Former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp has questioned the Football Association’s decision to appoint Thomas Tuchel as England’s new head coach, stating that the German must win next year’s World Cup to validate his selection.
Tuchel, who succeeded Gareth Southgate, became England’s third foreign manager. His first match in charge will be against Albania at Wembley on Friday.
While acknowledging Tuchel’s achievements—league titles with Paris Saint-Germain, a Champions League triumph with Chelsea, and a Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich—Redknapp was not convinced he was the right choice.
“It’s all a strange situation really. I heard (former Arsenal goalkeeper) Jens Lehmann this morning saying could you imagine Germany having an English manager? It’s impossible,” Redknapp said.
The former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United boss expressed surprise at the appointment, comparing it to past hires like Fabio Capello.
“It wasn’t a manager that jumped out at me when I heard it. I thought, oh my God. When we got (Italian Fabio) Capello, you’ve got Capello, he’s a serial winner, the Champions League, Milan, wherever he managed. He was iconic. Tuchel’s been here, done okay.”
England’s qualifying campaign begins with games against Albania and Latvia, but Redknapp believes those matches won’t provide real insight into Tuchel’s ability.
“Listen, it’s hard to judge at the moment. He’s picked a squad to play two useless teams. I’ll be watching Coronation Street (TV soap opera) when that’s on. I just can’t be bothered to watch that.”
“What do we gain from seeing us beat Latvia 5-0 or 6-0? What do we learn about any of the players? It’s difficult, until we get into a competition.”
England will also face Andorra and Serbia in Group K, and Redknapp insists Tuchel’s success will be judged on winning silverware.
“He’s got to win something, basically, to be a success. (Tuchel’s predecessor) Gareth (Southgate) took us so far. He’s got an opportunity, he’s got a great squad, great group of players.”
“You probably wouldn’t swap them for anybody. So, it’s all there for him to go and win a trophy.”
Redknapp, who was often linked to the England job but never appointed, reaffirmed his belief that the national team should be led by an English coach.
“I’m all for an English manager, me. I would like to see that. If you can’t find an English manager, there’s something gone wrong somewhere.”
He pointed to Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe as the only standout English candidate and criticized the preference for foreign managers among club owners.
“It’s not the coaching system, because they can do their coaching badges. The FA can’t do anything about choosing who manages what clubs. That’s down to the owners.”
“They’re all foreign owners. And they come in, and they seem to want to have foreign managers.”
