This is the moment to go through, to get the job done
In the long arc of England's footballing identity, few wounds ran deeper than the penalty shootout—a ritual that once seemed almost designed to break them. Now, on the eve of a World Cup knockout match in Atlanta, new manager Thomas Tuchel has chosen inheritance over reinvention, preserving the methodical framework Gareth Southgate built to transform England from perennial shootout victims into something closer to practitioners of a craft. It is a quiet but telling act of institutional trust: the belief that what was built with care and humility is worth carrying forward.
- England's penalty demons were not exorcised by talent alone—Southgate spent a decade engineering a system of muscle memory, psychological support, and meticulous research that turned a 1-7 record into 3-4.
- Tuchel inherits that system intact, confirming the order of takers and the preparation protocols remain in place even as the man who built them is gone.
- The fundamental tension remains unresolved: no training session can fully replicate the solitary, high-stakes walk to the spot, a truth Tuchel openly acknowledges.
- England faces DR Congo on Wednesday in a match where advancement is expected but a shootout is never off the table, making the continuity of preparation feel immediately consequential.
- Tuchel is actively managing expectations, warning that early knockout rounds against weaker sides are about survival and execution, not spectacle—the glamour, he suggests, comes later if they earn it.
Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that England will carry Gareth Southgate's penalty shootout system into this World Cup without alteration—a decision that speaks to the depth and durability of what Southgate constructed over nearly a decade in charge.
Before Southgate arrived in 2016, England had won just one of seven shootouts in major tournaments. He refused to accept that penalties were simply a lottery. Instead, he built a structure: regular practice sessions to develop muscle memory, early identification of takers based on training performance, and a public willingness to absorb blame himself so his players could step forward without the full weight of national expectation on their shoulders. He assigned each taker a teammate to meet them at the halfway line after the long walk from the center circle—a small but deliberate gesture to share the psychological burden. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford studied opposing tendencies from notes on his water bottle. After Euro 2020, Southgate adjusted the protocol to give penalty takers more time on the pitch before the moment arrived, a change that contributed to England's 5-3 shootout victory over Switzerland at Euro 2024.
Tuchel is honest about the limits of preparation. He cited Thierry Henry's admission that he could not even remember the walk to the spot during his first shootout, acknowledging that the moment itself resists simulation. Still, he expressed confidence in the process and in knowing the order of takers, even if the unpredictability of a match means the lineup may shift.
England faces DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday in the round of 32. Tuchel has tempered expectations for the performance itself, suggesting that DR Congo resemble the weaker sides England already navigated in the group stage, and that the team's best football will only emerge when opponents come to genuinely challenge rather than contain them. For now, his message is pragmatic: this is not the moment for brilliance. It is the moment to advance. Whether that requires ninety minutes or twelve yards remains to be seen.
Thomas Tuchel has made his position clear: England will not be reinventing the wheel when it comes to penalties at this World Cup. The new manager confirmed on Tuesday that his team will stick with the methodical system Gareth Southgate built over the past decade—a framework that transformed England's shootout record from one of the worst in international football to one of the most reliable.
The immediate test comes Wednesday in Atlanta, where England faces DR Congo in the round of 32. It is the kind of match where a penalty shootout remains a genuine possibility, and Tuchel's decision to maintain continuity signals confidence in what Southgate established. Before Southgate took the job in 2016, England had won just one of seven penalty shootouts across major tournaments. Under his watch, that record flipped to three wins in four attempts—a transformation rooted not in luck but in systematic preparation.
Southgate's approach rested on a simple conviction: penalties were not a lottery. They were a skill to be trained like any other, and the team that prepared most thoroughly would have the advantage. Players practiced regularly, with sessions designed to build muscle memory and replicate the actual conditions of a shootout as closely as training could manage. Southgate identified his penalty takers well in advance, based on performance in these drills, and he made a point of accepting public responsibility for any failures—a deliberate move to shield his players from blame. Each taker was assigned a teammate to greet them at the halfway line after the long, isolating walk from the center circle, a small gesture designed to distribute the psychological weight. Even goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had detailed notes on opposing teams' tendencies written on his water bottle, intelligence gathered through meticulous research.
One adjustment came after Euro 2020, when Southgate brought on Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho in the final seconds before penalties against Italy. He felt they had not had enough time to settle into the moment, so he changed the protocol to give penalty takers more time on the pitch beforehand. The result was visible at Euro 2024, when England defeated Switzerland 5-3 from the spot after losing to Italy in the 2020 final.
Tuchel acknowledged the limits of what preparation can achieve. "I think it is difficult to simulate the situation," he said, citing Thierry Henry's observation that he could not remember the walk to the penalty spot during his first shootout for France. But Tuchel expressed confidence in the process. "We know who takes them and we know the order but we don't know who finishes the game," he explained, a recognition that while the team can prepare thoroughly, the moment itself remains unpredictable.
Beyond penalties, Tuchel tempered expectations for the match itself. England topped Group L with wins over Croatia and Panama and a draw against Ghana, but Tuchel suggested those performances were not a true measure of what his team could do. "We face actually a copy of Panama and Ghana in the round of 32," he said, implying that weaker opposition had allowed England to control matches without being truly tested. He expects a different challenge once teams begin to press England seriously. "We will see the best version of us if we overcome the next rounds and go further in the tournament once teams want to actually beat us and not hold us down," Tuchel said. For now, he framed the task simply: "This is not the moment now to shine and to expect glamorous performances. This is the moment to go through, to get the job done."
DR Congo finished third in Group K, having drawn with Portugal, lost to Colombia, and beaten Uzbekistan. They arrive as underdogs, but in a knockout tournament, the margin between advancement and elimination can come down to a moment—or to twelve yards and a goalkeeper's preparation.
Citas Notables
We know who takes them and we know the order but we don't know who finishes the game— Thomas Tuchel on England's penalty preparation
This is not the moment now to shine and to expect glamorous performances. This is the moment to go through, to get the job done— Thomas Tuchel on England's expectations against DR Congo
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does Tuchel think it's worth keeping Southgate's penalty system rather than starting fresh?
Because it works. Southgate took England from winning one shootout in seven to three in four. That's not luck—that's a system that's been tested and proven in actual tournaments.
But penalties are supposed to be unpredictable. Doesn't all this preparation feel like it's trying to control something uncontrollable?
Tuchel admits that openly. You can't fully simulate the pressure. But you can control who takes them, in what order, and how much time they have to settle. You can give them a buddy to walk back with. You can give your goalkeeper intelligence on the other team's habits. Those things matter.
What changed after Euro 2020 that made England better at shootouts?
Southgate realized bringing players on in the final seconds before penalties was a mistake. They didn't have time to adjust mentally. So he gave penalty takers more time on the pitch beforehand. Small change, but it worked—they won the next shootout at Euro 2024.
Does Tuchel think England will actually need penalties against DR Congo?
He's not counting on it. He's more concerned that England won't play well because DR Congo isn't strong enough to force them to. He wants to see England tested by teams that actually attack them.
So what's the real challenge here?
Getting through without needing penalties at all. But if it comes to that, Tuchel trusts the process Southgate built. That's not arrogance—it's just accepting that some things work and you don't fix what isn't broken.