Why Tuchel still deserves backing from England fans after World Cup exit

A lot of it has landed on Thomas Tuchel. That was always going to happen after a defeat as painful as the one against Argentina. But the speed of the turn has still been striking. A few days earlier he was being praised after the win over Mexico, a performance some called one of England's best in years. Then came the exit, and suddenly he was being written off.

That feels too easy. England did not have a bad tournament from start to finish. They had a bad ending. That is not the same thing.

People also seem quick to forget what came before it. England won all 8 of their qualifiers, did not concede once and even went to Serbia and won 5-0. The team looked sharper, braver and clearer in its ideas than it had for a while. For most of this cycle, fans were fully on board with what Tuchel was doing. That did not become nonsense just because of 20 bad minutes against Argentina.

Some of the reaction since then has gone way over the top. The talk about FIFA conspiracies and Tuchel being cowardly feels more like anger than analysis. England were knocked out again, yes. But finishing 3rd is still their best World Cup result since 1966, which says a lot about where the team has been for most of the last 60 years. That does not mean people have to pretend it was good enough.

It just means the whole picture matters. England played with more courage under Tuchel than they often have in the past. They tried to build from the back, stay on the ball and trust players in possession. That has been a clear part of his thinking from the start, and for long spells it worked. Jude Bellingham is probably the clearest example.

He looked free, important and dangerous under Tuchel, and his tournament return of 7 goals showed how much that role suited him. The team also benefited from having a coach willing to make hard calls. Big names did not get picked just because they were big names. Cole Palmer and Phil Foden stayed home, and while people can debate those calls, at least the line was clear.

That matters at international level. Tuchel also did not hide from ambition. In the leaked dressing-room speech, he made it plain that this tournament was about winning the 2nd star, not just turning up and hoping for the best. England fell short, but there is something to be said for a manager who actually speaks and acts like the team should be aiming for the top.

The FA have backed him quickly and publicly, which is probably the right call. His deal runs through to Euro 2028, and England now have 2 years to learn from this and go again, this time with a home tournament waiting. The disappointment from this World Cup can still be used properly if the team and the coach stay together.

That is the bigger point. England fans do not have to be happy. But if they want this team to have a real shot in 2028, turning on Tuchel now probably gets them nowhere.