Why the FA’s stance on Tuchel’s future hasn’t changed despite Mexico win

Thomas Tuchel was never in danger of losing his job as England manager even had his side lost to Mexico in the World Cup last 16, according to the Mirror’s chief football writer John Cross. Having watched England battle past Mexico to reach the quarter-finals, Cross reports that the Football Association’s confidence in Tuchel has not shifted despite some underwhelming displays along the way.

England now face Norway in Miami on Saturday with a place in the last four at stake. According to the Mirror, the FA hired Tuchel on the strength of his CV and his outstanding record in knockout football, and that remains the basis of their unwavering support regardless of how the tournament unfolds from here.

DR Congo, not Mexico, was the pressure point

Cross writes that had England lost their previous knockout tie against DR Congo, Tuchel might have found his position genuinely difficult to defend. But a defeat to Mexico would not have triggered the same crisis, given the esteem in which the German is held by senior figures at the FA.

The report notes that Tuchel arrived in the England job carrying a 74 per cent win record in knockout matches at club level, along with Champions League success with Chelsea. That pedigree, rather than any single result, is said to be why the governing body brought him in to build on the foundations laid by Gareth Southgate and push for a first major trophy in decades.

Bold selection calls paying off

Tuchel’s willingness to make unpopular calls has been a feature of his tenure so far. Leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire out of his World Cup squad drew scrutiny, but Cross reports the manager prioritised squad togetherness over including players who might have been frustrated with limited game time.

That approach has produced a blend of experience and youth, from veteran defender John Stones to emerging talents such as Nico O’Reilly and Kobbie Mainoo. Dan Burn’s inclusion, once questioned as a squad-harmony pick rather than a footballing one, was credited by the Mirror with a resilient, blocking and heading display against Mexico that helped see England through.

New contract removes any lingering jeopardy

Cross argues that England’s tactical adaptability at altitude, including a less aggressive pressing approach than usual, showed a manager capable of solving problems in more than one way. Combined with a new contract signed earlier this year, he suggests the FA effectively removed any jeopardy from Tuchel’s position well before this tournament began.

The Mirror’s view is that extending Tuchel’s deal in advance was the FA’s only real misstep, since it means results at this World Cup, win or lose against Norway, will not change their thinking. The governing body, the report states, remains convinced England are progressing under him and has no intention of sacking him regardless of how the quarter-final in Miami goes.

Read more: Tuchel blasts FIFA over Balogun U-turn: ‘Where does this end?’