Scholes questions Tuchel’s commitment to England job
Paul Scholes has questioned Thomas Tuchel’s commitment to the England job, claiming the Three Lions boss has spoken in a way that makes it seem as though he wants to be sacked, reports BritPanorama.
Tuchel came under intense scrutiny after England’s World Cup campaign ended in semi-final defeat to Argentina, with criticism directed at both his in-game management and his comments in the aftermath of the loss.
The German coach faced questions over his substitutions before raising eyebrows by suggesting England’s cautious display was not part of his tactical plan and by criticising what he described as the country’s footballing “DNA”.
Although England reached the semi-finals, their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966, Tuchel’s post-match remarks have fuelled debate over whether he is the right man to lead the national team into Euro 2028.
The former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich manager remains under contract with the Football Association and has publicly stated he intends to remain in charge through to the European Championship. Scholes, however, believes Tuchel’s recent comments paint a different picture.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, the former Manchester United midfielder said: “I think his comments since the game have actually made it worse than the performances. Saying it’s not in the English DNA. You’re part of that DNA now, Thomas.”
Scholes also criticised Tuchel for publicly questioning his players rather than keeping criticism behind closed doors. “He’s gone on the offensive and blamed players a lot,” he said. “That is something our manager would never do. He’d blame us behind closed doors on the training ground and meetings but in public never.”
The 50-year-old went on to suggest Tuchel’s history at previous clubs raises further questions about his future with England. He continued: “I think Thomas Tuchel has a bit of a history with this at football clubs; he blames players and falls out with sporting directors. You just wonder with the way he’s been speaking, ‘do I want to get sacked’.”
Scholes expanded on that view by pointing to Tuchel’s relatively short spells at several of Europe’s biggest clubs. “It seems to indicate that [Thomas Tuchel] does want to leave [the England role] from the stuff he was saying because it was quite hard to come back from that,” he stated.
Former England midfielder Nicky Butt also questioned Tuchel’s handling of the media, suggesting the Football Association should be offering greater guidance. “He’s obviously an honest coach, and he says what he thinks, but do you think the PR who works with him, obviously they have a big PR at the FA, do you not think they should be coaching him on what to say?” Butt said. “‘If you’re going to stay on in this job, Thomas, you need to say this.'”
Scholes replied: “I don’t think he cares. He’s had big jobs, he’s not bothered.” Butt responded: “I get that but they should lead him in the right direction. If he wants to stay on he needs to play the game.”
In a sport where timing and reputation hold significant weight, the question remains — can Tuchel recalibrate his approach, or will this moment define his tenure with the Three Lions?
