Thomas Tuchel remembers his appointment as the clear choice for the accolade. After leading Chelsea to Champions League glory in the 2020-21 season, it was only natural for the German outlet Sport Bild to name him their coach of the season. “Yeah, there was no way out,” the England head coach remarks with a smile. “Because if Jürgen Klopp won at the same time the Charity Shield they give it to him …”
This delivery exemplifies Tuchel’s style: deadpan yet mischievous, making it amusing to think about Klopp’s reaction upon reading it. However, what transpired next was less lighthearted for Tuchel. As a condition of the acknowledgment, he participated in an interview with Sport Bild where he humorously suggested he would have “I always need to apologise,” bringing Erling Haaland to Chelsea to team up with Romelu Lukaku.
At that time, Haaland was playing for Borussia Dortmund, who did not take kindly to Tuchel’s comments, prompting him to issue an apology. “They don’t get my humour.” Tuchel confesses. “Y’all can kiss my Dallas,”
Tuchel’s difficulties with Haaland extend beyond his attempts at humor. During the 2019-20 season, while at Paris Saint-Germain, he witnessed Haaland score both goals for Dortmund in a 2-1 defeat during the Champions League last-16 first leg. Although PSG managed to turn the tie around, winning 3-2 on aggregate, Tuchel faced an even tougher challenge in the 2022-23 season at Bayern Munich, where Haaland, now with Manchester City, scored in both legs of their quarter-final match, resulting in a 4-1 aggregate loss for Bayern.
With this background, Tuchel is acutely aware of Haaland’s capabilities and is ready for the impending challenge. There is no doubt that Haaland represents the most significant threat to England’s aspirations in the World Cup quarter-final against Norway in Miami on Saturday.
Haaland has delivered an impressive performance in the World Cup so far, netting seven goals in four matches, including two crucial strikes that led Norway to a historic 2-1 victory over Brazil in the last 16, marking their best showing at a World Cup. Off the pitch, he has also enjoyed some leisure time, notably during a shopping trip in Dallas where he purchased a cowboy hat, boots, and a playful T-shirt that reads, “There are some clear favourites out there and England are one of them,” His social media activity showcases a relaxed demeanor as Norway heads into the match against England with a sense of confidence, believing they have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Haaland is eager to highlight this viewpoint, sharing his thoughts on the match environment. “So I think all of you [in the media] should put every single pressure on the English lads.” he noted. “But internally they know very well how good they are. They proved it. They eliminated a big, big, big nation [in Brazil] on a big stage. And from there on, there is no such thing any more as favourites. “I understand that it’s a bit of a lighter situation [for Norway] and they can ride this wave. But we’re not thinking in this matter and I don’t feel our players are playing with fear. I don’t feel the weight of the shirt. And now we go. No matter who is on the other side, no matter if we are favourites or not or if the pressure is on.”
Tuchel, however, intends to counter this narrative. “When we stepped out of the plane in Miami, we expected it to feel painful,” he explains. “Maybe we are still lucky and we get another dark cloud over the stadium and full rain. But the science says that we banked a lot of heat training. We haven’t lost that.”
He continues, “We need to spend more time in the opponent’s half. We struggle too much to overcome a high press of the opponent. We need to be better in the deep buildup, in the high press. More connected. “Our identity is not so obvious from a football point of view in this tournament. We struggle. It’s not a matter of commitment. It’s a matter of … we’re a bit stuck in thinking. We are thinking about the pass and then it is already half a second too late. The gap is not there any more. We are a bit overprotecting, overthinking and we need to get rid of that.”
Upon their arrival in Miami, England felt the weight of expectations. This match will serve as a genuine test of their ability to cope with the sweltering conditions, with temperatures anticipated to reach 34C at kickoff. Previously, England has competed in air-conditioned venues in Dallas and Atlanta, as well as in the rainy climates of Boston, New Jersey, and Mexico City.
Tuchel expresses confidence that the warm-weather training he has integrated, particularly during their pre-tournament camp in Florida, will benefit the players. Kansas City, where England has been based, has also experienced high temperatures. “You can’t avoid focusing [on him], for sure not,” Tuchel recalls. “There is so much quality in his moments and you have to make decisions. He will always arrive on the second post so the question is when to make contact with him. “Some defenders like to stay zonal and get the earlier jump. Some like to step back and start fighting with him on the ground, physically – but then he pushes you aside and gets a free header. If you stay zonal he jumps over you. He has all the weapons.”
The heat, both literal and metaphorical, is tangible. Tuchel and his players remain aware that they cannot take their progression for granted. Nevertheless, supporters anticipate a victory, relying on world rankings and the perceived quality of the teams involved. This expectation is a burden that England must navigate.
Tuchel’s message is unequivocal: the time has come to remove the handbrake. He urges the team to break free from the struggles they have encountered in the tournament thus far and to replicate the fluidity they displayed in their decisive 5-0 victory over Serbia during qualification.
Tuchel has deeply contemplated team identity. He aspires for England to embody some of the finest elements of the Premier League, recognizing that they have often fallen short of those standards. However, he seems to have realized that replicating the frameworks common in club football is unattainable within the limited time available with the players. The lingering question is: do results matter if England can seize the moment?
“We need to play better,” Tuchel insists. “We need to spend more time in the opponent’s half. We struggle too much to overcome a high press of the opponent. We need to be better in the deep buildup, in the high press. More connected.”
“Our identity is not so obvious from a football point of view in this tournament. We struggle. It’s not a matter of commitment. It’s a matter of … we’re a bit stuck in thinking. We are thinking about the pass and then it is already half a second too late. The gap is not there any more. We are a bit overprotecting, overthinking and we need to get rid of that.”
Tuchel is open to achieving a win in any way possible, but one certainty prevails: halting Haaland is essential. “You can’t avoid focusing [on him], for sure not,” Tuchel acknowledges. “There is so much quality in his moments and you have to make decisions. He will always arrive on the second post so the question is when to make contact with him.”
“Some defenders like to stay zonal and get the earlier jump. Some like to step back and start fighting with him on the ground, physically – but then he pushes you aside and gets a free header. If you stay zonal he jumps over you. He has all the weapons.”
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