Will succuss breed success for England's Under-21s?

Following a dismal outing by the senior side on Saturday, a 2-2 draw with Switzerland said to be as a result of tiredness, many commentators are calling for a change of the guard in the current England side.

With the European Under-21 Championships set to get underway on Saturday this is the perfect opportunity for those in the squad to put their hands up for selection to replace those ‘tired’ legs that took the field at Wembley on Saturday.

Whether they are tired or just simply aging is another question. With the back bone of the side made up of John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, all influential for club they do appear to go missing for country more often that not.

Terry, Ferdinand and Lampard all find themselves the wrong side of 30 and following such a poor World Cup campaign in South Africa last year the question has to be asked, what are they still doing there?

Now, I may be accused of making scapegoats of three of my least favourite players here but the same can be said for Steven Gerrard, who missed the Swiss clash through injury, and Ashley Cole. Are they still fit for purpose looking ahead to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?

As the so called ‘Golden Age’ of England, who have achieved very little at international level, moves on into retirement and the world of football punditry that will follow now is the perfect opportunity for those competing in Denmark this month to put their hands up for selection.

With the view for many that the future lies in Stuart Pearce’s under-21 squad are we following the lead of the European super powers that have triumphed in the continental competition and at the World Cup recently?

The simple answer is not particularly. Take Spain for example, between the years 2000 & ’09 they did not compete in a single European under-21s competition due to lack of qualification. The reason why? The majority of their players eligible for selection to the under-21s side were already representing the senior side.

Of the 2010 World Cup winning squad only three members had come from the party that travelled to the European under-21 competition in 2000, Xavi, Joan Capdevila and Carles Puyol. To add to this only one Spaniard who represented the under-21s outfit at the 2009 competition was included in the 2010 party, Javi Martinez.

Five members of Italy’s 2006 World Cup winning squad represented the under-21s who were triumphant in ’04. Alberto Gilardinio, Cristian Zaccardo, Marco Amelia and Andre Barzagli all travelled as part of their 23-man squad to Germany.

Not only were the Italians triumphant in 2004 but also 2000, from this squad two members picked up winners medals in 2006, Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Guttusso.

So I say to those pinning all your hopes on Psycho’s boys, who open their campaign against Spain on Sunday, let’s not get our hopes up too much so we can write their future’s off like those in the press seem to enjoy doing so much.

Should they be triumphant and go one step further than two years previous, where the Germans were our downfall again, it will not necessarily mean immediate success for the senior side as many seem to expect.

Perhaps we should follow the lead of the Spanish and blood our youngsters that little bit earlier in the way we have done with the extraordinary talent of Jack Wilshire and Andy Carroll. This would happen however at the expense of the under-21s side.

Why have those playing under-21s football when they are clearly good enough and adding value to the senior side? It’s a dilemma.

It is up to those at the FA to decide do we follow the lead of the Spanish or do we try and achieve what the Italians have, progressing those under-21 winners into the senior side and onto to World Cup success in the not too distant future. . . .

As for the dead wood that was on show on Saturday at the home of football, it needs shifting. Quickly.