Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville has expressed his disappointment and frustration over the Football Association’s (FA) decision to appoint Thomas Tuchel as the new England national team coach.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Neville emphasized that the FA’s choice overlooks talented English candidates and perpetuates the country’s struggles in developing its own coaching identity.
“I think we are damaging ourselves,” Neville said. “I do think there are outstanding English candidates who could have been appointed.”
Neville highlighted England’s coaching woes, citing the country’s reputation as one of the worst in Europe. “We don’t have a clear identity and haven’t built a style unique to us,” he noted.
The football pundit stressed the need for England to develop its own coaching philosophy, rather than constantly adopting styles from foreign coaches. “We’ve seen coaches from Europe come to the Premier League, implement their styles, and we’ve copied them,” Neville explained. “But we need to build an identity and let English coaches flourish.”
Neville also expressed surprise at the FA’s decision, believing that England had moved past the era of relying on foreign coaches. “I thought we’d left that period behind,” he said.
Tuchel’s appointment has sparked debate among English football fans and experts, with some questioning the FA’s commitment to nurturing homegrown talent.
