Jamie Carragher's opinion of Thomas Tuchel speaks volumes after England appointment
The former Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss has agreed to take over as the new England manager on an 18-month contract which will start in January
by Mark Jones · The MirrorJamie Carragher is a big fan of Thomas Tuchel according to his previous comments about the German coach, with the former Liverpool and England defender likely to agree with Tuchel's appointment as Three Lions boss.
The former Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss has agreed to take over as the new England manager on an 18-month contract which will start in January.
Tuchel will lead England into the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, and Carragher will doubtless be pleased to see him there having previously claimed that he wanted to see him succeed Jurgen Klopp at his beloved Liverpool.
When it was announced that Klopp was stepping down at Anfield at the end of last season and would be replaced by Arne Slot, Carragher made it clear that Tuchel would have been his first-choice in his column for The Telegraph.
"I would have given more thorough consideration to a coach like Thomas Tuchel, who took on and beat Pep Guardiola in the ultimate test - a Champions League final," Carragher wrote, referencing his win with Chelsea in 2021 final
"Tuchel followed Klopp at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund and did well. It has not worked out at Bayern Munich this season, but you only have to look at Carlo Ancelotti and Unai Emery to recognise how top coaches recover from setbacks.
"If another English club takes Tuchel, that would convince me they will significantly improve, but my sense is Liverpool don't want a coach with a reputation for being fractious.
"I would prefer a proven winner who could be difficult to manage to a coach who might be easy to manage but still have everything to prove. My overriding concern is this: does Slot move to England ready to take on Guardiola for the Premier League and Champions League?"
In the event Slot has enjoyed a fine start to life at Liverpool and is spending the international break at the top of the Premier League table having overseen nine wins from his first 10 matches in charge in all competitions.
But Carragher's admiration for Tuchel is clear, and is likely to be a keen observer of how he does with England.
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