Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he will remain as England manager following the team's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, insisting he is "100 per cent" the right person to lead the side forward. The German coach has two years remaining on his £5 million-a-year contract with the Football Association, but faced mounting criticism after England squandered a golden opportunity to reach the final for the first time in 60 years.
Rooney leads criticism of Tuchel's tactics
Former England captain Wayne Rooney was among the most vocal critics, lambasting Tuchel's substitutions and arguing his tactical approach was too cautious, ultimately handing the advantage to Argentina. Despite the backlash, the FA has full faith in Tuchel and has no plans to sack him.
Tuchel responded to the pressure by stating: "Yes, 100 per cent. There is still enough to improve, and I am more than happy to do that. I've loved it here. I loved every day." He added that he sees a disconnect between training performances and games, believing the team can impose themselves more on the ball.
Third-place play-off and squad changes
Tuchel now faces the prospect of a third-place play-off against France in Miami on Saturday, less than 72 hours after the gut-wrenching defeat to Argentina. England are expected to ring the changes for that match, and Tuchel intends to use the remainder of the summer to take stock of the World Cup campaign and examine why his side fell short.
The German coach believes a significant factor behind England's late fadeaway was the number of players carrying knocks following a gruelling club season. He said: "We struggled physically as well, through the whole tournament playing in the heat, playing in the altitude, playing with a man down and so on. It cost us a lot in the end. We gave everything but it was not enough."
Looking ahead to Euro 2028
When pressed on whether he remains the right person to steer England towards Euro 2028, which the country will co-host with Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, Tuchel responded: "I still think we can show how good football players we are. I think that is still in us, as I see it in training and in every camp. I still feel there is an extra level that we need to conquer and need to step up to the next level to get the big prize."
