Former England coach Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes that managing the recovery process, rather than the games themselves, will dictate whether England can handle the intense heat at the World Cup.
Hasselbaink, who knows the inner workings of the national team set-up intimately from his time on Gareth Southgate’s coaching staff, backed the squad’s capability to withstand tough weather conditions, provided their post-match logistics are flawlessly executed.
He also issued a strong warning to the FA and vocal critics regarding Thomas Tuchel’s job security, insisting that the newly appointed German manager must be granted a long-term project and unconditional time to implement his philosophy, regardless of how the upcoming tournament unfolds.
Too hot to handle?
During an exclusive conversation with 10bet about England handling the heat, Hasselbaink said: “Yeah, that is going to be one of those factors.
“But I think England have got enough about them to be able to get around that.
“It’s the recovery that matters. Playing the matches won’t be the problem; it’s the recovery process that has to be spot on.”
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Give Tuchel more time
This is Tuchel’s first tournament since taking the reins from Southgate, and Hasselbaink believes the FA need to be patient with the German no matter how the Three Lions perform this summer.
The former Leeds United and Chelsea hitman added: “I think you should give him time.
“I don’t think it will be a bad World Cup for them, but you have to give him time.
“If you do that… we all know that he is such a good manager, we all know what he can do and we all know that he has won a lot.
“So yeah, you have to give him time.
“You cannot just say, ‘Oh, one year and off you go.’ You have to give him the time.”
England open their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia on Wednesday night.
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SportJustSport writers 
Michael Davey