English Chelsea fans are very, very blessed.
Not only did they get to enjoy having Thomas Tuchel as their club coach, even with him now sacked, he’s going to be their international manager.
The German coach doesn’t officially start until the New Year, but he’s attending the World Cup 2026 group draw today in Zurich, and Sky Sports cornered him for a chat. Of course, the subject quickly turned to his old club, and to one player in particular.
More Stories about Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer shrugs at full time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)
Jadon Sancho celebrates with Enzo Maresca on the pitch. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)
Enzo Maresca with Cole Palmer and Joao Felix. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
Tuchel never got to manage Palmer at Stamford Bridge, but he will get his hands on him with England, and by his own account he’s excited for that.
You can see Tuchel speaking in the clip embedded here:
"He's cool, he's composed, he's very clinical" 🥶
Thomas Tuchel has nothing but praise for Chelsea's Cole Palmer. pic.twitter.com/QlPax5eayg
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 13, 2024
Thomas Tuchel speaking at the World Cup group draw.
Thomas Tuchel speaking at the World Cup group draw.
Tuchel talks up “clinical” Palmer – but won’t say how he’s going to use him yet
Tuchel said it was “going too far” to say just how Palmer would fit into his side, but admitted he was enjoying watching him play.
“He is definitely in form… hopefully he can still grow and keep the level up,” the new England coach said.
“Everyone enjoys watching him, he’s cool he’s composed, he’s clinical in finishing and assisting. He’s very impressive at the moment.”
If Tuchel plays with wing backs in a similar way to how he played at Chelsea, we can see Palmer thriving as one of the two players used just behind the striker. He would have support out wide overlapping, and would be in great shooting positions all the time.
The solid back 5 also provides a platform that would allow the attacker to stay in dangerous areas rather than having to track back and help out. With a solid 6 months between getting the job and taking his first session as boss, we’re sure Tuchel is watching closely and dreaming up all sorts of ideas about how to get the best out of Palmer.