Thomas Tuchel has guided England to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and although some performances have left a lot to be desired, the FA remain in no doubt over his future beyond the tournament12:58, 06 Jul 2026Let's get one thing straight: Thomas Tuchel would not have been sacked if England had lost to Mexico.However, Tuchel would have been under severe pressure had England lost in the previous round to DR Congo - and it may have been difficult to survive. But the Football Association hired Tuchel because of his CV, reputation and remarkable track record in knockout football.His record at club level meant he took the England job with a 74 per cent record in knockout games and had led Chelsea to Champions League glory. When the FA hired him, they brought him in because they wanted an elite coach who had the aura and ability to build on the work Sir Gareth Southgate had done and guide them to a major trophy.England are just three wins from lifting the World Cup, starting with the quarter-final against Norway in Miami on Saturday. Suddenly things are opening up for Tuchel and, even though football has always been about fine margins, we can now see why he is an elite coach.Get the latest World Cup 2026 news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletterTuchel has a brilliant, single-minded approach to management which can be tough but he also plays good, attacking football as well as being bold and ambitious. When Tuchel named his squad, there were serious doubts because he had to left Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire at home.Tuchel wanted togetherness and not players who would end up kicking their heels in frustration in camp. Instead, Tuchel has brought a blend of young and old from the veteran defender John Stones to young players like Nico O’Reilly or Kobbie Mainoo.No-one could understand why Tuchel had brought Dan Burn other than because he was a good tourist and would be good for the group. Well, against Mexico we saw the other side to him which was being a good, resilient defender who blocked and headed anything that moved.Should Thomas Tuchel stay for Euro 2028 regardless? Have your say in the comments section.The rearguard action also included a brilliant cameo role by John Stones and, in the space of one win, the perception has changed. Tuchel suddenly is on the up again because reaching the World Cup quarter-final is still something to be respected.They knew at some stage that they would have to put on a rearguard action and Burn’s determination and sense meant he was of a big value to the defence. Tuchel also proved in the game that there is more than one way to approach a game, especially one played at altitude.England did not press so high or aggressively. But they worked hard and found a way to win. Tuchel exudes confidence, is fun and enjoys joining in with the players’ activities.When the FA hired Tuchel, they hired an elite coach with a reputation for getting the best out of players. In my view, they should not have given him a new contact. There’s no longer so much jeopardy and even if England lose to Norway in the quarter-finals, they will not move to sack him because he is making improvements.The FA like Tuchel so much that they give him a new contract - and that has been the only mistake so far. They cannot change tack now. If he had a bad World Cup then questions would have been asked. Why give him a new deal?They will not sack him no matter happens in this tournament. And would not even if they had lost to DR Congo. The FA like him too much and they see that England are making progress under him.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent