'It just doesn't feel right' - Thomas Tuchel England appointment questioned by ex-Three Lions defenders Gary Neville & Jamie Carragher - despite German being 'best available coach in the world'

The Football Association has officially announced the appointment of Tuchel as the new manager of the England national football team. The German coach, known for his previous stints with top clubs like Chelsea and Bayern Munich, has signed an 18-month contract, set to take him through to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Despite Tuchel’s high-profile appointment, not everyone is pleased with the decision. Neville and Carragher have voiced concerns about the FA’s choice to appoint a non-English coach. They believe that the FA could have looked at homegrown options instead despite accepting that the German remains the “best available coach” for the job.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Carragher said: "My feeling is that the whole point of international football, certainly with the major nations who compete for the tournaments, is that it's your best v their best. Club football is different and we love it, with different nationalities and different coaches in the Premier League or at the Champions League level. It's a real mix.

"The thing that makes international football different to the club game is it is people from your country. I know that's skewed a little bit with players who maybe aren't born in the country or it goes back to their grandparents. And I also understand certain nations who have a foreign coach who is going to have an influence on them that will drag the whole footballing structure up with them and pass on his experience and expertise to all coaches throughout the system and the country."

However, the former Liverpool defender believes that the FA should have continued to back English managers after Southgate's success.

"When I think of England, we are so close to winning a major tournament with so much good work that has gone into producing these players at St George's Park, it just doesn't feel right to me that we have a foreign coach," he said.

"It's not just about England - I don't think Italy should, I don't think Germany should, I don't think France should. Portugal have it at the moment with Roberto Martinez which I find strange. That's my take on it. I'm not bothered either way. I must be perfectly honest, I'm not the most patriotic of people. It's not just about 'the England manager has to be this'. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. England have got a brilliant manager but I think England should have an English manager."

Meanwhile, although Neville hailed the FA for signing a proven champion in Tuchel, he raised questions about the future of English coaches.

"They've got a great coach, there's no doubt," Neville said. "Thomas Tuchel has a proven track record; he's proven he can win big knockout matches. So, from that point of view, I don't think the FA can be criticised. They've probably got the best available coach in Europe or the world at this moment in time. So fitting that criteria absolutely, they are spot on."

However, he also shared his apprehensions and added: "I'm not sure it fits the criteria of St George's Park and the belief in English coaches, the actual growth in the English team's performance including the women's and youth teams, St George's Park was going to be a hotbed of proving English coaches could get to the top in Europe. It's difficult for English coaches to get the top jobs in the Premier League and that's rightly so, we've got some of the best clubs in the world. Now it's gone to an international manager and it's not really about Thomas Tuchel but there is an element of disappointment in my head thinking about the fact that the FA have gone to an international coach."

While Tuchel will not take over until January 2025, England still have important matches to navigate with interim manager Lee Carsley set to lead the Three Lions against Greece and Ireland in crucial Nations League games in November. This means Tuchel’s first match in charge will come during the March 2025 international break, where he will begin guiding England through their bid for World Cup glory in 2026.