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Watch: Former England ace offers controversial opinion on Thomas Tuchel appointment

Originally posted on Caught Offside | By Jason Pettigrove | Last updated 10/16/24

The appointment of Thomas Tuchel as coach of the England national team has been announced, and suffice to say that it hasn’t gone down well in all quarters.

Former England ace, Danny Mills, is one to remark on why an Englishman can’t be given the job, with Alan Shearer also expressing surprise that Eddie Howe wasn’t even spoken to.

Danny Mills’ controversial take on the appointment of Thomas Tuchel

Mills spoke to Sky Sports and was forthright in his condemnation of the Football Association, whom he demanded an answer from.

In due course there’s likely to be a press conference where many of the same questions that Mills put forward are likely to be asked.

"They need to answer, why not an Englishman" ?

Danny Mills on the FA's appointment of Thomas Tuchel as new England manager ? pic.twitter.com/yoKZAJuC6B

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 16, 2024

It’s not a question the FA can dodge either, and things could get quite uncomfortable if reporters start throwing names such as Eddie Howe into the mix and demanding to know why they’ve not been appointed ahead of a foreign manager, however good Tuchel appears to be.

There could be an entirely logical reason of course, and that would put to bed that particular argument, though it’s safe to say that the pressure will be on the German’s shoulders from the get go.

For all of Gareth Southgate’s shortcomings in the role, the fact remains that he got the Three Lions to the final of two European Championships, and has seen England into the latter stages of recent tournaments.

Nothing less than a trophy will do for Tuchel, and if he’s unable to provide it by the time his contract is up in 2026, there’s a decent argument for it not to be renewed.

For now, he’ll retain the benefit of the doubt, and if he can get a tune from what is a decent crop of English talent, any misgivings that many have will soon be dispelled.

This article first appeared on Caught Offside and was syndicated with permission.

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