Interview with Thomas Tuchel boosts fans’ optimism as he talks England at Euros and his plans

Interview with Thomas Tuchel boosts fans’ optimism as he talks England at Euros and his plans to make the team exciting to watch.

Henry Winter tweeted: Very strong comments from Thomas Tuchel to @gabrielclarke05 about England under Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024. “The identity, the clarity, the rhythm, the repetition of patterns, the freedom of players, the expression of players, the hunger (was missing).”

England did reach the final tbf but lacked direction and dynamism at key moments. Can’t question Tuchel’s belief that he will have an impact.

Slight echoes of his arrival at Chelsea when his optimism invigorated the players.

“They were more afraid to drop out of the tournament than having the excitement and hunger to win it” 👀

Thomas Tuchel reflects on England’s Euro2024 campaign 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions | @England | @GabrielClarke05 pic.twitter.com/ozsZzIpzvy

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 20, 2025

Gabriel Clarke: Yes or no. Did England have a clear playing style last summer?

Tuchel: Not last summer no.

Gabriel Clarke: What is miss missing?

Tuchel: The identity, the clarity, the repetition of patterns, the freedom of player, the expression of player, the hunger, they were more afraid of dropping out of the tournament in my observation than having the excitement and hunger to win.

Gabriel Clarke: What is the missing piece then?

Tuchel: Excitement, the view that people feel that’s the team to beat. That they feel thats the team to beat. That we arrive a group to beat. That we know already when we arrive, once we qualified, once we arrive, that everyone knows this is the team to beat.

“We play with a hunger and the joy to win, and not with the fear to lose” 🗣️

Thomas Tuchel speaks ahead of his first game in charge of England at Wembley Stadium against Albania. pic.twitter.com/WzE5TkB40F

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 20, 2025

The interview with Thomas Tuchel boosts fans’ optimism as he talks England at Euros and his plans…

@htomufc: What an answer…

@mattwicks__: I’m sold. We’re gunna win the lot 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

@RichySouthern: A gaffer with a decent size pair of clems speaking facts is all I’m seeing here.

@NRayner7: Absolutely spot on with this. Excited to see what he can do with this group of players!

@_CFCJamie_: My manager. He has the aura to inspire the squad actually lead them to victory. Polar opposite to Southgate

@TraffLangton_: He will make us a team no one wants to play against, I can’t wait

@ashley_whiteway: Hard not to be optimistic for the Tuchel era. This is what you want to hear from your manager. #ThreeLions

@flanagan_58: Good to hear an England manager say it as it is instead of being frightened to criticise anyone. Southgate held England back at the Euros.

@EnglidsAway: If this interview doesn’t fill you with optimism, then I don’t know what will… Two stars Tommy Tuchel 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

@_CFCJamie_: My manager. He has the aura to inspire the squad actually lead them to victory. Polar opposite to Southgate

@JoeWood_7: It was painful to watch a team so stacked with attacking talent, become so paralysed by fear and defensive mentality. Thanks for the good times Gareth, but this was exactly what England were missing. (Btw, Tuchels knockout record is insane when he can prep for a specific team)

@TAIEpodcast: Ohhhhh this is what we want to hear!! He’s spot on as well with his assessment of the last tournaments. They were there for the taking and we were too afraid to lose rather than go out and win it. Tuchel’s 3 lions baby 🦁 🦁 🦁

@_avfcjames: farrkkkk what a gaffer we have

Tuchel on his first week with England players: “It’s also a crash course for me in international football and how to adapt to the rhythm and being together with the squad for only 10 days but only have three full training sessions to prepare matches.

“They reminded me instantly why I was so excited about the job. It’s because of them. They were outstanding in the way they behaved, interacted as a group but also on the pitch. They were amazing we had high quality, very sharp training sessions. Everybody was open to give their best. Good energy, good atmosphere. That’s what I love the most to be around players and implement ideas on the pitch and adapt to their characters, strengths and talent.

“It was very good so far.”

Tuchel: My England will be adaptable – “Offensively, we will try for sure to implement our style and structure from now on. Put players into positions where they feel comfortable and can express themselves to their full potential.

“But in modern football, and with the quality of the opponent in Albania, and the respect you have to give every opponent especially off the ball, it’s necessary that we stay open to adapt – structurally or in the line-up.

“We can’t be ignorant and say we do what we want and everyone will adapt to us. Everyone will try to find solutions against us, so we want to be adaptable to the qualities of our opponent, and that starts on Friday.”

Tuchel: I will be nervous – but I hope fans see what I see – “I just hope so much that the fans can see what I see on a daily basis, and they can transform it into the stadium – because what I saw in the last few days has been amazing.

“It was just a joy to watch and be a part of, so hopefully we can transport this energy and fire and hunger into the game.

“It’s amazing, we have a full Wembley. It will be very exciting, I will be a bit nervous but that’s part of it. I’m always a bit nervous before a match, this will be no different.”

Tuchel on England being afraid to lose Euros rather than excited to win it – “It was my feeling in front of the TV before I knew I’d be in charge.

“It has to be the other way around. I want us to play with the excitement and hunger and joy to win. Acceptance of failure is a part of it in football. You want to implement this togetherness and the joy that everyone feels safe to express themselves and give their very best.

“Play with the joy to win and not the fear to lose.”

Tuchel likes England togetherness – “Many smiles. I think the players feel it I missed it a lot. It’s a unique energy in a football team and dressing room. They are very social. It was nice to see they spend a lot of time together.

“They play table tennis, darts, cards… it’s nice to see and be a part of it.”

Tuchel on talking Bayern’s trophy hopes with Kane – “Of course [I have spoken to him], but we do this on a regular basis. I think they are now very close to securing the title, which will be very important for the club – and maybe a little bit more for club to have a first major trophy.

“When that happens, it’ll give him a big boost to be even stronger for us.”

Tuchel enjoying close contact with players – “It feels like a pre-season training camp to be so close with players. The group was amazing and the level of the training was very high. We have one more training to go before we travel close to Wembley.

“Once you start working with the players then it becomes very real and you stop thinking about the big picture from outside.”

Tuchel: I have to prove a point as England boss – “I have felt the excitement so far in the camp. We’ve created a positive energy and a buzz for the first match.

“It’s on us, we have to prove the point. I have to prove the point, and make people believe in me.

“That’s the project, that’s our job. This will never be one emotional status for the rest of the next months, it will be fluid and we have to keep everyone on board and keep our fans excited so they believe in us.”

Tuchel: International tactics not as in-depth as club tactics – “It is a proper machine, the FA. They provide all the assistance you need as a coach. Seeing the players come from their clubs, it’s our job to create one idea everyone can buy into.

“The level of depth in tactical tweaks and new things tactically is not so deep as club football as you have not so much time. It’s the challenge for us to keep things simple, easy messages and keep going.

“The team spirit and bond between the fans and country is super important and we’ll take care of that of course.”

Tuchel: The shirt is not heavy… they’re designing a light one for the World Cup! – “I heard a lot that it’s a heavy shirt. It’s in fact not. It’s a high quality shirt and will weigh less when we come to America and they already work on a shirt that adapts to the climate there!

“I know what the players mean. What I felt watching the Euros, I felt tension and pressure on the shoulders of the players. It felt they were playing not to lose and have any more pressure added than the excitement to make something special happen. We need to turn this around. We have so many players who won trophies with their clubs.”

TuchelI: Our DNA is physical, tough and ready to fight – “I want an active team, an emotional an active, hungry team. You can leave your footprint in different styles, but we need to respect the quality of the Premier League and should reflect it.

“We have every right to be proud of that league, and I always felt it amazing to come to different stadiums during my time in England and feel the special energy from the crowd and what they demand from the players.

“This was very pure, even if people outside think about them having the biggest names and money, but on a matchday it becomes very pure about football. That’s what I loved.

“That’s what shapes the character of the players, it’s why I love being around them and working with them. You can light up a stadium so easily in the Premier League with one tackle, with one header.

“We play for England, we’re not Argentina, we’re not Spain. We can adapt stuff that makes sense for us, but the DNA is clearly English. That means it’s physical, it’s tough and ready to fight.”

TucheI: I want rhythm and intensity against Albania – “I hope we can implement a higher rhythm in our game, a higher intensity.

“We want more touches in the opponent’s box, more ball recoveries in the opponent’s half – and implement our structure that helps us control counter attacks.

“Albania are very strong in counter attacks individually, they have a wide range of passing options.”

Tuchel: England weren’t free to express themselves at Euros – “Gareth did excellent [in playing players in right positions]. At the Euros they were not free enough to express themselves in a stable structure. But England wasn’t the only team to change structure from match to match.

“I think when we play now we need to make sure everyone knows his role on the field, accepts his role and plays disciplined in his role then comes the freedom and within your space you can look for solutions.

“We need to bond a little better, find more rhythm and a little better connections on the field.”

TucheI: Players must build England bond outside of camps – “I don’t feel a lot of pressure in general. I feel it as a privilege, and mostly I don’t feel it at all because I’m in the tunnel preparing the match.

“I feel the pressure when it comes to a semi-final and final, but then I have the experience that I also feel the pressure and I needed it in my coaching career, to find methods to cope with it.

“Having the experience in it has helped me. We have only six camps and that’s why I was so strong on the point to bond with each other.

“We need to find it, then it’s my responsibility to keep connected in between camps, be that to visit the players or call them. The players need to stay connected between camps too and take care of each other.

“Otherwise, six camps will not be enough to create the special atmosphere and togetherness which will be needed when we arrive in the US.

“Thinking about what we have to do and what the outcome is will not help us. The only thing that helps is worshipping every single day we have, and the players have done that every single day since Monday.

“It’s been a pleasure to be a part of it, but it’s not over, this is just the start.”