Tomorrow never knows

English football looked to have taken a step forward when the U-21s were exposed in Denmark ... and then Stuart Pearce was rewarded with a new 2 year contract. Amazing. What Pearce did wrong could be read and re-read in a Howard Wilkinson manual and shown through the grained images of a skysports 'classics' show. England do not have the ability to move forward - they don't even have the will. If there was any direction or forward thinking, Ian Holloway's phone would have yet to stop ringing.


Thnakfully for Jordan Henderson and Phil Jones, Wimbledon has started and Rory MciIroy has taken over the 'back pages'. If not the journalists of this great footballing nation would be actively seeking answers.... or so you would believe.

The thing is ... there are less secrets now than ever. If you are insane enough to look through the history of tweets that the UK journalists graced the world with throughout this tournament you would see that the U-21s are simply 'little England'. Little England for the Little Englanders. It sets up quite well on a fully-paid jolly.

The celebration of Phil Jones was well off the mark. His ability to charge into tackles and push attacks with deliberate runs made him look a little like a young John Terry. His inability to marshall his defence at crucial moments without they help of quality Portugal international had an uncomfortable and familiar ring to it.

Journalists now have a new Manchester United star to interview - they will not want to lose that particular avenue of selling papers.

The conservative Czechs comfortably held England at arms length for long periods before going behind late in the game from a good cross and header from the athletic Danny Wellbeck.

When they changed their game plan with the use of substitutes and attacked in earnest - the manager and his young charges were lost at sea.

England's composure deserted them and they meekly surrendered their advantage .The back four had flattered to deceive as they knocked it around to each other when under no pressure but once under the cosh played like a Sunday League team with agricultural clearances and naive ball watching.

"We're disappointed," said Pearce. "Once you get your nose in front at that stage of the game you hope to see it out."

 Pearce stated that England didn't have the doggedness to see out the victory - it was delivered in a dead-pan Eric Morcambe manner .. but we still await the cheeky wink or grin to reaasure us that he really knows that was all England could ever offer.

Daniel Sturridge must fly home in frustration. He was the best performer in an England shirt by some distance and he must leave Chelsea immediately if they unwilling to entertain his talents.

So the cycle of underachievement goes on, and a squad valued at £164 million in the Premier League's inflated thirst for junior talent, proved unable to beat youngsters playing for the likes of Slovan Liberec, and FK Jablonec.

"People don't realise the magnitude of the group we were put in," Pearce said. "You've only got to look at the other group. A team's come out of that group having lost two matches". Pearce neglected to mention that his team had not won one..

"I have to wait until the dust settles a bit and look at the players individually and see the scenario and report on it to Fabio [Capello]," Pearce said.

England's midfield was a mess. With the inexplicable decision to elevate  Michael Mancienne to captain status and the obligation to make Jordan Henderson a mainstay as he is now considered an expensive gift. Ther was no balance or direction. The criminally under-used Jack Rodwell sat waiting on the sidelines, kept the ball when on the field, before being tossed aside when the clamour of the media and their British bulldog manager wanted England to 'force-it'.

This was certainly no 'training exercise' for bigger things. This was an attempt to push tournament football on TV and through papers. It was a self-serving exercise for a limited coach to try to position himself ahead of Brendan Rogers, Holloway and perhaps Harry Redknapp. Forget Rodwell and Jack Wilshire being tidy midfielders at Euro 2012 who will not surrender the ball from kick-off within the 8 seconds that England did against Spain in Denmark. There is simply no desire for that to take place. We have to wait on the transfers of the popular clubs to see how the team will be moulded.

You can sell hope. You can always sell it. Take a look at the reports in the nationals and you will see the U-17s squeezed into this partiucular impossible equation. Trevor Brooking put those kids in the spotlight as early as last summer. There will be jam tomorrow.