Three Lions Coach Shares The Approach: Wearing England's Shirt Should Be Like a Cape, Not Armour.

In the past, Anthony Barry competed at a lower division club. Today, he's dedicated supporting the head coach claim the World Cup trophy in 2026. The road from athlete to trainer began with a voluntary role for Accrington's Under-16s. He recalls, “Nights, a small field, tasked with 11 vs 11 … poor equipment, limited resources,” and he fell in love with it. He had found his calling.

Rapid Rise

His advancement stands out. Starting in a senior role at Wigan, he built a name through unique exercises and strong interpersonal abilities. His stints with teams included elite sides, while also serving in coaching jobs abroad with the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, and Portugal. He's coached legends including world-class talents. Today, as part of Team England, he's fully immersed, the “pinnacle” in his words.

“Dreams are the starting point … But I’m a believer that passion overcomes challenges. You dream big but then you bring it down: ‘What's the process, day-by-day, step-by-step?’ Our goal is the World Cup. However, vision doesn't suffice. We must create a methodical process that allows us for optimal success.”

Focus on Minutiae

Obsession, particularly on fine points, defines Barry’s story. Working every hour under the sun—sometimes the moon, too, he and Tuchel push hard at comfort zones. Their methods feature mental assessments, a plan for hot conditions ahead of the tournament in North America, and creating a unified squad. He stresses “Team England” and avoids language such as "break".

“It's not time off or a rest,” Barry says. “We had to build something that the players want to be part of and where they're challenged that returning to club duty feels easier.”

Ambitious Trainers

The assistant coach says and Tuchel as highly ambitious. “Our goal is to master every aspect of the game,” he declares. “We strive to own every metre of the pitch and that’s what we spend most of our time to. Our responsibility not just to keep up with developments and to lead and set new standards. It's an ongoing effort to have this problem/solution-finding mentality. And it’s to make the complex clear.

“We get 50 days alongside the squad prior to the World Cup. We have to play a sophisticated style that gives us a tactical advantage and we have to make it so clear during that time. It's about moving it from thought to data to know-how to performance.

“To develop a process enabling productivity in the 50 days, we must utilize all the time available from when we started. During periods without the team, it's vital to develop bonds with each player. We must dedicate moments in calls with players, we have to see them in stadiums, understand them, connect with them. Relying only on those 50 days, it's impossible.”

Final Qualifiers

He is getting ready ahead of the concluding matches of World Cup qualifiers – versus Serbia in London and in Albania. They've already ensured their place at the finals after six consecutive victories with perfect defensive records. However, they won't relax; on the contrary. This period to strengthen the squad's character, to maintain progress.

“Thomas and I are both pretty clear that the football philosophy must reflect all the positives about the Premier League,” Barry explains. “The physicality, the flexibility, the physicality, the work ethic. The Three Lions kit must be difficult to earn but comfortable to have on. It must resemble a cloak and not body armour.

“To ensure it's effortless, we need to provide a system that lets them to operate similar to weekly matches, that feels natural and allows them to take the handbrake off. They must be stuck less in thinking and focus more on action.

“There are emotional wins for managers in the first and final thirds – starting moves deep, closing down early. However, in midfield on the field, that section, it seems football is static, particularly in the Premier League. Coaches have extensive data these days. They know how to set up – defensive shapes. We are really trying to focus on accelerating the game through midfield.”

Drive for Growth

Barry’s hunger to get better knows no bounds. While training for his pro license, he had concerns over the speaking requirement, especially as his class featured big names including former players. For self-improvement, he entered the most challenging environments he could find to improve his talks. Including a prison in Liverpool, and he trained detainees during an exercise.

He earned his license with top honors, and his research paper – focusing on set-pieces, for which he analysed thousands of throw-ins – got into print. Lampard was among those won over and he recruited the coach as part of his backroom with the Blues. When Lampard was sacked, it spoke volumes that Chelsea removed virtually all of his coaches while keeping Barry.

The next manager at Chelsea was Tuchel, and, four months later, they secured European glory. After Tuchel's exit, the coach continued in the setup. Once Tuchel resurfaced at Munich, he brought Barry over of Chelsea and back alongside him. The Football Association view them as a partnership like previous management pairs.

“I’ve never seen anything like Thomas {in terms of personality and methodology|in character and approach|