Having initially signed an 18-month deal, taking in one major tournament, the Football Association has handed out fresh terms that will include a home Euros in 2028. Have they jumped the gun slightly there?
Responding to that question, legendary former Three Lions striker Owen – speaking exclusively to GOAL in association with England World Cup odds – said: “I must admit, I was surprised. I like Thomas Tuchel, I think he’s a very good manager. You probably know my feelings on the England manager’s job – I think he should be an English person, full stop. But, I was surprised that he got an extension.
“I think it’s nice to show commitment before a big tournament, but we haven’t even had a tournament with him yet. He’s done nothing so far that would suggest, ‘oh my word, this is fantastic’.
“Everybody qualifies. We could close our eyes and qualify through these waste of time qualifying groups. We win every single game and never even concede a goal. It’s just a pointless exercise, really. It’s not like he’s done anything above and beyond what we’ve expected so far. So to reward him already, it was a bit of a surprise.”
