Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as England’s coach has raised eyebrows, with Harry Redknapp suggesting that lifting the World Cup next year is essential to validate the FA’s choice.
The German manager, who succeeded Gareth Southgate last year, became the third overseas head coach for England and is set to make his debut against Albania at Wembley this Friday.
Redknapp, known for his stints at West Ham United, Portsmouth, and Tottenham Hotspur, stated that Tuchel wasn’t his top pick but noted that he has taken charge of a squad that many would envy globally.
“It’s quite an unusual situation really. I heard (former Arsenal goalkeeper) Jens Lehmann say this morning, could you imagine if Germany had an English manager? It would be unthinkable,” Redknapp expressed to reporters. He will return to the touchline for a South v North England match in June.
“He wasn’t a candidate that immediately came to my mind when I heard the news. I thought, oh my goodness. When we had (Italian Fabio) Capello, he was a proven winner, having lifted the Champions League with Milan and other clubs. He was legendary.”
“Tuchel’s been around and done reasonably well.”
The 51-year-old has enjoyed success, winning two league titles with Paris Saint-Germain, the Champions League with Chelsea, and a Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. However, this marks his first foray into international management.
England will kick off their World Cup qualifying campaign against Albania before taking on Latvia on Monday, but Redknapp doubts these matches will provide meaningful insights.
“Honestly, it’s tough to evaluate right now. He’s selected a squad to face two teams that aren’t particularly strong. I might just catch up on Coronation Street while that’s happening. I don’t see much value in it,” the 78-year-old added.
“What do we really gain from thrashing Latvia 5-0 or 6-0? What will we discover about our players? It’s hard to ascertain anything until we’re in a proper competition.”
England will also be facing Andorra and Serbia in Group K.
“He essentially has to win something to be deemed successful. (Tuchel’s predecessor) Gareth (Southgate) took us quite far, but this is Tuchel’s moment with a fantastic squad and talented players,” Redknapp noted.
“You probably wouldn’t swap them for anyone. Everything is in place for him to secure a trophy.”
Under Southgate, England reached two Euro finals and made it to the World Cup semi-finals but fell short of claiming any silverware.
Although Redknapp has often been overlooked for the England managerial role, he admitted he would prefer to see an English coach in charge, but noted that only Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe stands out as a viable candidate.
“I’m definitely in favour of an English manager. I’d love to see that. If you can’t find an English manager, then there’s a problem somewhere.”
“It’s not about the coaching system, since they are capable of earning their coaching badges. The FA can’t dictate who manages which clubs—that’s down to the owners.”
“Most of them are foreign owners, and they tend to prefer foreign managers.”
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