THOMAS Tuchel is banking on pairs of “mind-altering” shoes to give England an edge at the World Cup.
Ahead of Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Serbia at Wembley, Three Lions players have been given the new Nike Mind footwear — which is supposed to increase their concentration levels.
The England chief has no idea how the shoes, which resemble crocs, are supposed to work their magic.
But he reckons they could provide the sort of marginal gains beloved of Sir Dave Brailsford in his time as boss of Britain’s elite cyclists.
Tuchel said: “They told me the players can focus better in meetings if they wear these shoes and I hope that they believe it. Maybe the most important thing is they believe it.
“I don’t know the science behind it. They are desperate to tell me but I just haven’t found time to get my head around it. But all the players are now wearing them.
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“I, 100 per cent, believe in the power of positive thought. So as long as everybody believes it…
“Yesterday somebody told me about the shoes, then I saw everyone in them.
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“I gave a comment about the colour and shape and they said it’s important we wear them. I said, ‘You’d better wear them for my meetings’.
“Maybe I’ll wear them at press conferences. Let’s try. I’m always happy to try stuff.”
And if there were ever a time to try new things, they would be ahead of a pair of qualifiers for a tournament for which England have already secured their spot.
The footwear is apparently designed with a number of spherical nodules on the sole that are supposed to hit pressure points on the wearer’s foot, triggering “sensory areas of the brain.”
However they work, if they really can help England keep their eye on the ball to finish their qualifying run with a flawless record then – Tuchel says – why not?
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