM CLERY

We hope you’re sitting down for this, but Thomas Tuchel is German. He’s also a boss considered to be at the very cutting edge of football progression, a meticulous forward-planner complete with a jaw-dropping tournament record, and a tactical innovator that even Pep Guardiola admits learning from. But the German thing is what matters, it seems.

Maybe international managers should be subject to the same eligibility criteria as the players. Maybe! But since they’re not, the FA have opted to slam a door in the face of Eddie Howe (didn’t want the job), Graham Potter (said he preferred club football), Lee Carsley (thought he wanted the job but then he didn’t) and Harry Redknapp (too pricey to buy out of his Soccer Aid contract).

So, Tuchel it is, and sceptics will have to console themselves with the fact he was the best candidate on the market.

His first task is one of evolution, not revolution. That fact, and many others, make him perfect for the role.

1 Tuchel At Dortmund