New England Manager Thomas Tuchel May Use A Similar Formation To Gareth Southgate And Lee Carsley

With Thomas Tuchel officially confirmed as the next permanent England manager, we’ve taken a look at what formation and tactical shape he might set the team up in.

Former Chelsea boss Tuchel was announced yesterday as Gareth Southgate’s successor, with the German taking over from interim coach Lee Carsley in January.

Carsley has been in charge since Southgate’s resignation following the final of Euro 2024, which England lost 2-1 to Spain.

The caretaker manager will oversee England’s Nations League matches in November, before returning to his previous role as U21s manager.

Tuchel has signed an initial 18-month deal as Three Lions boss. He has previously managed Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich.

With an impressive record, he took a struggling Chelsea side and made them Champions League winners in 2021.

He came close to a second European final in three years last season. Tuchel’s Bayern Munich were beaten 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals by eventual winners Real Madrid.

Known as a pragmatic coach and clever tactician, Tuchel is a strong choice by the FA. There are few managers more suited to knockout football than the 51-year-old.

But many will wonder – how exactly will a Thomas Tuchel England side line up?

What Formation Will Thomas Tuchel Use With England?

While at Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel’s chosen formation often used a back three. However, he has actually preferred a back four throughout most of his time coaching.

At Bayern, Tuchel opted for a 4-2-3-1 shape, much like Southgate and Carsley have used with England recently.

It therefore makes sense that he would start with a shape the players are already familiar with.

Tuchel’s teams are far more aggressive in defence than England have been recently. A more pressing-oriented tactic could then be seen, even if the overall shape is broadly similar.

In attack, England will likely take more risks than they did under Southgate. While Bayern missed out on the Bundesliga last season, they scored 94 goals, including 36 from England captain Harry Kane.

Unsurprisingly, Kane will likely be used in the same fashion by his former club manager. With the pace of Saka, Gordon and others on the flanks, Kane can link up with pacey wide men while offering a clinical scoring threat through the middle.

Cole Palmer is probably best suited to slot into the number ten spot behind Kane. But with Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham able to play there, England haver plenty of options.

Bellingham is more likely to play deeper, however. In a role more similar to his Dortmund days, he could well play alongside Declan Rice in midfield, but be given license to get forward in possession.

England’s Defensive Options Might Give New Boss Tuchel A Headache

In defence, John Stones and Marc Guehi are the obvious central pairing. Where Tuchel may have more difficult decisions to make is at fullback.

Reece James was a huge player for Chelsea under Tuchel, and could find himself back in the mix for England if he can stay fit.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Levi Colwill look the most likely duo to start out on either side of England’s defence for now.

But, like James, there may be a chance for Luke Shaw to earn a recall in future if he too can put together a strong run of games.

Shaw is yet to feature for Manchester United this season, but was a key member of Gareth Southgate’s best England squads.

From a tactical perspective, Tuchel appears to blend the tournament prowess and nouse of Southgate with a more attack-focussed philosophy.

If the appointment comes off, England may finally end their nearly 60-year wait for a major trophy.