Had things panned out differently Thomas Tuchel could be managing West Ham right now rather than England.
When Thomas Tuchel was out of work having left Bayern Munich, he was very much in West Ham’s sights.
Football Correspondent Graeme Bailey exclusively told Hammers News last year that people shouldn’t underestimate West Ham’s ability to lure Tuchel.
Bailey revealed West Ham’s technical director at the time, Tim Steidten, was good friends with Tuchel and had come close to working together at Chelsea.
It was also revealed Tuchel had kept his house in London and was desperate to return.
Tuchel was ‘too expensive’ for West Ham
Ultimately the Hammers appointed Julen Lopetegui and Tuchel was the FA’s shock hire as the new England manager.
West Ham’s owners confirmed Tuchel was on their shortlist after he was named Three Lions boss.
“Yes he was on our shortlist,” a top spokesman for West Ham’s owners exclusively told Hammers News at the time.
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“But it was too much hard work and too expensive at the time for us. However, it must be said in cups in particular Tuchel has an AMAZING record.
“On paper it is a great pick by the FA.”
Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
No room for Bowen’s West Ham teammates in Tuchel’s first England squad
One player who would have been on to a winner with Tuchel at West Ham is Jarrod Bowen.
Despite hot competition, Hammers ace Bowen has been named in the German’s first squad for games against Albania and Latvia.
There was disappointment for two of Bowen’s West Ham teammates, though.
Max Kilman and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were both reportedly on Tuchel’s 55-man long list before he whittled it down to 26 for the March internationals.
But Chelsea stars Levi Colwill and Reece James and the likes of 32-year-old Dan Burn, 34-year-old Kyle Walker and Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah have been picked ahead of them.
Furious West Ham fans have accused Tuchel of bias.
Tuchel’s perplexing Wan-Bissaka and Kilman snubs
Many England supporters have been left puzzled by the selection, with the likes of Jordan Henderson in the mix too.
It was hoped the new manager would usher in a new era, bringing in fresh ideas and giving the best performing players a chance.
But Tuchel will feel ashamed after an astonishing new West Ham revelation.
WhoScored are the world’s biggest and most detailed football data analysts.
And they have revealed statistics which will left England’s manager red-faced.
At the weekend their statistics showed Wan-Bissaka was not only the best overall right-back in the Premier League this season but the fifth best English player in the top flight full stop.
Now WhoScored has revealed that Kilman, who is a contender alongside Wan-Bissaka for West Ham’s Hammer of the Year award, is the best defender in the Premier League this season. Bar none.
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
Tuchel shame after astonishing new West Ham revelation
The very essence of defending is not allowing players to get past you and at your goal.
It is the fundamental element to being a great central defender.
There is not a single defender in the Premier League better than Kilman according to WhoScored.
Looking at ‘times dribbled past per match’ among defenders who have played over 1,500 minutes this season, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold was the worst, being beaten 2.21 times per match.
Lewis Hall, who has won rave reviews at Newcastle and would reportedly have been a shoo-in for a call-up is the next worst with 1.40. Antonee Robinson was next worst with 1.31.
In mitigation, though, full-backs are going to be higher up the list for being taken on.
When it comes to being an immovable object, though. Nobody from any club is better than Kilman.
Kilman is statistically the Premier League’s best centre-back
Despite West Ham’s poor defending as a team for much of the season, Kilman has generally been the one constant.
Eyebrows were raised when the Hammers paid Wolves £40m for their captain.
But it looks money very well spent as he has outshone the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and everyone else.
Kilman has been dribbled past the least of any defender in the Premier League, just 0.14 per match.
Times dribbled past per 90 among defenders in the Premier League this season (1500+ mins played):
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁
◉ 2.21 – Trent Alexander-Arnold
◉ 1.40 – Lewis Hall
◉ 1.31 – Antonee Robinson
𝗙𝗲𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁
◎ 0.14 – Max Kilman
◎ 0.15 – Gabriel Magalhães
◎ 0.17 – Ezri Konsa pic.twitter.com/NIQqukSLKP
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) March 19, 2025
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That means Kilman has only been beaten by an attacker once every nine or 10 matches. A phenomenal statistic given how poor the team has been in front of him for so much of the campaign.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes is next best at 0.15 and Villa’s Newham boy Ezri Konsa sits third with 0.17.
Yet Konsa made the cut with Tuchel while Kilman didn’t.
It makes you wonder what he has to do in order to be selected.
West Ham may have lost the game but just last week, Kilman had Aleksander Isak – the one of the best strikers around – in his pocket for the second time this season.
In addition, out of all the England defenders, Kilman is also easily the most comfortable on the ball and carrying it out from the back.
That only serves to make the snub even more perplexing.