Abdulhafiz TeslimEddie Howe Emerges as Leading Candidate for England Job as Pressure Mounts on Thomas Tuchel
Eddie Howe has emerged as one of the frontrunners to become the next England manager as pressure continues to mount on Thomas Tuchel.
The Football Association is reportedly set to conduct a review into whether Tuchel should remain in charge of the Three Lions following England’s disappointing World Cup exit.
Much of the post-match fallout from England’s collapse against Argentina has centred on the German coach. Anthony Gordon gave the Three Lions the lead in the 55th minute before a notable tactical shift changed the course of the game.
England gradually retreated into a defensive shape, inviting the reigning world champions onto them during the closing stages. Tuchel introduced several defensive substitutions as Argentina fought back to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory in stoppage time.
Thomas Tuchel Defends His Tactics
Despite widespread criticism, Tuchel insisted after the match that he had “no regrets” over his approach. In further comments, the England boss also suggested that England lacked the natural ability to control possession in the same way as footballing nations such as Spain, Argentina and Brazil.
«”In this moment, my feeling was that no structure in the world could have helped us. Because actually we were too passive and we were not physical enough. We didn’t stop runners arriving in our box and the deliveries were wrong too.»
«”I haven’t seen the data yet, but I think just right after the goal, the momentum swung completely and ball possession dropped dramatically. We couldn’t win our duels anymore. That’s why we dropped deeper and deeper. It was never the plan, but it happened.»
«”I think ball possession plays a crucial role. It’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in Spain, Argentina or Brazil, to take the ball and control the game with possession.”»
FA Set to Review Tuchel’s Future
According to The Times, the FA will conduct a full review of Tuchel’s performance at the tournament. Technical director John McDermott will lead the assessment, with every aspect of England’s World Cup campaign set to be evaluated.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham previously stated on LinkedIn that Tuchel would lead England into their Euro 2028 qualifying campaign after signing a contract extension in February, having initially agreed only an 18-month deal.
Tuchel made several bold selection decisions, leaving the likes of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Lewis Hall and Harry Maguire out of his squad. However, England’s performances throughout the tournament were widely viewed as underwhelming despite reaching only their fourth World Cup semi-final.
The FA parted ways with Gareth Southgate in search of an experienced manager capable of guiding England to major tournament success. However, Tuchel was unable to deliver, with England falling short once again in the semi-finals.
Eddie Howe Backed for England Role
Newcastle United will be watching the FA’s final decision closely. Eddie Howe, alongside Pep Guardiola, has emerged as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to succeed Tuchel should the role become available.
Following Southgate’s departure after Euro 2024, Howe’s name featured prominently during the search for England’s next manager. Widely regarded as the country’s leading English coach, the Newcastle boss has previously admitted he would be open to managing the national team.
However, an official approach never materialised, and Howe instead committed his future to St James’ Park.
Speaking on talkSPORT, both Troy Deeney and Jamie O’Hara urged the FA to appoint Howe following England’s latest World Cup disappointment.
“The remit when we got rid of Gareth Southgate was, ‘Let’s get a winner’,” Deeney said. “And that was why Thomas Tuchel got the nod. We argued about it.
“Personally, I always think an English manager should be English. That’s just the way it is. Why do the players have to fall into that category, but the manager doesn’t? That’s just the way I feel.”
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Abdulhafiz Teslim
