Thomas Tuchel explains why he chose England over Man Utd with Ratcliffe now considering three options

New England manager Thomas Tuchel has lifted the lid on links to the Manchester United job after explaining why he took up the role with the Three Lions, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’s true feelings on the snub have been revealed by a journalist.

The 51-year-old was on Wednesday morning confirmed as the new England coach in succession to Gareth Southgate and on an initial contract through to the end of the 2026 World Cup. The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss outlined his huge pride and honour in taking on the role in his first interview, while also making clear his aims and ambitions.

Tuchel’s decision has come as a surprise given he was also strongly linked with the Manchester United job and with sources informing us he had been identified as the No.1 target to take over amid growing doubts over Erik ten Tag’s future.

But coming clean on his decision, Tuchel insists he was very quickly persuaded by FA officials to take on the England job.

“The idea and the way John [McDermott] and Mark [Bullingham] presented it was very fast and confidential.

“It was very straightforward, it was a decision for this job and not against anything else,” Tuchel told the media when asked about Manchester United.

“They made it clear it’s about football and that got me excited,” he continued. “I wasn’t sure this was the job for me because the schedule is very different. I always wanted to come back to England, that was my big goal.

“The offer came at the right time and we found a vision to share. Now I have to live up to it. I know there are some trophies and I want to help that happen.”

That decision forces United back to the drawing board with regards to a potential successor for Ten Hag and we understand both Eddie Howe and Graham Potter now lead their thinking, while director Jean-Claude Blanc is pushing for the appointment of Zinedine Zidane.

Will Tuchel stay longer in England job and what does Ratcliffe think of snub?

And while our sources indicated the German was indeed Ratcliffe’s preferred option – even recommending to the board at last week’s executive meeting at INEOS’ London headquarters that they move for him now – it seems that not everyone on the United board were truly convinced by the 51-year-old.

That verdict has also been reflected by journalist Graeme Bailey, who believes United were never truly convinced about hiring Tuchel as manager.

“It is fair to say they are totally unmoved – one person told me that if United really wanted Tuchel, he would have been appointed in the summer – but there was a reason they moved away from him then,” Bailey told Unitedinfocus.

“They feel that Tuchel’s people were making it public about England to force United’s hand – that didn’t happen and they took the England job.”

He added: “That is not to say some within the footballing department did not still want Tuchel, they did – but that was far from being a majority opinion.”

As a result, Tuchel and United are destined not to happen  – at least not any time soon – and the German also open to the prospect of extending his stay beyond the current 18-month arrangement he has with the FA.

“It’s 18 months and then we agreed to sit together and we’ll see,” he said when asked about his contract. “I have good experience with 18 months, unfortunately sometimes. I’m working on my long-term game!

“The last piece of it from me to understand that this is something that can really excite me to the fullest was the timeframe of 18 months but to demand from myself to not lose the focus. It’s a good timeframe because it will help us focus. It is very streamlined.

“We have players who compete in the strongest leagues in the world day in, day out. We will need luck, momentum, luck to not have injuries and so on. We feel confident to add something from our experience in club football that can maybe help. We have to prove ourselves all the time. We have to live up to these standards but I’m confident everyone is used to that.”

Man Utd round-up: Zidane conditions emerge / Turkey coach linked with job

With United now considering alternatives, one name that has leapt to the fore this week is Zidane.

The France icon has been out of work since departing Real Madrid for a second time in 2021 and, despite being linked to several high-profile jobs, has remained on the sidelines ever since.

Now it’s claimed that his close associate Blanc is plotting to bring Zidane to Old Trafford amid claims that ongoing talks have been held with the 52-year-old and after a former France teammate revealed the two conditions United will need to match if they are to succeed in their quest of bringing Zidane to Old Trafford.

In addition, fanciful reports in the Spanish media have also suggested Zidane has already told the United board of the first signing he would like to make amid claims an elite LaLiga star has been slotted to move to Old Trafford in the January window.

Elsewhere, the Daily Mail claims Ten Hag could be axed from his role as United manager this weekend if they fail to beat Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday.

And were that to happen, new reports on the continent have claimed a national team’s manager has surprisingly been added to their list of options to take charge.

Tuchel’s career in management to date

Since embarking on his managerial career in 2007 at FC Augsburg II, Tuchel has enjoyed a win percentage of 57/26%. At Augsburg, it was just under 59, though at Mainz – where he started to make his name – it dropped below 40.

A move to Dortmund followed after Jurgen Klopp’s departure and it was at the Westfalenstadion where he topped 60 per cent and he was also bang on that mark at Chelsea and Bayern Munich. At PSG, Tuchel had a stunning 74.8 per cent win ratio.

That, his tactical nous and ability to win the biggest trophies is why the FA want him to try and lead England to 2026 World Cup glory in North America in just over 18 months.