FA defends its pathway for English coaches but says best person got job

Mark Bullingham has insisted that appointing Thomas Tuchel as England's head coach should not raise alarm bells about the Football Association's development of homegrown managers.

- Jacob Steinberg

Bullingham, the FA's chief executive, and John McDermott, the technical director, have faced criticism after ending their hunt for Gareth Southgate's successor by putting a foreigner in charge of the men's senior team for the third time. Those opposed to hiring Tuchel have raised concerns over what it says about the production line at St George's Park.

The FA has emphasised that Anthony Barry - an "internationally renowned" English coach - has been appointed as the German's assistant. Even so, the lack of English managers deemed capable of replacing Southgate was glaring. That left Bullingham making no apologies for picking Tuchel at the 51-year-old's unveiling, although he also said English football remained on the right track.

"If you look at St George's Park overall, I think it has been a really good success," Bullingham said. "Our pathway is really strong, both from a coach's and player's point of view. There are a lot of fantastic young coaches around and obviously Anthony is one of those.