Thomas Tuchel’s message was loud and clear. He is right here to win matches, not hearts and minds, writes CRAIG HOPE

When Anthony Gordon said in Germany that England were too predictable and claimed he could bring excitement, it marked the end of his tournament under Gareth Southgate.

Not too far away in Bavaria, the man who would be the next Three Lions boss was nodding in agreement. Not with Southgate’s subsequent decision to ignore the winger, but with the player’s outspoken assessment. 

For that was Thomas Tuchel‘s message to his squad this week, later relayed so candidly to the media — the team who were beaten by Spain in the final of Euro 2024 lacked ‘identity, clarity and rhythm’. Not just that, he said, they were ‘afraid’ and did not play with ‘enough excitement and togetherness’ to win the Euros.

It was a bombshell admission to detonate ahead of his managerial debut. Tuchel’s problem, however, is that Southgate’s England were not explosive enough. Say what you think, Thomas.

But is that not what England need? A manager to grab the bulls and lead them to victory, instead of watching them lock horns over positional and leadership issues. Even captain Harry Kane concedes the squad was ‘light on leadership’ in the summer. That is Tuchel’s motivation in recalling Jordan Henderson.

But the new head coach will lead from the front. That much was evident during conversation with him on Thursday. He wants, and will give in return, honesty. He wants feedback. He wants, you feel, the likes of Gordon to say what they think.

Thomas Tuchel wants to focus on football and not get mired in making ‘political statements’

He wants to use being foreign to his advantage, and not get drawn into being a representative

Tuchel has been brutally honest since taking over from Gareth Southgate as England manager

It did, though, bring much laughter when he then gave the impression that, despite that want for openness, it will end with his players agreeing with him. ‘It (my assessment of the Euros) was not a question,’ said Tuchel. ‘I did not ask them, “Was it like this?”. I just said this is my observation and here is the potential and this is how we want it to be from now on. They have no choice! They have to follow!’

Tuchel is, of course, coming at all of this from a position of opening-game strength, especially when that will likely bring a comfortable win over Albania on Friday night. But the German tackled every question at Tottenham’s training centre with conviction, enthusiasm and, when necessary, humour.

Had the ball crossed the line in 1966? ‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘But there was no VAR at this time, so it stands.’ Does the England shirt weigh heavy on the players? ‘It is, in fact, not heavy,’ he said, and his smile told you he had understood the question. ‘It’s a high-quality shirt, and it will weigh less when you come to America, because they already work on a shirt that adapts to the climate there.’

If Tuchel wants his team to play without fear and with belief, it would be reflective of his own performance here. The 51-year-old could have told you the pitches outside were blue and the sky was green and you would have gone to check.

There was one story that made you take note, and it took us back to the eve of the Euros. If Tuchel’s recollection is accurate – and he is clearly big on honesty – then England could have done with him in charge six months sooner than his January start date. 

‘I saw the last friendly of Spain before the Euros on TV,’ he began. ‘I was never watching a friendly match of Spain, but I watched the whole match because suddenly I felt, “Wow, this is the real deal here. What are they doing? This is exciting”. They were winning 5-0 and the stadium went crazy.

‘The difference to the last match of the English team (1-0 home defeat by Iceland) and how they were sent off – a half-empty stadium and some boos – it was so, so different.’

We should not reflect with grey-tinted glasses on Southgate’s reign. He took England to two finals, restored pride and belief and was every bit as articulate and assertive as Tuchel, if not more. But the new man does have a point about the old one’s last lap – it was tired and lacking in imagination.

He argued that Southgate’s England lacked ‘identity, clarity and rhythm’ at Euro 2024 

His emphasis on ‘joy’ may benefit Anthony Gordon, who was mostly sidelined over the summer

Tuchel was convincing with the media but has to back up this with results on an 18-month deal

‘We want to implement the joy and togetherness so everyone feels safe to express themselves and give their very best, and to play with a recognisable style,’ said Tuchel, and you could just about hear Gordon cheering in the distance.

That is Tuchel’s vision on the pitch, but talk soon turned to how he will handle matters off it. Southgate was a statesman for whom no subject was off limits. He took ownership of everything from rainbow armbands to global pandemics to wars on foreign soil – and deservedly has a knighthood to show for his maturity and intelligence.

Asked how he would deal with such politics, Tuchel gave a response that Southgate would never have contemplated. ‘I don’t need it!’ he said. ‘First of all, in my contract, I named myself head coach and not manager. We have the best chance if you allow the head coach to focus on football.

‘I understand from your perspective the importance of the role. But maybe I can hide a bit behind being not English and not talking to everything that happens in your country out of respect, and focus a little bit more on football. At some point, it must be allowed for a football team sent to a World Cup to be a football team, and not be a political statement.’

That in itself felt like the strongest of statements. Tuchel is here to win matches, not hearts and minds. But if his team play as well as he talks, he will likely win all three.