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With his England squad set to be named at the end of May, Thomas Tuchel is putting together his final preparations for this summer’s World Cup.
The German took over as Thee Lions boss last January and oversaw a flawless qualifcation campaign with eight wins out of eight, as his side scored 22 goals and conceded none.
Danny Murphy on England’s Tuchel advantage
Former England and Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes that Tuchel could be his side’s most decisive asset in this summer’s tournament.
“I think that’s fair,” Murphy tells FourFourTwo when asked if the manager could even outshine his players when it matters most
“He’s proven himself many times – changing things tactically, being aware of when to change the formation or personnel. He seems more decisive at that stuff, if you look at his club career and the big games. That’s what wins you tournaments.”
Murphy then points to a recent example to prove his point.
“Roberto Mancini was probably the best example, for Italy at Euro 2020,” he continues. “In the semi-final against Spain, they looked dead on their feet, but he made changes and created a new energy.
“Tuchel’s a massive weapon for us in those big moments.”
Tuchel’s side were one of just three, alongside Ivory Coast and Tunisia to qualify for the tournament without conceding a goal, with no European side having ever achieved this feat in a qualification campaign that lasted more than six games.
And for Murphy, this defensive solidity did not come at the expense of attacking ambition.
“He was more front foot,” Murphy says, assessing how England changed during qualifying under Tuchel, even if their opponents weren’t the strongest. “It’s difficult assessing any manager when they play poorer opposition, but they were really high energy and tried to press. He’s wanted his team to be more progressive than Gareth, and we’ll see against better opposition whether it’s beneficial.
“He’s wanted his wingers to go past people and be really positive – in central midfield, I think he’s also said to Elliot Anderson to play through the lines. He gave him that freedom.”
