Thomas Tuchel is not anticipated to attend Premier League matches to scout players before he assumes his role as England’s head coach on 1 January. The German, who signed his contract to succeed Gareth Southgate last week, is not under pressure from the Football Association to be present at games or engage in behind-the-scenes work before the year’s end. The FA will maintain Lee Carsley in interim charge for next month’s Nations League games against Greece and the Republic of Ireland, with the expectation that Tuchel will swiftly transition into his role in January.
The former Bayern Munich manager has initiated some preparations, having appointed Anthony Barry as his assistant, and is seeking to incorporate figures from his former club Chelsea into his backroom staff. James Melbourne, head of performance analysis at Chelsea, will be permitted to join the FA on a permanent basis, and Tuchel aims to recruit the goalkeeping coach Hilário. Hilário, who played for Chelsea before returning as a coach, has not yet decided whether to join Tuchel. He has informed Chelsea of his indecision regarding leaving.
Chelsea, who have appointed Ben Roberts as their head of global goalkeeping, are aware of the significant presence in their goalkeeping department. It remains uncertain whether Carsley’s assistant, Ashley Cole, will be part of Tuchel’s team. Apart from these backroom staff appointments, there is no significant urgency. There is a desire to allow Carsley to complete his interim role, which means there is little chance of Tuchel attending club games in England before his official start date. If he wishes to assess players in person, it is likely to occur after the November international break.
The FA is content with the current situation despite the uncertainty over why Tuchel is not starting immediately. It has been noted that the former Chelsea manager will have three months to make decisions on his squad before his first camp in March. The 51-year-old demonstrated at Chelsea that he is capable of making an immediate impact, having won the Champions League four months after his appointment in January 2021. Remaining in Germany would also enable him to monitor Harry Kane and Eric Dier’s performances for Bayern.
“We always told Lee he would have three camps and we were clear he’d manage the Nations League campaign,” said Mark Bullingham, the FA’s chief executive, on Wednesday. “And when we first spoke to Thomas, he wanted to focus solely on the World Cup, so it made sense for him to start on January 1.” It is still unclear whether England will play World Cup qualifiers, two friendlies, or a Nations League promotion playoff in March. They will avoid a playoff if they win group B2, but Carsley’s team is currently second after losing to Greece last week. The timing of World Cup qualifying, whether in March or June, also depends on the draw.
