Paul Gascoigne, 58, accuses England of being 'scared' of Thomas Tuchel alternative as manager savaged

 Paul Gascoigne has ripped into the FA, insisting they would be 'too scared' to appoint Jose Mourinho while ripping into Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel has managed four matches since replacing Lee Carsley but, last time out, the Three Lions were dreadful as they crashed to a 3-1 defeat to Senegal.

The German already finds himself under pressure, with the World Cup just a year away.

As for Mourinho, the 62-year-old's stock has fallen in recent years after difficult spells with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham.

He is currently managing of Fenerbahce but was unable to guide the club to any silverware last term.

Despite Mourinho being a shadow of his old self, however, Gascoigne believes he should have been named England manager - instead of Tuchel.

Speaking to Poker Strategy, he said: "It’s a shame, because to be the England manager, you’ve got to be the best football manager in the world. Full stop.

"I would have given the job to Jose Mourinho, but the FA are probably scared of him because he speaks his mind!

"That’s why Terry Venables ended up getting sacked because he wasn’t a ‘yes man’.

"I would have gone for Jose straight away.”

When England appointed Tuchel, many expected the Three Lions to improve right away.

Instead, they appear to be going backwards - with the defeat to Senegal coming just days after a narrow win over Andorra.

Gascoigne has been less than impressed by Tuchel so far and criticised the 51-year-old's decision to select Jordan Henderson, who is currently in the twilight years of his career.

“It’s terrible. I really don't like to give players stick, but I'll tell you what, the players have got to remember that people are paying lots of money to come and watch the team at Wembley," he continued.

"It costs a fortune for a family. If it wasn’t for the fans I’d have never been able to afford holidays, watches and cars. "I think the performances have not been very good. I like players like

"Jack Grealish and Phil Foden, they should be playing because they try hard!