International management divides opinions.
While many regard leading a country as the highest honor in football, others argue it lacks the tactical depth and elite coaching seen at club level.
With Thomas Tuchel confirmed as manager of the England men’s national team, there is a strong feeling that the FA have chosen one of the most tactically astute managers in modern football.
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What is Tuchel’s favorite style?
On the pitch it is not easy to outline exactly what Tuchel’s England could become.
AtleticoMichael Cox labeled him a “tactical chameleon” before his arrival at Chelsea, a two-season spell characterized by flexibility and pragmatism, cycling through different systems in an attempt to fight for control of every match.
Looking at his favorite formations throughout his managerial career, this variety stands out; the coach is willing to adapt to the players at his disposal. Although he erred in favor of a back four at both Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, he largely opted for a 3-4-3 formation in west London, with flying full-backs Reece James and Marcos Alonso providing the attack width.
Whatever the approach, Tuchel’s ideas are based on controlling possession in midfield and overloading the center of the pitch with technical players who can both retain the ball and press quickly when it is lost.
At Chelsea, the width provided by the wing defenders allowed him to keep the rest of his attacking unit narrow in front of two deeper midfielders, while three athletic central defenders provided solid cover at the back.
For example, against Brighton down low, wingers Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are close to center forward Kai Havertz as Kurt Zouma plays a pass to the German.
Brighton regain possession after a loose touch from Havertz, but five Chelsea players are positioned centrally to apply immediate pressure on the ball. Ziyech closes down the centre-back, Mason Mount and Jorginho come forward to block passing options in midfield, while Pulisic covers the pass wide.
Adam Webster misses the pass and Mount sends Ziyech through on goal. Only two teams – Liverpool and Brighton – scored more that season, demonstrating the offensive, as well as defensive, value of such structured counter-pressing.
As the image below illustrates, Tuchel’s only full season in London was characterized by possession and defensive solidity, slowly building and dominating the ball in the opposition’s half, whilst ensuring he remained in optimal shape to cut source the counterattack if the ball is lost. Only eventual champions Manchester City conceded fewer goals, shots on target and expected non-penalty goals during the 2021-22 season.
While England have often relied on Kyle Walker’s recovery pace to fend off counter-attacks, the evidence suggests Tuchel will favor a more structural, team-wide approach.
Such a thoughtful approach to development often means Tuchel can quickly implement his style, which is especially important in international football. Possession increased by almost 9% when he took over from Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, while Chelsea went 14 years unbeaten at the start of his reign – conceding just two goals in that run – despite a five-game losing streak in eight Premier League games. before taking command.
How Tuchel achieves this control varies from team to team, typically lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation at Bayern Munich and often opting to keep his full-backs deeper to provide an option in wide areas – with Bayern more likely to progress up the pitch through the flanks with their fast wingers.
A double pivot, most commonly Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, would provide an overload in Bayern’s early preparation phase to allow them to progress to the third parties.
Furthermore, Bayern’s central defenders were not afraid to spread wide to allow a pivot player or goalkeeper to get in between and provide greater coverage across the width of the pitch to allow for easier ball progression.
Reaching third place was rarely a problem for Bayern last season; their difficulties came when they faced low-block teams that denied Tuchel’s teams the space to create. This was often coupled with a vulnerability in counterattacking as they subsequently tried to force the situation.
Despite its mantra of controlling the game with ball possession, defeats against VfL Bochum, Werder Bremen and Heidenheim occurred in games in which Bayern had more than 65% of the ball, with spaces often left open to be hit on the counterattack . Bayern’s 10 goals conceded via direct attacks (a proxy for the counterattack) were the fifth most in the Bundesliga last season. For context, title rivals Bayer Leverkusen have conceded just two.
Bayern looked more comfortable in the Champions League, reaching the semi-finals before narrowly going out to Real Madrid, but it was clear they were capable of finding more space against teams more willing to compete with them.
It is a tactical problem worth highlighting from the perspective of England, who have had their own problems defeating lower-ranked teams or so-called minnows in international football. One of Tuchel’s main tasks will be to ensure that the frustrations that grew up under Gareth Southgate are not repeated under his command.
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Despite the occasional stalemate and crushing defeat, the numbers below show how dominant his Bayern were in both areas. Competing with history-making invincible Leverkusen wasn’t part of the plan, but Bayern’s expected goal difference (xG) per 90 – which explains the quality of chances created and conceded – was not only the best in the Bundesliga, but was stronger than any team from Europe’s top five leagues in 2023-24.
The narratives of the season may have been difficult for Tuchel to regain control, but the hard facts suggest that strong processes were underway in Bavaria.
How do Tuchel’s ideas fit into the England squad?
Having shown such tactical flexibility throughout his career, we can expect to see some experimentation from Tuchel as he tries to get the best out of this England team.
Overall, the 51-year-old’s preference for a narrow attacking unit is intriguing in the context of the Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham debate. Playing with two number 10s – as he has done at each of his last four clubs – could theoretically allow Tuchel to insert more central players behind Harry Kane, with Bellingham’s defensive tenacity particularly valuable from a counter-pressing perspective.
Pairing these talented forwards with Kane, who scored 44 goals in all competitions last season (31 goals without penalties in the league) in Tuchel’s restricted system, will be high on the new boss’s list. There is no doubting the admiration the German has for England’s all-time leading scorer.
Harry Kane already has a lot of experience working with Tuchel (Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
“He has a very different profile to all my other players,” Tuchel told the Bundesliga’s official website last season.
“He can play from nine, a fox in the box like no other with exceptional finishing, but he also assists. He has great ability to play the last pass and the penultimate pass, as well as a very good link-up game with our fast wingers, so it’s fantastic. I always say you learn from your players, if you have the privilege of being a manager, especially at this level, and you learn a lot from Harry.
As a ripple effect of Kane’s qualities, the most compelling question marks are evident.
Tuchel’s penchant for aggressive, overlapping full-backs with narrow number 10s has worked well during his time at Chelsea. He also demonstrated his ability to adapt to the pace and guile of natural wingers Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman during his time at Bayern, with Kane slotting into pockets of space behind the opposition’s midfield.
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This raises questions about England’s attacking approach. Can he maximize the speed and immediacy of Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka, who are at their best from wide areas? Or will he rely more on the technical ability of Foden, Bellingham or Palmer as narrow number 10s with the width provided by full-backs or wingers?
It has been difficult to find fit left-backs in England in recent months, but Tuchel’s tactical preferences could be positive news for Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento or Leif Davis in the wing-back role.
Could Livramento thrive for England under Tuchel? (Eddie Keogh – FA/FA via Getty Images)
Crucially, Tuchel has shown that he has the tactical acumen to adapt his approach in a match if things don’t immediately go to plan. Where criticism has been leveled at Southgate’s inability to react quickly enough from the touchline, Tuchel offers more experience of making subtle adjustments at crucial moments, most recently during Bayern’s Champions League semi-final.
More generally, Tuchel has never shied away from the hierarchies of each of the clubs he manages, particularly when it comes to transfer activity. Of course, this won’t be an issue internationally, but Tuchel will need to build a positive relationship with FA chief executive Mark Bullingham to prove he can do it without friction.
While club football brings its chaos, in Tuchel’s three most recent roles at Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, his tenure averaged one year, nine months and 15 days. A similar spell with England would take him just beyond the 2026 World Cup.
Tuchel is undoubtedly a stronger tactician than his statesmanlike predecessor Southgate but, equally, the ambassadorial presence required in international football cannot be ignored.
Confidence comes naturally for Tuchel. Where some might be cautious in their early dealings with the media, he was absolute in his intentions.
“I want to put the second star on this shirt,” Tuchel said in his press conference on Wednesday. We will work hard for the greatest goal of football: realizing our dream at the 2026 World Cup.”
Over to you, Thomas.
(Header design: Dan Goldfarb; photo: Getty Images)