Will Tuchel's in-game management be the difference for England?

In conversation with Thomas Tuchel's long-time analyst Benjamin Weber, Adam Bate looks at the England head coach's reputation for in-game management and whether it could be the key factor at this World Cup in helping the team to take the last step to glory…

>England did not hire Thomas Tuchel to negotiate the group stage of a major tournament and safely take them through to the round of 16. His predecessor Gareth Southgate managed to do that four times out of four. It is what happens next that counts.

>Tuchel knows the remit. He addressed it in his first press conference. "We have a strong record in tournaments and now we aim to push it over the line and put a second star on our shirt. There are some trophies missing and I want to help make them happen."

>The German coach knew then and he knows now that this was never really about the soft skills or about the culture. "Gareth did a fantastic job in terms of sustainability and continuity." Tuchel's time in charge will be defined by what he does in the big moments.

>England were on the brink against DR Congo and some will struggle to see too many positives. But the improvements after the hydration breaks were among them. All eight of England's shots in the first half came after they had been able to regroup.

>The equaliser came soon after the second-half hydration break with Declan Rice proving the catalyst from right-back. It was a bold call that Tuchel credited his assistant Anthony Barry for instigating but it was a fine example of the coach changing the course of a game.

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>In-game management was long perceived as Southgate's weakness - and for understandable reasons. The momentum had long since shifted in the 2018 World Cup semi-final but he waited until Croatia had equalised before making his first change.

>Worryingly, the same pattern played out in the Euro 2020 final against Italy. The early goal followed by the sight of England being reeled in, conceding an equaliser midway through the second half as Southgate played the waiting game only to end up losing.

>The World Cup quarter-final in Qatar? No substitutions made until Olivier Giroud put France in front in the 78th minute. Cole Palmer did impact the Euro 2024 final off the bench by levelling it briefly but it was a Spain substitute who scored the winning goal.

>The logic is that Tuchel will seize those chances to influence things when the time comes rather than let them slip by. But he has to prove it. Amid the concerns about the defence, the selection and the style, there have been encouraging signs in that regard.

>Rice's comments after the opening 4-2 win over Croatia provided us with a clue. "He was top at half-time, the words that he used settled everyone. I cannot say too much. It was one of those moments where you are like, 'Wow, what a top manager'."

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>That resonates with Benjamin Weber. He is better placed than most to know Tuchel's mind having been part of his coaching staff at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, where they won the Champions League, before forging his own career path.

>Speaking to Weber, he jokes that we would need to "go for some beers together" to have the time to list all Tuchel's qualities, but asked to pick just one he selects this ability to find a way in one-off games, in cup competitions, in tournaments, as his former boss' super power.

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>"In tournaments, he is one of the best," Weber tells Sky Sports. "It doesn't matter what the tournament was, we would always be in the final. With Dortmund, with Paris, with Chelsea, it was always cup finals. You don't find many coaches who do it every season."

>How does he do it? Weber talks of Tuchel's "winning mentality" and "an aura" that exists "not just because he is a tall guy" but because he is "a real leader". And yet, it is his knack of changing games that makes him special. "The biggest thing is to adapt," he explains.

>"He is very good within the game. He is always coaching during the game to make the adaptations, to bring the best out of players tactically. I was impressed because of his half-time speeches. He is able to motivate the guys with his words. You want to follow."

>Tuchel himself stresses that it is often about calmness and clarity, empowering players rather than bombarding them with information. Maybe a reminder of where the spaces are. A simple tactical message or two. And then being decisive in his changes.

>There are only two UEFA Champions League-winning coaches at this World Cup and the other is Carlo Ancelotti. England could face his Brazil team in the quarter-finals and the veteran Italian has already shown his own game-changing impact from the bench.

>Ancelotti made the call to withdraw Matheus Cunha in favour of Gabriel Martinelli midway through the second half of Brazil's knockout clash against Japan. In stoppage time, the Arsenal forward scored the winning goal to send his side into the next round.

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>Martinelli was deployed not on the wing but in the inside left channel, arguably out of position. It was from there that he scored. Casemiro had already bagged Brazil's equaliser when many were calling for him to be hooked. Ancelotti's instincts paid off.

>Smelling a game is not an exact science and it comes through experience as well as intuition. But it will be imperative in winning this World Cup. The first two knockout games were decided in stoppage time. The next two on penalties. The margins are fine.

>Southgate's England came out on the wrong side of those margins too often when it mattered most. Will that change under his successor? Can Tuchel make the calls under pressure in real time that will make the difference? It is the reason why he is in the job.

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