‘It energises me’: Tuchel relishing World Cup test

The England coach wants another ‘Wonderwall’ moment as his side prepare to face Ghana today, writes Richard Jolly

- Richard Jolly

England have seen a friendly Thomas Tuchel and Thomas Tuchel in friendlies.

Now they are getting a glimpse of Tournament Thomas; or perhaps, in his native tongue, Turnier Thomas.

The serious business has started but Tuchel is trying to blend greater intensity with a relaxed approach. The England manager has loved life at the World Cup so far. An opening victory over Croatia prompted suggestions that Tuchel’s team were the finest side in the first round of fixtures. Tuchel may have got his personal balance right, his team talk at the interval in Dallas inspiring an immediate improvement.

The competitive juices are flowing for Tuchel. His prowess in knockout competitions was shown best when Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021. He can prosper under pressure, work well with a target. He has had 18 months to prepare for his first tilt at a global international tournament. He is enjoying it.

“I don’t do anything extra. It just gives me a lot of energy to be at a World Cup, to have this tournament and be in competitive mode, to be surrounded by world-class players and fantastic personalities,” Tuchel said. “It energises me.”

England managers face a permanent test of how to react during a tournament. Fabio Capello was too strict, rendering his camp joyless. Sven-Goran Eriksson could seem too relaxed, too laissez-faire. Tuchel is trying to get the blend right; in part, for a man as charismatic as him, it is a question of how big a personality he is.