Where now for England? Apart from coming home

Written by James Beckett Monday, 28 June 2010 12:11

England World Cup Blog

If there is an ever article you don't want to write, or read for that matter, this is probably it. But it's time for the analysis of where it went wrong for England in South Africa, and more importantly where do we go from here?

Firstly let me make it clear that Germany were the side that deserved to go through, they were the better team for the 90 minutes, and in my opinion could well go on to win the World Cup. However you have to ask the question over the goal that never was.


At 2-1 England had their tales up, and if Lampard's goal had been given, it would have been a completely different second half. FIFA must end their ludicrous refusal to introduce goal line technology, because decisions like that are embarrassing.


But in truth England wouldn't have deserved to make in to the Quarter Finals with a display like that. It was everything that Capello's side didn't do in qualifying, and now you just think the Lampard/Gerrard generation must come to an end, because the fact is they aren't as good as we thought they were.


Both will be in their mid 30s by the time 2014 comes around, as will Rio Ferdinand, and England need to now start again with a new batch of players. Personally I would include John Terry in the list of players that should now be overlooked, England need to start a fresh, and youth is the way forward.


People will say that we don't have the players to start again, but could they really do any worse that what we have achieved in South Africa. The answer is no.


Players like Adam Johnson, Gabby Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and Theo Walcott are the players who over the next four years need to step up. Even current players in the England squad like Aaron Lennon and James Milner need to develop at a quicker rate.


These players might not be the big names like Gerrard or Lampard but maybe England need to have a bit less glamour in the side to be successful, and of course we haven't mentioned players who could burst on to the scene over the next four years, such as young Jack Wiltshire at Arsenal.


We saw yesterday what Germany did with a young squad, and in my eyes this is the way for England to go over the next four years, develop players with 2014 in mind. I still feel Capello is the man to do this job, he started again after the Euro 2008 failure, all be it with the same players, but now I feel he has to build a new team.


It would be stupid to keep the same side together for the European Championship in 2012, because we would be left with an ageing squad for 2014 in Brazil, we need to look long term and build a side for the future.

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