Laura Woods: Tuchel a born winner and will do great with England
Tuchel a great appointment for England
I am absolutely buzzing that Thomas Tuchel has taken the England job; he is a winner through and through. I was a massive fan of his when he was at Chelsea and really liked him at Bayern Munich despite it being a bit rocky for him there.
He gets the fans onside and he works the media pretty well too. In the past when I’ve interviewed him I’ve always thought he was quite charming. He brings a bit of humour to stale environments. He is exciting, slightly unpredictable and eccentric.
I really enjoy big characters as managers and I think he’ll garner respect from that group immediately. More importantly he knows those players, a few of them personally, and he knows English football. He has international respect. It’s a great appointment.
England manager doesn’t need to be English
I think as soon as a non-English manager wins something with England all of the ‘England manager needs to be English’ stuff will be forgotten. No one is going to celebrate less because Thomas Tuchel is German. It’s not something that’s bothered me before.
I think it’s all about the individual and his credentials. We want the right person to get the best out of those players. An English manager would be nice, but for me it’s not essential at all.
No worries about Tuchel
Part of what makes Tuchel great, I believe, is also what makes him quite volatile.
He seems incredibly passionate and emotional which can be very exciting and motivational. He doesn’t seem to stay in jobs past a couple of seasons but, most importantly, he wins things.
This group of players and this country are desperate for some kind of success so it doesn’t bother me. I’d rather an exciting manager than a stable 10-year reign where we don’t win anything!
Tuchel decision shows Manchester United job not what it once was
The Manchester United job has almost become a poison chalice.
Good managers with good track records can’t seem to succeed there, which points towards the hierarchy. Jose Mourinho once said his best achievement was coming second in the league with them.
There’s a lot of change there with the new owners and getting rid of Sir Alex Ferguson has ruffled a few feathers. It is by no means a steady ship. Perhaps the draw of the biggest club in the world isn’t what it once was – or perhaps the England job was too good an opportunity for Tuchel to turn down.
He will be like a kid in a candy shop with the amount of talent he has at his disposal with England. Manchester United don’t have that kind of talent or potential at the moment.
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