I am all for putting the correct structure in place FLT, like the German Way, but I don't see why we can't make the best of the current playing group. The Germans didn't abandon their national expectations while they rebuilt. Which is why I'm suggesting a manager for the players of now, and a football director for the long term. You can't expect a whole group to suddenly emerge from the seed roots, take the wrapping off and play brilliantly. They have to learn too. But they have to do it in a structure that gradually phases out the older players and the older structure. By the way, this has all been done before. When Alf Ramsey was appointed, the England setup underwent a fundamental change. Indeed, his demand for taking the job was that he was to be allowed to change the system to his way, or he wasn't interested. And England were not a bad team before his appointment. They at least played to the sum of their parts. Ramsey's teams over achieved and eventually underachieved, and that's more or less what we've had to the present day, apart from Bobby Robson's 1990's WC semi-final. The present one clearly doesn't play to the sum of their parts, so it is not unreasonable that there should be some proper attention spent there. But I agree, let's revamp the FA system, because it isn't working well enough.
The Germans did actually abandon national expectation. They said they were starting again and rebuilding and they told the country and the media. They got it right very quickly though.
If you don't remove that expectation, we will always be looking short term. I stand by my view. We will not get it right unless we start again and focus lower down the chain. Don't worry about the first team. What happens, happens.
I read lots of people talking about getting the current group of players to do more, however I've heard that for nearly every group of players for the last 40 years. We need to change the make up and mind set of how we teach football. We are behind so many nations.
