England exited the 2018 World Cup at the semi-final stage with a 2-1 loss to Croatia.
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Three Lions on Wednesday. A 1-0 lead turned into a 2-1 loss after 120 minutes of football, and England’s “it’s coming home” slogan turned into “they’re going home” as underdogs Croatia advanced to the World Cup final.
Despite the loss, England exceeded all expectations making it to the semi-finals. Their relatively inexperienced squad had a good tournament and their young manager Gareth Southgate has earned plenty of plaudits from around the footballing world for breathing new life into the Three Lions.
England showed some shades of their past poor performances in the final 75 minutes against Croatia, but with the majority of their squad being under 25 (u25), and some world-class prospects coming through their youth sides, England fans have plenty to look forward to.
England’s youth sides have been extremely successful in recent years, winning many international trophies.
Many have accused the English media of putting too much expectation on young players, but with the success of their youth teams lately, how can someone refrain from doing that?
U17 World Cup winners, U19 European Champions, U20 World Cup winners, U21 Euro semi-finalists. A truly impressive record in youth football leaves many people expecting more from the England senior team in the coming years.
The two World Cup wins were particularly impressive. Both the U17 and U20 World Cup wins featured victories over other big footballing nations including Spain U17, Brazil U17, Argentina U20, and Italy U20. England have one of the best batches of U21 players in the world. Perhaps only France have a better group.
Many of England’s U21 footballers are already making an impact at senior level.
We’ve seen Marcus Rashford and Trent Alexander-Arnold play their part for the England first team, but many of the U21 players are already playing for their clubs.
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The electric Ryan Sessegnon was named in the EFL Championship Team of the Year last season at just 17-years-old, and is set to play a key part in Fulham’s Premier League adventure this coming season. Chelsea loanee Mason Mount is tipped to become an England star, and was one of Eredivisie’s highest-rated players this past season when he was on loan with Vitesse Arnhem.
Arsenal’s poor form in recent years has allowed Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson, and Eddie Nketiah find decent playing time in domestic cup and European competition. Even Phil Foden has managed to find a bit of playing time in Pep Guardiola’s congested Manchester City midfield. Jadon Sancho made the bold move to Borussia Dortmund last summer and it has completely paid off, as he is now a firm part of their first team.
Although some of the England’s youth stars are yet to make an impact in their clubs’ first-team, such as Hudson-Odoi, Gomes, and Brewster, they are continuing to impress at youth level and should feature in the Premier League soon.
It’s time for Gareth Southgate to start incorporating some of his nations’ youth stars into the senior side.
It’s no secret that England’s weakest area is in midfield. They have no Kroos, Thiago, or Modric of their own that can create chances and retain the ball.
We saw this as a huge issue when they lost to Croatia on Wednesday, as Kane and Sterling struggled to connect with the players behind them. England do however, possess some quality midfielders in the youth sides that we mentioned earlier, that could aid the senior team.
Next: Croatia Send England Home
Hopefully Phil Foden can earn a bigger spot at Man City or secure a loan move, which would make him useful to the England squad. He plays primarily as a creative central midfielder, as does Chelsea ace Mason Mount.
England have done a great job incorporating their youth talent into the squad in recent times, and they must continue to do so if they are to reach the next level and compete for top honours.