Rio Ferdinand has hit back at criticism over the decision to appoint Thomas Tuchel as England manager and predicts the German will win a trophy with the Three Lions.
The Football Association has now reached an agreement for Tuchel to become Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor, with the 51-year-old signing an 18-month deal worth around £5 million a year.
The FA, who had also held informal talks with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, has come under fire from some supporters for overlooking English candidates such as Graham Potter and Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe.
But Ferdinand insists fans should not care about the nationality of the England manager and believes Tuchel, who has won league titles with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, was the best candidate available.
‘I heard there were rumours that they were talking about Pep and wanting to get Pep in but obviously his situation with Man City he’s there, has a contract, makes it difficult,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel on Tuesday evening.
‘Thomas Tuchel becomes the third non-British permanent manager of the England team after Sven-Goran Eriksson, god rest his soul, and Fabio Capello – both managers I played for.
‘I think that’s a contentious issues for quite a lot of fans, not all, but a lot of fans, I don’t know how much percentage wise.
‘I’ve seen murmurings, I’ve seen articles that are written by people, ‘the FA should be patriotic, we should have an English manager, there are so many good English managers, young ones that are waiting’, Graham Potter, I keep seeing his name put in there.
‘You want the best to do it. I don’t care, I’m one of those guys, if we win a World Cup or a Euros, all those guys who are writing those articles, I’m going to save them, because they’re the guys who will be screaming, waving their legs about, losing their voice, drinking 12 pints after it and celebrating, and they will not be talking about, ‘oh no, we’ve got a German who’s managing us’.
‘That will not be the conversation because if he [Tuchel] wins it, it’s immortal.
‘This is an opportunity for these guys to become immortal, and this is why I think Thomas Tuchel is licking his lips, this is the chance to put himself above anybody in this country right now, up there along with Sir Alf Ramsey.
‘Great names tried, big names, big personalities and characters tried, quality coaches tried, couldn’t deliver. That is the opportunity that is in front of him and I think that’s a wonderful place to be.
‘The biggest thing is that I think anybody taking over the reins of this squad is sitting there going, ‘a whisker away from winning two finals and I’m coming in to save the day’. What an opportunity.
‘This isn’t like he’s coming into a squad that are on their knees, who are old and past it, he’s coming into a young, vibrant, confident, aggressive squad that are just sitting there going, ‘somebody take our hand and lead us, lead us over the line, somebody lead us to the promised land in an England shirt, we’re getting to the door, we’re knocking but can’t get through’.
‘I think Thomas Tuchel his credentials as a manager, put everything to one side, he’s won the Champions League, the biggest club competition on the planet, he came in there [at Chelsea], took over a squad that was a bit fragmented, lacking confidence, got them together and created an environment, a culture that put them on the track to win the Champions League, beating Pep Guardiola’s Man City in the final
‘So when you’ve got that on your CV, that says, ‘he knows how to navigate tournament football’, yes, it’s different at international level, I know that, but he’s done it at club football and that’s where you’re getting judged.’
Ferdinand went on to add: ‘I think we’ve got as good a chance that you could ever imagine to win a tournament now.
‘I’m going to go as far as to say Thomas Tuchel will win England a tournament in his time as England manager, I’ll put it out there now.
‘I don’t think there’s too much to add to the ingredients, we’re getting to finals, how much more is there to add to the melting pot?
‘Gareth Southgate, the only thing he might have been lacking is the ability to understand and know-how to win. Maybe you can talk about a playing style being a little more loose and not being as conservative, that might be what held us back. I don’t think I’m going to be saying that about Thomas Tuchel.’
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