Gary Neville has questioned whether the appointment of Thomas Tuchel fits the Football Association’s commitment to an English coaching pathway, despite his status as “the best available manager in the world” right now.
The former England full-back, who was capped 85 times, says there is an element of disappointment that England’s top job has gone to an international manager, and that the decision feels “instinctive” not “strategic”.
“They probably got the best available coach in the world at this moment in time,” Neville said on Sky Sports News. “Fitting that criteria they are absolutely spot on.
“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 teams’ performances over the last few years.
“Not just the men’s, but the women’s and the youth teams as well. St George’s Park was going to be a hotbed of proving that English coaches could get back to the top of European football.
“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.”
Tuchel, who will be assisted by English coach Anthony Barry, starts his England post on January 1, and becomes the Three Lions’ third foreign coach after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
He boasts considerable elite-level experience having led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 and also taken charge of PSG and most recently Bayern Munich.
But Neville is worried about a “rut” when it comes to the promotion of English coaches, and a lack of identifiable playing style.
“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,” Neville continued.
“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 than any of the other English coaches.
“We are in a rut when it comes to English coaching. English coaching is one of the least respected big nations in Europe when it comes to taking charge of a football team. Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese coaches are renowned for their styles of play, for their philosophy.
“We don’t have a clear identity as an English nation of what we are anymore. We haven’t built a style, we haven’t got a coach who’s built a style that’s unique to us.”