England forward, Ollie Watkins, has revealed that manager Thomas Tuchel is not afraid to raise his voice during training as he seeks to maintain high standards in the squad’s World Cup campaign.
Speaking at England’s training base in Kansas City ahead of Tuesday’s Group-stage clash against Ghana, the Aston Villa striker said the German coach demands maximum concentration from every player and is quick to address lapses during sessions.
Watkins said, “I think he is not afraid to shout at you. He is always demanding from you and making sure you are on it every day.”
Tuchel’s approach was evident during a recent training session when he was filmed shouting at defender Djed Spence to “wake up” as England continued preparations for their second match of the tournament.
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Watkins admitted he narrowly escaped being the target of the manager’s frustration.
“It was lucky it wasn’t me. I think I made a mistake just before Djed did, but he ended up shouting at Djed, luckily,” Watkins said.
The striker expressed Tuchel’s intensity reflects his desire to build a team capable of challenging for football’s biggest prize.
He said, “I think it just shows that he is a winner and that he is always driving the standards, making sure we are on it.
“That is what you need when the aim is to win a World Cup. [Tuchel is] very demanding, but when he is around the base camp he is very relaxed and chilled.”
Tuchel arrived at the tournament with a reputation for success, having guided Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League title in 2021 and won league championships with Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich.
His methods have quickly become part of England’s daily routine as the squad seeks to build on its opening 4-2 victory over Croatia.
As England prepare for Ghana, the messages from both Watkins and Spence point to a squad embracing Tuchel’s standards, with players accepting that attention to detail and accountability will be central to their hopes of lifting the World Cup.
