Once again, England have been eliminated from a major tournament via the dreaded penalty shootout. Once again, it was Germany who were the victors. It’s a storyline that has become familiar for decades but this time, things are looking bright for the future of English football.
On Tuesday, their U21 side lost to Germany at the U21 European Championships in Poland. With a chance to reach the final, England found themselves leading Germany 2-1 with goals from Demarai Gray and Tammy Abraham, only to see their chances for a major trophy derail after Felix Platte equalised with 20 minutes remaining.
Extra-time loomed. Germany dominated from here on. Chances were few and far between in the closing stages, which meant one thing. Penalties.
Aidy Boothroyd told reporters after the game that his players had prepared for them – but unfortunately, it was Germany’s Jannik Pollersbeck who was the hero as Germany won 4-3 on penalties, advancing to the final where they will face Spain.
The England U21 players can, however, hold their heads high. Several of them will no doubt go on to feature for the full international side, whilst the others can be proud of what they’ve achieved. They’ve certainly gone out of this tournament with pride.
And with the England U20 side winning the World Cup against Venezuela in South Korea and the U21 side narrowly losing out to Germany, the future is finally starting to look brighter.
Who impressed at the tournament?
During the tournament, Jordan Pickford signed for Everton in a £30 million deal. It’s certainly a good deal for a 23-year-old English goalkeeper who will likely go on to feature for the full national team – perhaps even as Joe Hart’s replacement.
The stopper conceded just three goals in four games, whilst playing all 390 minutes of England’s campaign. Pickford could well go on to feature for England in Russia next year at the World Cup.
Whilst both Alfie Mawson and Calum Chambers may not go on to be credible full internationals, they’re certain to go on to be experienced Premier League centre-backs. Mawson played an important role at Swansea City under Paul Clement since his arrival, whilst Chambers will go on to push for a starting place at Arsenal with the ageing Per Mertesacker.
Ben Chilwell has already been linked with a move to both Liverpool and Arsenal whilst Mason Holgate will likely feature heavily under Ronald Koeman at Everton; a manager who is willing to give youth players a chance.
A player that will most likely be on Antonio Conte’s radar is Nathaniel Chalobah. Starting every game for England, the 22-year-old will return to push for a starting birth at Chelsea after featuring heavily on the bench last season, especially if Nemanja Matic departs.
Both Will Hughes and James Ward-Prowse are likely to start for their Premier League teams next season, whilst the duo could go on to form a partnership at international level. The duo both possess great ball control whilst they could become the future double-pivot for England.
For Tammy Abraham, whilst he’s unlikely to feature for England until 2020 – the 19-year-old could well improve his chances of a full call-up should his loan move to Swansea City materialise. An eye for goal, Abraham scored in England’s elimination to Germany, whilst his 23 league goals for Bristol City last season make him a prolific scorer.
Did they exceed expectations?
England made the final four alongside Germany, Italy and Spain in Poland. That itself is a great achievement. After missing out on the last U21 European Championship in 2015, it just goes to show just how far this team has come.
While there’s still a lot to be learned at youth level, there’s plenty of positives that the coaching hierarchy can take from England’s U21 performances in Poland. All eligible but not made available, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford could well have provided Boothroyd with the threat he most desperately needed if England were ever to reach the final.
What needs to happen from a domestic level now is for clubs to be supported by the football association. Money needs to be made available to academies, whilst Premier League clubs should really be featuring some of their younger stars rather than loaning them out.
Will England learn from this? Fans will have to see in 12 months’ time at the World Cup in Russia.
