Kristina Roberts
Harry Kane was just a few weeks into his thirties when Thomas Tuchel decided to bring him to Bayern Munich for €100 million. Over the past two seasons, Kane has repaid that trust by scoring an incredible 82 goals. While Tuchel doesn’t have to worry about Kane’s resale value, he does have to think about how long the striker can keep performing at the highest level, especially with the World Cup ending just before Kane turns 33.
Kane himself has bigger plans. Inspired by athletes like Tom Brady, he has talked about playing well into his forties. He also looks up to Cristiano Ronaldo, who, at 40 years old, is still scoring crucial goals in big tournaments. But Tuchel isn’t sure if Kane can follow the same path. Ronaldo is a rare case, and not many players can keep up such high performance at that age.
Tuchel said, “I think it’s getting harder and harder for players to keep playing at the top level as they get older. Cristiano moved to a less competitive league, which helped him stay sharp. He’s an exception, not the rule. Harry has a natural talent for scoring, and right now, there’s no sign he can’t keep doing it. But how long that will last, I don’t know. He’s at a club where the team plays attacking football, which suits him. The World Cup is a big focus for him this year, and he knows he has to be in top shape to handle the heat and humidity.”
Kane’s determination to play every match is something Tuchel respects. Even after playing against Andorra, where Kane scored his 450th career goal in a 1-0 win, Tuchel said it’s “likely” he will start again in the next game. Calling that goal “decisive and important” might sound funny since it was against a weaker team, but it was the only goal of the match, showing how much England still relies on Kane.
The bigger problem for Tuchel isn’t just Kane’s fitness but how to get the best out of England’s other talented players. Players like Cole Palmer and Phil Foden haven’t had the same impact for the national team as they have for their clubs. Palmer started against Andorra, but Tuchel doesn’t see him as a traditional winger.
Tuchel explained, “If we have too many players who want to play in the middle, we might have to use Cole on the wing, but his biggest strength is playing inside. Right now, we want our wingers to stay wide and attack aggressively. It’s all part of the learning process.”
One issue is that England’s players often don’t perform as well for their country as they do for their clubs. Tuchel pointed out that even Palmer and Foden have been struggling lately. Palmer had a great game in the Conference League final but has only scored once in his last 23 matches. Foden, too, hasn’t been at his best for months.
Tuchel admitted, “That’s the real question—why aren’t they performing as well here? It’s a fair question. Even Cole has had a tough time at Chelsea recently. Phil hasn’t been able to show his full potential for a long time now.”
Another challenge is finding the right balance in the team. Bukayo Saka is expected to return for the next game, which means Palmer might not start. Tuchel is still trying to figure out the best combinations and how to make the team play more fluidly.
He said, “It’s up to me to find the right connections. Who plays well together? Who supports each other on the field? Right now, I feel like the players are too isolated. They haven’t clicked yet. We need to improve our teamwork and movement.”
Part of the problem might be mental. Playing for England comes with huge pressure, and sometimes that can make players nervous. Tuchel wondered if the players feel as free to express themselves as they do with their clubs.
“Is it like wearing a heavy shirt?” Tuchel asked. “Do we expect too much? Do they feel the same freedom here as they do at their clubs? Phil hasn’t been playing freely for Manchester City for months. He’s been struggling there too.”
Tuchel knows he has to be patient, but he also wants to see improvements quickly. “I’m very impatient when it comes to seeing the team get better,” he admitted. “We need to play with more excitement, more fluidity. Right now, it feels like we’re stuck.”
Former England manager Gareth Southgate would probably understand Tuchel’s frustrations. Fixing the team isn’t as simple as telling the players to “play with freedom.” Tuchel said, “You can’t just tell them to be free and expect everything to change. It doesn’t work like that.”
As the World Cup approaches, Tuchel has a lot to figure out. Keeping Kane fit and in form is one thing, but getting the rest of the team to perform at their best is another challenge altogether. With so much talent in the squad, England should be one of the strongest teams in the world. But right now, they’re still searching for that perfect balance.
For now, Tuchel will keep experimenting, hoping to find the right mix before the tournament begins. The clock is ticking, and England fans will be watching closely to see if their team can finally live up to its potential.
