Thomas Tuchel has a carefree attitude and has taken some distance from his England job, which could be crucial for the German as he looks to surpass Gareth Southgate.
Thomas Tuchel throws out the first pitch before the Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Image: Eddie Keogh/The FA via Getty Images)
Maybe he didn’t want to risk seeing one of his players pull a muscle on the mound, or maybe he just dreamed of doing it himself.
Either way, Thomas Tuchel couldn’t help but smile as he threw out the ceremonial pitch ahead of Thursday’s game between the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals. Tuchel, who had his name and number 26 embroidered on the back of his Royals shirt, delivered a strike, albeit at a very slow pace.
High five everyone.
Harry Kane looked on and laughed, like a proud but slightly embarrassed son. From a distance, Tuchel appears to be having the time of his life. That’s why England’s optimism after the win against Croatia is completely justified.
It may be doing him a disservice, but it’s hard to imagine Gareth Southgate putting on a showy performance in a bespoke baseball shirt if he were still in charge of this England team. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. And any comparison between Tuchel and Southgate must be premised on the fact that the latter has done a very good job across four tournaments.
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It was a great stint, interspersed with two runner-up finishes at the Euros and semi-final and quarter-final defeats at the World Cup. And during that time, he had many moments of relaxation. But there is no doubt that the job weighed heavily on Mr Southgate.
Firstly, Southgate often had remits beyond football, was frequently consulted on social and political issues, and regularly spoke out to promote inclusivity and diversity.
Tuchel was once asked about his abuse of Keir Starmer, but that’s about it. (Incidentally, he said he hadn’t heard.) It’s as if Tuchel isn’t asked about British social issues because he’s not British.
Whatever the reason, when it comes to Tuchel’s resume, it’s definitely about football. That makes him happy. And he clearly loves it. He loved his prep camp in Florida, he loved throwing baseballs and he loved the big event in Dallas last Wednesday.
Thomas Tuchel has a good relationship with his players (Image: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
That’s why when he tried to watch the pre-game ceremony, he was furious because his view was blocked by a crowd of photographers.
The 4-2 win over Croatia was good for the atmosphere, but so far this looks like something of a bucket list trip for Tuchel, rather than a daunting trip carrying the burden of national expectations.
Mr Tuchel does not sing the national anthem because, however Anglicized he may be, it is not his national anthem.
The job is deeply personal for Tuchel. Imagine playing for England and having World Cup glory on your CV. There was definitely ego there, which is why there was anger over the team’s first-half performance against Croatia. He was angry because the performance was ruining his fun.
Thomas Tuchel was irritated by the intrusion of photographers during the national anthem (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Tuchel didn’t say it, but perhaps he can’t believe his good fortune. In most cases, it’s a part-time job that pays $1 million a week. Outside of this tournament, competitive games have been competed in name only. Usually, the opponent is inferior. What’s not to like?
But judging by his demeanor and words over the past two weeks, Tuchel is enjoying the job more than he expected. He looks and speaks like a manager in a win-win situation.
Reflecting on the team’s halftime talk in Dallas, Coach Tuchel said, “Even if we lose, it won’t change our perception of the past 17 days, but let’s do it our way.”
There was also talk of Tuchel being fearless. But that’s because he clearly thinks he has nothing to fear. he has a ball While Southgate often appeared to care about the country, Tuchel, who throws baseballs, seemed to have no care for the world.
And maybe, just maybe, that will make all the difference.
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