Thomas Tuchel, England manager, announced a new squad and held a press conference to answer media questions. During the conference, he discussed the returns of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer to the England squad, answered questions about his feelings after the World Cup, competition within the squad, and the Nations League campaign. This is part three of the press conference.

You just mentioned Cole Palmer's excellent form and statistics, which was one reason he was selected. There's another player not included in the squad, Morgan Gibbs-White, who also has impressive statistics this year. How close was he to being selected this time?

Thomas Tuchel: Very close, but it's the same situation as always. There's no point calling three, four, or even five number 10s. It doesn't help anyone. We clearly see Morgan's current form. He performed excellently at the end of last season and was a key player who helped Nottingham Forest avoid relegation. We also see that he continues to develop his performances now.

However, being selected for the national team is one thing—you get your "ticket" back to England, as Cole has. But performing for England is another thing entirely, and that's equally important.

So particularly for Cole, he needs to raise his level now that he's here. He needs to demonstrate that quality and level of play to compete for his position, keep his place, and justify this call-up.

Hello, Rob Harris from Sky Sports. I'm sure you've met some fans since the summer. Have they been celebrating the World Cup third-place finish with you, or telling you they'd do things differently? Also, what happened when you met with FA executives? Did you discuss whether some changes need to be made going forward?

Thomas Tuchel: Of course, they've criticized my substitutions—I'm joking. We've had several review meetings, and I think that's good. It happens less often in club football because you normally don't have time for many review meetings, but it's part of moving forward and part of learning.

Sometimes the process can be painful, sometimes it's emotional, but sometimes it's beautiful, because people share their thoughts and discuss certain situations and moments. Sometimes those might not be your top priorities, but for them, they mean a great deal.

So it's actually quite beautiful. I can tell you frankly that throughout the World Cup, throughout the tournament, I received full support from every executive. There was a particularly special moment before the Mexico game.

We had a conversation, and my executives told me: "We know anything can happen in a football match, and we know anything can happen in a World Cup match with Mexico, but don't worry. We see everything that's happening here, and we want to continue in this direction."

For a coach, that's a beautiful moment. I felt free to make decisions with my judgment, and the coach had complete freedom. I never doubted we'd continue working together, and clearly they never doubted it either. Of course, we've also had some important review meetings, and that content will remain confidential.

I'm my own harshest critic. Sometimes you need to reflect on yourself to improve, and experience is a crucial part of being a coach. So that's how it is. Any other questions?

There's also the aspect of fans you've encountered.

Thomas Tuchel: The fans—let me tell you, 99.9% of fans don't talk to me about substitutions, tactical adjustments, or other tactical matters.

They tell me where they watched the Mexico game. They talk about the performance and energy the team showed in the second half against Croatia. They also tell me how worried they were when they watched us play Congo. And they celebrate where we celebrated.

That's 99.9% of the feedback I get. I think that's what we've built, and that's what it should be. The World Cup is about the team connecting with people and providing an experience they'll never forget. That's the feedback I've received.

It makes me proud and happy, because even in a taxi, a café, or a supermarket, you share these small moments with others. Then you understand how much it truly means to them.

You also understand that what the players build within the team truly reflects outward. That's what we need to keep building.

You have four games coming up. This might be the longest break for the national team outside of major tournaments. Generally, head coaches don't have much involvement in these kinds of decisions. There's been significant discussion this summer about how football is managed, particularly at FIFA level. The FA has questioned FIFA about World Cup commercial rights, the red card incident involving Balogan, and fairness on the pitch. Do you support the FA's position that FIFA leadership needs to change, and should head coaches be more involved in these matters?

Thomas Tuchel: I just told you what support I received from my executives, so I think the least I should do is support them in return. On this matter, they have my full support.

I support their position. At the same time, I'm glad to be talking about football, because the only thing I really know is football, not sports politics.

Trent, Cole Palmer, and Alex Scott are all creative players with strong intent in their passing. Scott's assist last night demonstrates that. Is this what you hope to bring to the team in this new cycle? And do you think England lacked this in the World Cup?

Yes, we want to bring their quality to the team. We want to see their form again, and we want to give them the chance to prove themselves.

Specifically about Scott, if I'm to speak about him more specifically—Alex is a very good player, a good person, and very humble. I think he's currently one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, so he deserves to be with us, and of course that's because of these qualities he possesses.

Trent's quality is beyond question.

As for Cole Palmer's quality, we don't need to discuss that either. But they need to demonstrate these qualities.

There's one point I don't want to get into: if a player wasn't selected for the World Cup squad at that time, you can't look back later and say that because of what happened afterwards, he's a "winner" of the World Cup. For me, that logic doesn't make sense.

If we now say that a player who wasn't selected for the World Cup squad at that time is a "winner" of those 30 minutes against Argentina—no, that's not how it works. Absolutely not.

Players need to take it step by step. The first step is being called up. The second step is competing for this shirt and performing at the highest level. Then we move forward from there.

Related:

Thomas Tuchel: England's door is always open; we're very close to Spain in terms of strength

Thomas Tuchel: It's entirely my responsibility that Minho didn't play in the World Cup; I'll give him chances in the Nations League

แปลโดย AI

เว็บไซต์ AF เปิดตัวแล้ว! ดูข่าว ความคิดเห็น รายละเอียดแมตช์ และสถิติครบถ้วนบนคอมพิวเตอร์ของคุณ เยี่ยมชม: www.allfootballapp.com