England icon Stuart Pearce claims Thomas Tuchel's job is not only to win the World Cup
The Three Lions legend also wants the German to nuture the future of English football by getting involved in future development of coaches and players
by Neil McLeman · The MirrorStuart Pearce will judge Thomas Tuchel on his success developing English football over the next 18 months - and not just on winning the World Cup.
“The job is bigger than picking and coaching the team,” he insisted. The Three Lions legend admits he would have preferred the appointment of an English coach or manager to follow Gareth Southgate.
But Pearce, who worked as an assistant to Fabio Capello, said: “I have seen people in certain quarters that are crestfallen that a German has taken over the England team. I am not that way inclined.
"I am not totally against it. It is my job to now support Thomas in any way I can for the greater good of English football and hopefully winning something in the future. You want him to be successful. If you are a fan, you probably just want to see the results and the silverware.
“I will judge him now on what he does for English football and sometimes that goes beyond the results. I want him to show me that he has got a real interest in developing Englsih football and English coaches. I
"I think Gareth has shown exactly what the job should entail. I think we need to maintain the good groundwork he has done. Even if you are only here for 18 months, take a real interest.
"I want him to show me that he has got a real interest in developing Englsih football and English coaches which won't be easy to see. It will be behind the scenes. Go and watch the U17s, 19, 21s.
"I think it is so powerful that if you are the England manager to walk into a dressing room and support the coaches on the ground and for the players to see you are taking an interest in the development teams. I would prefer an English manager to manage England. But hopefully the next one will be and by that stage we will be world and European champions.”
Tuchel will have an 18-month contract until the 2026 World Cup in North America. “I think we can win the next World Cup if we get the blend right,” added Pearce, a hero of Italia 90. “Some of our young players are the envy of all Europe. We have gone to two Majors finals and semi-finals as well. The gap we need to fill is quite small. And as soon as we win one trophy, it will inspire more to come as well.”
And while Southgate was very conservative with his in-game management, Tuchel’s decisive style has seen him win the Champions League with Chelsea. “I think that is a vital asset in modern management,” added the former Forest favourite. “How you interchange your substitutes and the speed of which you do it. We can all watch a game and the best managers in the world identify a problem before it arises. I think the modern game has changed so much that we get hung up a little bit about starting lineups.
“When you can make five substitutions, it really doesn’t matter what team you start with as long as you are prepared to make quick substitutions. With David Moyes at West Ham, we would sit and pick 10 players and the last one was either/or between two players. And I used to say: ‘It doesn’t matter because you can take that one off and bring the other on one or vice versa’.”
Pearce was speaking from Cheshunt FC to celebrate Pitching In’s Volunteer of the Season Award. " I come form non-league so i know thye importance of everyone volunteering in non-league to give opportunities to people like myself," he said.
Ladbrokes, with the support of its owner Entain, has launched a multi-million-pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports. For more details see: https://www.entaingroup.com/sustainability-esg/entain-foundation/pitching-in/ and to f ind volunteering opportunities near you, see: pitchinginvolunteers.co.uk
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