Alan Shearer: FA keen to get Thomas Tuchel before Man United job becomes vacant

Alan Shearer believes the Football Association acted quickly to bring in Thomas Tuchel because of the possibility he could become Manchester United manager.

The German former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss was confirmed as the new England manager on Wednesday, becoming the third non-Englishman to hold the post after Fabio Capello and Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Tuchel had been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season and had been heavily linked with United should they dispense with the services of Erik ten Hag.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola had also been a name in the frame to succeed Gareth Southgate, and former England striker Shearer told The Rest is Football podcast: “If they sounded out Pep, fine, he’s the best manager in the world.

“You then have to look at what’s available to you. They’ve looked at Thomas Tuchel and have thought there is a chance he could get the Manchester United job pretty soon.

“So opportunity lies now. If they didn’t act quick now they weren’t going to get one of the outstanding candidates for the job.”

Tuchel’s nationality will not sit well with some fans, but Shearer does not have a problem with it, saying: “If he’s the outstanding candidate, yeah.

“There’s no doubt he’s got an incredible CV, what he’s won and managing at the highest level, working with superstars. But this is going to be a very, very different test for him. It’s a bold move from the FA, there’s no doubt about it.

“We need a trophy, it’s as simple as that. And we need a manager that can deliver that.”

English candidates for the job such as interim head coach Lee Carsley and former Chelsea boss Graham Potter have been overlooked.

Shearer added: “It would be a bit of a concern (in terms of) what’s the pathway for English coaches?

“I hope they have spoken to English managers. I am reliably told they didn’t speak to Eddie Howe, which is a surprise to me as he’s the outstanding English candidate. I’m happy in a way because Newcastle are not going to lose their manager.”

Gary Lineker echoed the views of his fellow former England forward, saying: “I don’t think it is imperative (to have an English manager). I’m not going to lose sleep over it. But my personal preference would be that England has an English coach.

“For some reason English football hasn’t produced a plethora of brilliant coaches. Why that is, I don’t know. I think that will happen.

“We are starting to see really good coaches coming through. But I think the reason that we have not produced great coaches is the fact that we were stuck in the past in terms of long-ball football. We were behind everybody else.”

Lineker would have supported Carsley becoming the permanent successor to Southgate.

“I’ve seen enough to suggest to me that the players really trust him, that he’s imaginative enough to produce something that is a joy to watch, that is entertaining, that is front-footed football,” said Lineker.

“I really liked him but I could tell that he knew he wasn’t getting the job.”

Tuchel has won trophies in Germany, England and France and is renowned as a strong tactician but also a fiery character.

Lineker said: “I respect Thomas Tuchel as coach. I think he’s really clever. I spoke to (German journalist) Raphael Honigstein  and he said to me, ’60 per cent genius, 40 per cent lunatic’, or words to that effect.

“No one will care one iota (about his nationality) if England somehow manage to win the World Cup. He’s taken another team’s national squad and he will have done this because he would have looked at this squad and gone, ‘My goodness there’s so much talent in there’.

“This is an unbelievable opportunity of winning the greatest trophy of all and boy would I love him to do it.”

Another former England striker, Michael Owen, met Tuchel’s appointment with enthusiasm, writing on social media site X: “Top quality appointment made with the new @England manager.

“A proven winner with a great understanding of the English game. My only disappointment is that he’s not English.”

Ex-England defender Gary Neville agrees Tuchel is a strong choice but fears it sends out a bad message to English coaches.

Neville told Sky Sports News: “It’s not really about Thomas Tuchel, but there is an element of disappointment in my head that the FA have gone to an international coach.

“I think he is a great coach. He has taken a job with a group of talented players and I think everyone will wish him all the best and hope he can get over the line and win a trophy.

“But I think there are some serious questions for the FA to answer in respect of English coaches. I do think we are damaging ourselves.

“Accepting that Thomas Tuchel is better than any of the other English candidates, but with the likes of Graham Potter and Eddie Howe, I do think there are outstanding candidates that could have been appointed that are English.”