Thomas Tuchel says England will use Gareth Southgate’s strategy for their World Cup game against DR Congo.
It’s crunch time in the tournament, where one small mistake or a poor shot could end England’s World Cup dream. The knockout rounds are now in full swing, with Thomas Tuchel’s England facing DR Congo after an easy run through the group stage.
From now on, every team must be at their best, because if they can’t finish their chances, a nerve-wracking penalty shootout could decide their fate. Penalties have already knocked out two big European teams, including Germany, who struggled when some star players avoided taking a spot kick. That left Jonathan Tah, who took his very first penalty but missed badly, sending Germany home.
England’s history with penalties has been mixed. Before Gareth Southgate took charge, the Three Lions won only one out of seven shootouts in big tournaments. Southgate himself missed a key penalty in Euro 1996 against Germany. But since becoming manager, he’s changed that, winning three out of four shootouts by using smart tactics rather than just relying on skill and nerve.
Now, Thomas Tuchel is following Southgate’s lead. In a pre-match press conference, Tuchel praised Southgate’s work, saying he set up an FA-wide system that prepares the national teams, and Tuchel won’t be changing it.
“The FA has a programme that’s been running for years, and we stick to it,” Tuchel said. “We’re prepared. The players have a process.”
Southgate’s plan involves careful training to build muscle memory, so players react automatically instead of overthinking under pressure. He also uses a ‘buddy’ system, where a teammate supports the penalty taker to ease the stress.
Tuchel said he has a general idea of who will take penalties, but the order might change based on who’s playing and who he feels is ready for the pressure.
“It’s tough to train for the feeling of a shootout,” he said. “Thierry Henry once said he can’t even remember walking to the spot in his first shootout for France. That’s not something you can practise.”
Tuchel knows the pain of penalty heartbreak himself. He remembers not preparing much for penalties at Bayern Munich, only to lose the DFB Pokal Final in 2016 in a shootout against Dortmund.
“That was a really painful experience and left a big scar on me,” he said. “I felt like I let myself down. It was the first time, and it won’t happen again.”
In England, the manager takes full responsibility for how penalties are handled, unlike some countries. For example, after the Netherlands were knocked out, star player Zlatan Ibrahimovic publicly criticised manager Ronald Koeman’s penalty approach.