Could England be World Cup contenders in the 2020's?
I think they can. I'm not prone to optimism in sport but there is a striking array of young talent coming through and this is better than anytime I can remember:
https://versus.uk.com/2018/08/25-best-young-english-football-players-right-now/
There are also plenty missing from that list like Harry Winks who is 22 and playing very well for Tottenham.
England did well to finish fourth in the last WC and that was probably an over-achievement given the playing resources available. France, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Belgium and Croatia all had (and still have) stronger player pools.
However, the England junior teams have been consistently successful for a few years and history shows that this is an indicator for the future. It's mostly a result of English clubs belatedly improving their academy systems to catch up with the best of the world in terms of producing youth talent.
https://versus.uk.com/2018/08/25-best-young-english-football-players-right-now/
There are also plenty missing from that list like Harry Winks who is 22 and playing very well for Tottenham.
England did well to finish fourth in the last WC and that was probably an over-achievement given the playing resources available. France, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Belgium and Croatia all had (and still have) stronger player pools.
However, the England junior teams have been consistently successful for a few years and history shows that this is an indicator for the future. It's mostly a result of English clubs belatedly improving their academy systems to catch up with the best of the world in terms of producing youth talent.
41-45, M
