Thomas Tuchel was Wednesday confirmed as the new manager of the England men's team, in a major coup for the Three Lions as they seek to move on from the Gareth Southgate era.
Ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Tuchel will begin work at the end of this year, replacing interim boss Lee Carsley - who will see out the end of the ongoing Nations League campaign.
Tuchel brings trophy-winning pedigree to the job, having claimed the Champions League with Chelsea, two Ligue 1 titles with PSG, and a Bundesliga with Bayern. For England fans, it should be a hugely exciting appointment (likely to the despair of many Irish fans).
However, the reaction from the English press has been depressingly predictable.
An England manager coming from anywhere other than England has become relatively common in the 21st century, with Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson, Italian Fabio Capello, and now Irishman Lee Carsley serving in the role since the turn of the millennium.
Some of the English tabloid press, however, have raised issue with the appointment of Tuchel as manager - with one particular publication making it excruciatingly clear that their opposition to the appointment is rooted in old-fashioned Anglo-Germanic resentment.
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English press had depressing reaction to Thomas Tuchel appointment
Thomas Tuchel was officially announced as England's new manager on Wednesday morning, but the news had been widely reported on Tuesday evening across social media.
As the English press scrambled to react to the news, the Daily Mail's back page headline came to light and, with it, it's hugely questionable sentiment.
This Daily Mail back page is an absolute disgrace. I know people will say to ignore it and not afford it oxygen but it’s simply embarrassing.
Putting the word “GERMAN” in capital letters; it’s 2024, this sort of utterly backwards bollocks should be well behind us. pic.twitter.com/4mhJ5EOkuB— HLTCO (@HLTCO) October 16, 2024
The Daily Mail's splash page headline read, 'A DARK DAY FOR ENGLAND,' before accentuating Tuchel's nationality in the subheading.
We've seen countless examples of the English tabloids' toxicity down through the years but this is a depressing reminder of their true colours. However, inside the paper was an even more spectacular reaction.
Columnist Jeff Powell's remarkable takedown of Tuchel included many German stereotypes, call-outs of previous managers (including a particularly tasteless section on the late Sven-Goran Eriksson), and decrying of "merchants of woke" who will welcome Tuchel into the job.
Central to the argument of Powell is the argument that "the manager of England should be...English" - a sentiment repeated across many platforms in the English media on Wednesday morning.
Depressingly, it was repeated in one of England's biggest broadsheets by Sam Wallace of the Telegraph.
Wallace argues that "nationality is literally the point of international football," vehemently stressing that none of England's rivals at the top table of European football would consider hiring an English coach.
That is undeniably true, though the reason is likely that no English coach has won a major honour in over 15 years, and not won a European Cup in 43. Tuchel won the Bundesliga in 2023 and the Champions League in 2021. Like it or not, he is a better option than any of the English coaches on offer, even if reasonable questions can be asked of his temperament.
And, as Wallace himself acknowledges in the piece, England's most recent major trophy success came in the Women's Euros in 2022 - when they were coached by Dutchwoman Sarina Wiegman.
What makes Wallace's comments all the more surreal is that just three days ago he published a piece calling for Spaniard Pep Guardiola to be approached by the FA for the England job.
Three days apart. https://t.co/p9mkcajUOT pic.twitter.com/aXQEffxln0
— Andrew Raeburn (@andrew_raeburn) October 15, 2024
Across social media, memes and reaction from a subsection of English fans has leant into the subtle resentment of Thomas Tuchel's nationality.
Another issue raised by the greatest of voices of wisdom in English football - Danny Mills - was that Tuchel's traditional attire is not the 'good and proper' look we've become accustomed to from the likes of Gareth Southgate.
Often we see him in a hoodie and a cap on the sideline...that's not really something we're used to. It's always a suit and looking very, very smart.
Trust Danny Mills to nail why Thomas Tuchel is a bad appointment as England manager. That’s right, it’s because he wears a hoodie and a cap. pic.twitter.com/XMgpKNZNls
— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) October 16, 2024
Another great pillar of English football Dean Ashton also spoke to Sky Sports News on Tuesday evening to react to the rumours Tuchel's appointment was imminent.
🗣️ "I'm a little bit underwhelmed"
Dean Ashton says he's NOT excited by the appointment of Thomas Tuchel ❌🏴 pic.twitter.com/6N5px9ObdC— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 15, 2024
Despite having seen the quality of football Gareth Southgate has offered up for the last eight years as England boss, Ashton immediately lambasted Tuchel's style of football, saying he was "underwhelmed" by the decision.
Most hilariously of all, Ashton suggested that Frank Lampard should receive some of the credit for Chelsea's 2021 Champions League win, having gotten the team out of the group stages - an utterly hilarious argument to anyone who watched Chelsea play that season.
We're going to hazard a guess that things are not exactly going to be plain sailing for Thomas Tuchel in the England job.
