London, March 20 England manager Thomas Tuchel has emphasised the importance of playing with a winning mentality rather than a fear of failure as he prepares for his debut match in charge of the Three Lions.
England will kick off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Albania at Wembley on Friday, followed by a clash with Latvia on Monday.
Tuchel, who replaced Gareth Southgate in October, was critical of England’s approach at Euro 2024, where he felt the team played under pressure rather than with confidence.
"I've heard a lot that it's a heavy shirt. It is in fact not. But I know what the players mean," he said in a news conference on Thursday.
"Watching the Euros I felt tension and pressure on the shoulders of the players and they were playing not to lose. I want us to play with excitement and the hunger and desire to win...and the acceptance of failure is part of it, especially in football."
Southgate led England to back-to-back European Championship finals in 2020 and 2024, losing to Italy and Spain, respectively. He also guided the team to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the 2022 quarter-finals. However, his cautious tactics at Euro 2024 drew criticism, as England struggled in the group stage - narrowly beating Serbia before drawing with Denmark and Slovenia.
Despite advancing past Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands in the knockout rounds, Southgate was unable to fully unlock the potential of a star-studded squad.
Tuchel, 51, has an impressive club record, having won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, multiple Ligue 1 titles with PSG, and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. However, this is his first venture into international football, and he has been tasked with ending England’s long trophy drought by delivering World Cup glory in 2026.
"We want to implement the togetherness and the joy and for everyone to feel safe to express themselves and give their very best," said Tuchel.
"We want to play with a hunger and a joy to win and not with the fear to lose. Anything can happen in football - we know this - but the focus is on winning [and having] a higher number of touches in the opponent's box, higher amount of attacks, higher amount of high ball recoveries."
Tuchel’s front-footed, attacking philosophy may be welcomed by England fans frustrated by Southgate’s cautious style. His first squad selection suggests a short-term focus on winning the World Cup rather than long-term squad building.
Speaking to ITV Sport, Tuchel stated that England lacked a clear identity, rhythm, attacking patterns, player freedom, and winning hunger at Euro 2024.
"I think we need to turn this around. We have so many experienced players, so many players who have won with clubs and I think we have every right to be self-confident."
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