Thomas Tuchel wants his England side to play without the ‘heavy’ pressure of the shirt after recent tournament performances full of ‘tension’.
Tuchel will take charge of England for the first time when the Three Lions face Albania at Wembley tomorrow evening. The clash is the first of the nation’s 2026 World Cup qualification campaign as England look to book their place at next summer’s tournament.
Tuchel has taken over from Gareth Southgate, who stepped down after a runners-up finish at Euro 2024. Despite reaching successive European Championship finals, Southgate faced criticism for a pragmatic approach as England manager.
TT. pic.twitter.com/YGqmBq7Lzz
— England (@England) March 19, 2025
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Tuchel acknowledged that past England sides have suffered from the pressure of representing their country. He wants his side to express themselves with the national team and called on the squad to feel ‘excitement’ rather than expectation at major tournaments.
“I heard this a lot about the shirt, that it is a heavy shirt but it’s not. It is a high quality shirt and it will weigh less when we come to America because they already work on a shirt that adapts to the climate there. The shirt is not heavy in reality.
“Of course I know what the players mean. Maybe it is another way to put it what I felt watching the Euros, I felt tension and pressure on the shoulders of the players and it felt to me like they were more afraid not to lose and have even more pressure added in their home country. Rather than the excitement to make something special happen.
“I think we need to turn this around because we have so many experienced players and players who have won trophies with their clubs. I think we have every right to be self confident but every journey starts with the first match and first steps. The very first steps we did excellent and now we have to prove the point that we are ready for that. We will have six camps to qualify and then make our very best in America.”
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It’s kind of funny reading the headline and article here, following what I can only describe as one of the most tentative, over deliberated and wooden England team performances in the last decade over a side who posed little to no threat whatsoever. England didn’t just play with shackles on, for the most part it resembled more like them wearing the equivalent of old style lead diving boots with a deeply flawed reliance on playing tame and often unnecessary short passes whilst playing slow ineffective which paid far too much respect to a vastly average Albanian outfit. Indeed this tepid brand of slow football was ill suited for either Foden (who for me isn’t even a winger by nature) or Rashford who being a little more effective but hardly outstanding. Indeed I find it a little perplexing that Tuchel cannot see that Fodens best impact is as a 10, Bellingham as an which gives him the freedom he needs, and rice as the enforcer at 6. Lewis Skelley who was perhaps the one of the genuinely few positives was in many ways underused by his team mates as he sort to harass and upset the opposition defence with his quick thinking and movement off the ball. I would also mention that Dan burn looked relatively comfortable in his debut with the obvious ariel attributes he possess’s in set plays, but was hardly put to the test defensively speaking, and would add that Marc Guehi for me is still overall a better all round defender especially in longterm prospects given Burn is now 32
as a debutant. If I am honest I was expecting Tuchel’s England first game to be much more dramatic to the turgid affair that occurred on Friday which overall I’d honestly give just 4/10
simply because it was a win by more than a goal other than that I am vastly underwhelmed.