Apologies for the rant but ive spent my lunch reading and watching the mainstream outcry to Tuchels appointment and need to let off some steam. Particularly around the usual duo of Carragher and Neville. I enjoyed their match analysis when they first started in punditry, but since they've expanded into providing wider commentary on sporting and global issues, they've gone back to being unbearable pricks.
Lets start with Neville, who thinks that hiring Tuchel is just the worst thing that could have ever happened to English football. He proclaims that English coaching is in a crisis but goes on to state the the FA have ignored some outstanding English candidates. He also poses the question as to why would we have established St Georges Park if we are going to just hire a German.
Well Gary, heres why mate. The concept of establishing a centre of excellence for English coaches is a solid one. Its a good start point for improving standards. However, it cannot be the only place in which knowledge and experience is passed upon these staff. In fact, it actually serves as a perfect representation of the arrogance and ignorance of our current attitude towards coaching in England. Rather than encouraging take up of coaching badges through lowering fees, incentivising and potentially even subsiding coaches to go abroad and learn about different football leagues and cultures, playing styles, attitudes and approaches, we instead believe that creating a centre of coaches, surrounded by other average coaches is the way forward.
Other than a few exceptions, most top managers have had to do the hard graft to get there. They have had to start out in the lower divisions of other leagues, travel away from home and look to gain chances where they can. They've had to take work breaks where they visit and learn from other top coaches, spend time as assistants and craft their trade. They aren't simply 'given a chance' at a top premier league club because they used to play for United. Gary and his pals seem to be experts in the world of football management and how to fix it, yet none have achieved anything close to sucess in management. Their answers are quick fixes: "Trust Carsley with the England Job", "Give an English Man a chance at the Top" as if by some divine intervertion, simply being given an important role suddenly qualifies one to do it.
There is one thing he is right on though. Hiring Tuchel is a damning commentary on English coaching.
But not because he should have been English but rather that it should inspire and motivate a change in approach towards bringing these coaches through. 12 years or so St Georges Park has been going and yet we have had to turn to Germany to help us try and squeeze a trophy out of yet another golden generation. But, most importantly, the FA are 100% correct in doing so. This needs to stand as a turning point so that in 10 years time, we have invested the correct time and money into supporting the development of English coaching across Europe, not in a hut in the south of England.
Less annoyingly, Carragher takes the stance that international football should be nationality vs nationality and that it is unfair to be allowed to turn to a different nation so that the competitions are kept to "Our Best vs Yours". Its a narrative that I understand, but the reality of which becomes complex in how it would work, given the desire to want to promote football in less traditional/economically powerful nations. But this is also not something that we as a national football side should be concerned with. It is up to FIFA to decide on this and, the last time I checked, they couldn't care less what nationality the manager was. Therefore, it would be stupid of us to not exploit this given the void of talent currently available in our own pool.
My overbearing feeling towards this is that the media constantly refer to the England job as the hardest job in football yet are constantly pushing and screaming for underqualified and inexperienced English managers to enter into. I would also love for there to be an English manager that will be good enough to take the hot seat and lead us to a trophy, but obtaining this position should be the end goal of years of hard work and graft for managers that have learned their trade and earnt the position, rather than being gifted it based on their passport and industry connections.
I really hope Tuchel does well, if only because any percieved failure will only be used as fuel for the fire these media idiots have lit, to prove that they were right all along. When the reality is, English coaches need to pull their finger out their ass so that we aren't having this conversation in 10 years time.
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