Harry Redknapp didn’t hold back when expressing his opinion on the decision by the English FA to appoint German manager Thomas Tuchel.
Former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager Tuchel has been confirmed as the man to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager. He’ll start the role in 2025, with Lee Carsley to manage the team in the November internationals.
The decision to hire a manager who isn’t English is always going to spark debate. The German is just the third non-English manager in England’s senior men team history, with Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello being the other two.
One man who has shared his opinion is former Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp.
What Has Harry Redknapp Said About the Decision?
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Redknapp made his disappointment over a non-English manager being appointed clear:
“He’s lost his job quite quickly at a couple of clubs.
“It’s not like he’s been a massive success. He’s come and gone at a couple of clubs. I’m very patriotic, I think we should have an English manager but obviously, the field was very small to choose from.”
How Has Tuchel Done So Far in His Career?
Tuchel has enjoyed a relatively successful career since starting his managerial career with Mainz in 2009. Before taking control of the German side, he’d managed at various youth levels for Augsburg and Mainz.
At Mainz, he managed 183 games, winning 72 of those games. Tuchel had 1.43 points per game during his time at Mainz.
He then moved to Borussia Dortmund, where he managed 107 games and won 69 of those games. Tuchel left with an impressive 2.12 points per game. He also won the German Cup while with Dortmund.
Tuchel’s most successful period as a manager came with PSG. He managed 96 games, leaving with 2.35 points per game and a cabinet full of medals. The German won one French Cup, two Ligue 1 titles, one French League Cup, and two French Super Cups.
His only spell in England came with Premier League side Chelsea between January 2021 and September 2022. He managed 100 games and picked up 2.08 points per game, but most impressively he won the Champions League in the 2020/21 season. Tuchel was also awarded the World’s Best Club Coach in the same season.
After a disappointing spell at Bayern Munich, where he won just one Bundesliga, he left at the end of last season. Tuchel’s been out of work since leaving Bayern.
All statistics are taken from Transfermarkt.
Who Else Could Have Taken Up the Role? – opinion
Tuchel’s appointment comes after months of speculation, with various names thrown into the mix to take over. Now people will be looking closely at Tuchel and wonder if someone else should have been selected.
Like Redknapp, there will be plenty of England fans who will believe that an English manager should take the role. But just who is available?
The pool for English managers isn’t fantastic. This isn’t to say the quality of managers is poor, it’s arguably more a reflection on the poor pathway provided by the English FA.
In the Premier League, there are currently only three English managers in charge of a team. Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe was one of the names mentioned in relation to the England job. It’s widely acknowledged that he’ll likely be an England manager at some point, but he’s in the middle of an exciting prospect at Newcastle, so he seemed unlikely to leave.
Graham Potter has been out of work since his departure from Chelsea. The spell at Stamford Bridge appeared to be a dent on his reputation, but his work at Brighton puts him high on many fans list. Like Howe, he’s someone who looks likely to have a stint with England at some point in his career.
The issue with both Potter and Howe is they’ve not won anything of note. England are in a position to end their long wait for a major trophy, and they need someone with a proven track record of winning titles.
Although many not might agree with Tuchel taking charge, he appears to be the best option if England want to go on to win something.