England's World Cup was progress, disappointment and perspective all at once

For large parts of the tournament, Thomas Tuchel looked as though he could deliver exactly what The FA hired him to provide. England arrived in the United States with a squad carrying the expectation that Tuchel’s tournament pedigree would be enough to bridge the final gap.

England topped their group. They produced one of their best performances of the tournament against Croatia, negotiated the awkward challenge posed by Ghana, improved as the competition progressed and overcame a potentially dangerous Congo side when facing genuine adversity for the first time.