The Three Lions' new boss is already facing plenty of problems as he prepares to name his first-ever squad for World Cup qualifying action
Thomas Tuchel hasn't even overseen his first game as England manager yet, but there is already a sense that he is working under something of a cloud. As the German tactician prepares to name his first-ever Three Lions squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, his problems are beginning to mount.
Unwarranted media attention, a raft of untimely injuries and a plethora of out-of-sorts stars – all part and parcel of being England manager, no doubt, but there is the unshakeable feeling that this has been, and will continue to be, a baptism of fire for the man appointed as Sir Gareth Southgate's successor.
It's clear that Tuchel will have his work cut out right from the get-go, both on and off the pitch. His first international camp will go some way to proving that his is up to the task.
Getty Images SportWelcome to England
Tuchel might not have managed his first England game, but already there is a sense that some sections of the media have turned on him or are attempting to incite some sort of movement against him. More than a month short of his debut on the touchline at Wembley, the 51-year-old recently came under scrutiny for returning to Germany to visit his children and therefore 'missing' games where he might usually be in attendance to assess his options.
The word at the time was that he had missed three Premier League game weeks, as well as Carabao Cup and FA Cup ties, having already been allowed to delay his start date until January 1 – disregarding the near-certainty that the meticulous tactician would have been watching on from afar, and the fact that he was showing up at matches in December.
The role of England manager has long been labelled 'the toughest job in football', and the reasons for that transcend lofty on-field expectations.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Working full-time to assess players'
Such has been the extent of the criticism, with various outlets and pundits joining the pile-on and fuelling the furore, the Football Association (FA) has even been forced to step in to defend their new manager – pointing to the fact he still attended 17 matches in 47 days and has a base in London as well as in Germany. The point is made even more moot by the fact that European Championship-winning Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman has achieved unprecedented success despite commuting from her family home in the Netherlands.
An FA statement to read: "Thomas has attended 17 matches – in England and abroad – to watch English players since he joined in January, and is working full-time to assess players for his first squad announcement next month."
Tuchel had even been open about his working pattern in his first press conference back in October: "I love to live in England and I’m looking forward to living again in England," he said. "I want to be close to the Premier League, I want to be close to the majority of the players. But of course, the schedule will allow me to be close to my family and my children in Germany. But yeah, I will be in England most of the time."
gettyInjuries piling up
It's not just off the field that Tuchel is facing early problems; in terms of personnel on it, his options are significantly depleted as he prepares to name the first England squad of his tenure.
The new manager will be without senior centre-back John Stones after he suffered an awkward injury against Real Madrid which will keep him out for at least two months, while hapless Luke Shaw suffered a setback recently and surely won't be considered. Further up the pitch, Kobbie Mainoo – who is arguably the Three Lions' outstanding central-midfield option alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham – has been ruled out until after the March international break, while recent call-up Angel Gomes is working his way back from a calf problem.
In attack, star winger Bukayo Saka is sidelined after hamstring surgery, as is newly-established senior international Noni Madueke, while Dominic Solanke has not yet recovered from a knee issue that has kept him out since mid-January.
Of course, England are still blessed with plenty more talent among this exciting generation, but Tuchel is going to need all his managerial nous to piece together the first line-ups of his time in charge.
Getty ImagesOut of sorts
Injuries won't be Tuchel's only concern, however; as he prepares to put pen to paper to draw up his first squad, he must surely have a sense that – other than usual suspects Harry Kane and Bellingham – a number of his key players are approaching the break somewhat out of sorts.
There will be serious doubts over whether Kyle Walker keeps his place after a torrid half-season at Manchester City before he departed for AC Milan; his former team-mate Rico Lewis has struggled to maintain the high standards he set in his breakout campaign; Jack Grealish seems to have lost Pep Guardiola's faith entirely.
Harry Maguire has allowed some errors to creep back into his game at Manchester United after a much-improved period; attacking midfielders Cole Palmer and Phil Foden have both toiled in recent weeks and look well short of their best; Conor Gallagher has been used strangely sparingly by Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid of late.
This all contributes to sense that – aside from the new manager – this will not be the most compelling, exciting England squad as a host of big names scratch around for some form. Tuchel will have to find away to make them click across two games, as he will be expected to collect six points to avoid more negative press.