Thomas Tuchel is already making the same mistake as Gareth Southgate with the best English player

Thomas Tuchel should heed the lesson of Gareth Southgate's underutilization of Cole Palmer as he embarks on his mission to lead England to glory. The German tactician, announced as Southgate's replacement in October, will take over after the start of the new year, while caretaker manager Lee Carsley will maintain the team's momentum in the meantime.

While many supporters are eager to see what the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager can achieve on the world stage, questions arise as to how 'Tuchel-ball' will translate for the Three Lions. Despite guiding England to the Euro 2024 final for a second consecutive campaign, Southgate has faced criticism in particular over his team selection.

Palmer enjoyed a breakout season at Stamford Bridge in 2023/24, scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists in 33 Premier League appearances, earning him a place in the team of the tournament. However, the 22-year-old was arguably underutilized during the tournament, playing just 144 minutes in total for the Three Lions and not starting a single match – although he showed great promise when he did. been recruited.

Trailing 1-0 in the 73rd minute, Palmer equalized in the final against Spain, sparking hope among England fans that 2024 could be their year. In a heartbreaking twist to the tournament, a decisive 86th-minute goal from Mikel Oyarzabal dashed England's hopes, with the players quickly withdrawing their second-place medals in a poignant expression of defeat.

Fans are now waiting with bated breath to see if Palmer will earn a place in Tuchel's starting line-up, although the experienced manager has indicated his desire to see the youngster flourish further, the Mirror reports. Speaking to Sky Sports about Palmer's role with England, Tuchel explained: “It's going a bit too far into the individual players, but he's definitely fit.

“I think everyone would agree on that, and I hope he can still grow and maintain the level, and then everything will be fine.” Addressing his perceptions of Palmer at Chelsea, the new England manager added: “Everyone likes to watch him. He's cool, he's calm, he's very clinical in finishing and assisting. So very impressive at the moment. “

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, England's striking options appear slim, especially as Harry Kane, the country's top scorer, will be approaching 33 when the competition kicks off. Nonetheless, Palmer's outstanding performances could prove crucial to England's aspirations of glory on the international stage.

The young talent, who came from the Manchester City training system before transferring to Chelsea in 2023, demonstrated that his performance from the previous season was not isolated. He has already scored 11 goals and provided six assists in the first 15 matches of the 2024/25 season.

With Chelsea currently sitting second in the Premier League, four points behind leaders Liverpool, they will no doubt be aiming to increase their goal tally when the Blues take on Brentford on Sunday evening.