England's youth teams were the envy of the world in 2017 but today the picture is completely different.
It had been a bad year already, but any hope that the Under 21s would salvage things was extinguished on Friday when they crashed out of the European Championships.
Coach Aidy Boothroyd is in the firing line and accepts he must answer strong questions on his return to St George’s Park.
Questions have been asked about England's youth setup after the Under-21s' disappointment
Under-21 coach Aidy Boothroyd made a mistake by naming Phil Foden (centre) on the bench
Boothroyd will have some explaining to do when he is questioned after the tournament
He made a mistake not picking Phil Foden for the crucial game against Romania but the failure in Italy was down to more than the non-selection of one player.
How England and the FA respond to these setbacks will determine how they progress. Here The Mail on Sunday examines the issues that have risen and the problems that must be solved.
Why has it turned out so badly for the U21s?
Boothroyd took a good squad to Italy but it wasn’t as strong as it could have been. He would have included Sean Longstaff but the Newcastle United midfielder damaged his cruciate ligament and the plan to use him in the team’s holding role was scuppered.
Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi (ruptured Achilles tendon) and Everton midfielder Tom Davies (badly damaged shoulder) were other key absentees.
Boothroyd would have included Sean Longstaff if he didn't damage his cruciate ligament
Injuries, though, are part and parcel of football. England looked ragged at the end of both the games against France and Romania — they conceded three penalties in two games, let in six goals and Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury was sent off for a horrible challenge against France.
‘We planned for months,’ said Boothroyd. ‘We knew what we were doing. We were really happy with everything. We have not been clinical. We have made individual errors towards the end of games.
'We were just not as good as we should have been. It won’t be brushed under the carpet. I don’t work like
