Thomas Tuchel appears to have already irked England fans before even starting his role as national team manager. With the German boss waiting in the wings, Lee Carsley signed off from his interim role on Sunday with a 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, which secured the Three Lions promotion back to the top tier of the Nations League.
The 51-year-old will now start his new job on January 1, 2025, and will be on an 18-month deal that runs until the end of the 2026 World Cup.
But the decision to allow the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich man to wait two months between being appointed and officially getting underway came under scrutiny last week when nine players withdrew from Carsley’s squad.
It prompted debate as to whether Premier League stars were taking advantage of the fact Tuchel was not yet in place. And according to a poll of Express Sports readers, opting to delay his arrival has proven to be a blatant error.
Asked whether Tuchel should have begun his role immediately after being announced, an overwhelming 74 per cent of Three Lions fans responded by saying yes. Only 26 per cent felt he had done the right thing by leaving Carsley in temporary charge.
The situation has also seemed to have raised doubts over how successful the 2021 Champions League winner will be in his first international role. Readers were also asked if he would deliver the Jules Rimet trophy in Canada, America, and Mexico.
Only 21 per cent of respondents said yes. That left 79 per cent to predict that England’s wait for a major tournament win would extend until at least Euro 2028, a competition that will partly be on home soil.
Tuchel is yet to know who his first opponents will be as England coach. The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying groups takes place on December 13 in Zurich, with the opening matches to take place next March.
And the draw format will at least spare the Football Association an embarrassing situation with FIFA. The event will take place remotely, sparing a situation whereby England would not have had a permanent manager in place to attend.
After bowing out with a Wembley win, Carsley, who will now return to take charge of England under-21s, vowed to help Gareth Southgate’s successor. “I think it’s important that we debrief properly, the three camps rather than just being a bit reactive just on results. It’s the whole experience,” he said.
“We will collate our thoughts together, along with the rest of the players in terms of handing over something he can read and look through that’s valuable. And then we’ll step back to support him.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk