Thomas Tuchel has kept the support of the Football Association after England failed to make it to the World Cup final, and honestly, that probably tells you everything you need to know about where the FA's head is at right now. They've backed their man, which is fair enough in some ways, but England fans will be asking serious questions about whether that loyalty is truly deserved.
Let's be honest here. Getting to a World Cup semi-final or thereabouts is not nothing, and it would be a bit knee-jerk to sack a manager the moment things don't go perfectly. Tuchel came into the job with a strong reputation built on his work in club football, and the FA clearly still believe he can deliver something special with this group of players. Whether that faith is well-placed is another matter entirely.
The problem England always seem to have is that they have genuinely talented players but consistently fail to turn that talent into tournament glory. That is not entirely on the manager, but the manager does have to carry some of the responsibility. Tuchel is a smart coach, there is no doubting that, but adapting to international football is a different challenge from running a club side, and not every top manager makes that transition smoothly.
What works in his favour is that the FA have historically been quite trigger-happy with England managers, and maybe they've finally learned their lesson about chopping and changing too often. Stability can breed progress, and if Tuchel is given proper time and trust, there is a chance England could push on between now and the next major tournament.
That said, the fans deserve more than just patience being preached at them. England supporters have been patient for decades, and they want to see a concrete plan and real improvement on the pitch. The FA standing by Tuchel is the easy decision. The harder job is making sure the next tournament brings better results.
Let me know your thoughts.