Henry Winter’s World Cup Diary, Day 33
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“What was your coach doing?” I had just gotten into an Uber at Newark airport when the driver piped up and mentioned I was here for football. Ray was Algerian, a Real Madrid fan, a big Premier League follower, knowledgeable about many of England’s players, and fascinated by Thomas Tuchel’s tactics and changes. “You have to be aggressive.” Ray meant bold and assertive, not physical confrontation. Rey also echoed the sentiments of countless onlookers who were bewildered and increasingly outraged that Tuchel chose fear over fight.
The situation at the moment is very sensitive and raw. The fans are furious. The players, who were not impressed with Tuchel’s tactics and missed out on a chance to reach the final, are understandably angry. The media has a different opinion. The FA will review, no doubt Tuchel will be assured of full steam ahead towards the Nations League and Euro 2028, but there is no-one at the FA to call him out. If Tuchel is likely to survive, it is partly because the FA board looks foolish for backing him with a new deal before the final. There is also a point where people are missing: who else?
Pep Guardiola has become a favorite, but he would really like a role where there is no guarantee of success, but a cast iron guarantee of sadness. The FA won’t even get half of his £20m salary at his old Manchester City. Guardiola says he would like a break anyway and return to Barcelona for more time.
Who else? Eddie Howe has been on target in the past. He could decide it is time to leave Newcastle United given the financial constraints and uncertainty over the owners’ commitment levels. Howe is a good manager, not an A-lister. He would be the obvious home-grown choice.
A former England international like Frank Lampard will definitely be linked to the role. But would he want to leave Coventry City straight away, especially as they’ve been promoted? Lampard enjoys the day-to-day duties involved in club management and spending time on the pitch with the players.
Lee Carsley, who had a tough time as a custodian (five good results, one car crash), has an excellent record winning back-to-back Euros with the Under-21s and knows many of the players. If the FA has looked at how Spain and Argentina have selected and developed their coaches, Luis de la Fuente and Lionel Scaloni respectively, it is not about fancy club jobs. Carsley follows their lead. But would Carsley, a private man, want the intense scrutiny that befits the role?
Mauricio Pochettino would have his supporters if he left the USMNT. But that’s mostly just a few names. The FA works on coaching identity and, once identified, develops talented managers so that there is a deeper pool of home-grown managerial talent in the future. But not for now, which puts Tuchel on firmer ground.
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There is a dangerous phenomenon at World Cups known as the FIFA Fifteen. Don’t worry, they’re not taking over rugby union. This raises a more serious concern, namely the amount of pounds that journalists can drag with their lives on the way to training grounds, airports, media centers, stadiums, stealing snacks here and there. I’m currently doing about 10% cheesecake. At least it fills the gap left by England.
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While waiting in line to connect from Atlanta to Pittsburgh and New York, the Amber Alert went off on my phone. Someone’s name, car license plate and number appeared on my screen. The phone vibrated and some people nearby rang out on their phones. At first I thought it was a problem with a passenger car parked at the airport, which looked pretty niche if it wasn’t on fire. “Missing child,” said a lady standing in line. If a child is abducted, this Amber Alert is sent to everyone in the country. My first, second and third reaction was that it was shocking to effectively think of this poor child and their parents in real time and what they were going through. It almost seems more personal when it comes directly to your phone. My fourth reaction was what a good system this is. Every second counts.
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One of the neat touches at American airports are the little libraries near some departure gates, along with ubiquitous Wi-Fi and plenty of cheesecake stands. “Take a book, leave a book, enjoy a book while you wait” read the words “Take a book, leave a book, enjoy a book while you wait” because I had a connection in Pittsburgh on my way from Atlanta to Newark. Out of the 18 flights I took during the World Cup, I had a maximum delay of 20 minutes. Not much reading time.
Check out the rest of Henry Winter’s World Cup Diary here