Ex-England star criticises 'odd' Thomas Tuchel decision as new manager

Yesterday at 05:09 PM

Danny Mills has described the decision to delay Thomas Tuchel’s arrival as England’s new manager until January as ‘odd’.

The former Chelsea boss has reached an agreement with the Football Association to become England’s new manager on an 18-month deal until after the 2026 World Cup.

However, Lee Carsley is expected to remain in interim charge for England’s next two Nations League games in November, with Tuchel due to take up his position in January 2025.

‘It gets even more odd,’ Mills said on talkSPORT.

‘It’s not just that it’s 18 months, he’s not starting until January, why would he not come in for the next two games, get to know the players, the regime and everything?

‘He has done well, he has won things, but again it doesn’t mean Thomas Tuchel is just going to come in and we’re going to win the World Cup.’

Mills, who was capped 19 times by England and played for the Three Lions at the World Cup in 2002, admits he would have preferred an English manager to replace Gareth Southgate but feels the options were limited.

‘Fantastic coach, let’s not forget that,’ Mills said of Tuchel.

‘He’s had one or two issues maybe managing up, he gets a bit spiky I think, he won’t have that because he can’t buy players, so that takes that out of the situation.

‘He’s a very, very good coach. It’s a little bit of a surprise it’s happened so quickly. It has come pretty much out of the blue, I would say.

‘Would I have preferred it to be an English manager? Of course. But the options are very, very limited.

‘And you have to say he’s as good as there is out there who wanted the job.

‘He’s won the Champions League, league titles, lots of different clubs, lots of different players, so therefore in that box, successful manager, worked at the top, big tick.

‘Let’s be honest, there will be a lot of people out there, the fact he’s German will be an issue.

‘In an ideal world I would like an English manager in charge of the England team but if there isn’t a good enough candidate to do that, you’ve got to go further afield.

‘I don’t think Eddie Howe wants the job, I don’t think was interested in the England job, compared with the job he’s got at Newcastle.’

Asked if Graham Potter would have been the right man for England, Mills replied: ‘No.

‘I think he did unbelievably well at Brighton, I think he was shown up a little bit at Chelsea and was damaged after that.

‘You have to deal with big players and earn their respect, a lot of players would’ve looked at that and gone, ‘hang on a minute, bit of a disaster at Chelsea’.

‘I don’t think Graham Potter walks into that England dressing room and gets instant respect from everybody within it.

‘I’m not saying it’s right, I’m saying that’s how it is.

You’ve got to work even harder to prove yourself even more if you don’t have that instant respect, that’s what makes it difficult for the likes of Graham Potter.’

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