Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports/Getty
Topics: Gary Neville, Thomas Tuchel, England, Football
Marcus Chan
Topics: Gary Neville, Thomas Tuchel, England, Football
Gary Neville has spoken about the English Football Association’s decision to hire Thomas Tuchel as England boss.
After days of speculation, it was confirmed on Wednesday morning that Tuchel will take over as England’s new head coach in January.
A statement from the FA read: “The FA has announced that UEFA Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel is the new England senior men’s head coach and will be assisted by internationally-renowned English coach Anthony Barry.”
Reacting to Tuchel’s appointment, former England and Manchester United defender Neville questioned whether the decision was ‘instinctive’ rather than ‘strategic’.
He said on Sky Sports: “It doesn’t feel like a strategic decision it feels like an instinctive one off the back of what's happened in the last two weeks.
Advert
“Thomas Tuchel has been available for months, there was no need to appoint an interim if they wanted him. This to me smacks of it being a recent decision.”
Neville continued: “I don't think Thomas Tuchel should be in any way, shape or form questioned in a difficult way this afternoon when he sits in the press conference because I think that he's a great coach, he's taken a job with a group of talented players and I think everybody in our country including myself will wish him all the best and hope we can get over the line and win a trophy, but I think there are some serious questions for the FA to answer in respect of English coaching.
“I do think we are damaging ourselves accepting Thomas Tuchel is better, he is better than any of the other English coaches. But with the English coaches that have managed in the upper echelons of the league with Eddie Howe at Newcastle and Graham Potter. I do think there are outstanding coaches that could have been appointed that were English.”
Expanding on his views on the FA overlooking English coaches, Neville added: “I am not sure it meets the criteria of St George's Park and the belief in English coaches and the growth in the English team's performances over the last few years.
Advert
“Not just the men's, but the women's and the youth teams as well. St George's Park was going to be a hot bed of proving that English coaches could get back to the top of European football.
“That is proving to be very difficult. It's difficult for English coaches to get the top jobs in the Premier League and rightly so we have some of the best clubs in the world.”