England left decimated after Germany's shock and Ozil tactics.

Where do you even start after that performance? Lampard's goal or not there was no way England players could justify that performance. Is it Capello's fault? Is it the players? Is the FA? Is it a combination of all three alongside the insular nature of Premier League football and hysteria of the press. These players haven't performed at a major tournament since the Euro's in Portugal in '04, and I may even be seeing that through England tinted glasses. Let's take nothing away from Germany and Joachim Löw, who produced a stunning display of attacking football. They held possession well, the midfield might as well have had a German flag planted in it such was their domination, Ozil was superb, Klose was more than a match for Upson or Terry. Rooney rarely troubled their rather slow defence, but what he did stumble at them they dealt with very well. As they say, you can only defet the opponents put in front of you, and they did that with gusto. just a thought, but are Germany the only team at the World Cup to have a goalkeeper with a credited assist? that first goal was s shocker for England, but Klose did what he had to do very well. If this was 'men against boys' they were very, very old looking men.

Firstly looking at Capello, with papers screaming for his resignation or sacking (which has nothing to do with attitude towards them), is this really the way forward? Where are England going to find another manager of his pedigree? There has to be some responsibility laid at his door when it comes down to his refusal to budge from the rigid 4-4-2 formation that was made to look horribly outdated long before the Germany game. Modern football is a possession game, the physical side is being replaced by technical ability, comfort on the ball and possession built attack. Or, the counter to that is the Uruguay stance or at club level the Mourinho approach. Soaking up the pressure and playing on the counter attack, allowing your opponent to play football in front of you, but not behind. 4-4-2 has been replaced with a fluid 4-3-3 which becomes a 4-5-1 when defending. Attacking full backs are a must at this level, something Brazil have been showing the world for decades. For Capello, is it stubbornness that doesn't allow him to change or the personnel available? Would playing Gerrard just behind Rooney at this World Cup really have made all the difference? Gerrard who has had a lacklustre season for Liverpool and Rooney who's had a torrid time at this tournament.

Capello has an impeccable CV, he has won the domestic title with every club has has managed, AC Milan (4 titles, 1 CL) Real Madrid (2 titles in 2 spells in charge), Roma (1) Juventus (2 - though later stripped after the Calciopoli scandal). Overall he won 7 titles (9 with Juve titles) in 16 seasons as a professional coach. he also led AC Milan on a 58 match unbeaten run. Now where are England going to get another manager with those credentials? Everyone likes Roy Hodgson, he's a man that has experience abroad, is a great tactician and sees things in players maybe others have missed. He is, by all accounts, a man who repeats drills over and over again until they become second nature, not one to nurture natural flair, maybe that would suit England's limited players better. It is only England that has blotted Capello's CV, some of that belongs to him, a large portion must be shared by players and FA alike.

If we're honest, is there a player that was left behind in England that could have made a difference? The players at his disposal were the best we had to offer, and that in itself is a damning indictment of the FA and youth policies across the country. From what I've heard, 8(ish) years ago, the German FA made vast investment in youth football and relaxed eligibility rules for the national side. Since then the players coming through, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Khadeira and Muller, are both diverse and, more importantly taking Germany further down the road of exciting football that Jurgen Klinsmann began 6 years ago. they are all technically gifted footballers who are comfortable on the ball, a few more defender would help, but going forward they are impressive. Where are our equivalent players? Ashley Cole is the last top class defender we've produced, he's 29. Capello took England's weakest squad for many a tournament to South Africa, but it's been on the cards for a while. Anyone remember the players Graham Taylor had to chose from? To go back to the original question, is there a player left in England who could have made a difference? Walcott? Adam Johnson? Richard Wall?

England looked defensively frail all tournament, John Terry had a great game against Slovenia, but that bustle defending doesn't work against a team like Germany, and it's depressing England had to resort to that last ditch tackle style against that type of opposition. Germany passed it round Terry and Upson like training ground mannequins. They were pulled from pillar to post and didn't get near either. There were holes in that defence big enough for James Cordon to exploit. Cole and Johnson allowed Muller and Podolski to look good. Johnson especially offered very little attacking threat throughout, which is supposed to be his main attribute. James Milner should have been attacking the decidedly shaky Jerome Boateng, but instead found himself in the middle of the park, and often within spitting distance of Gerrard, is this the ineveitable outcome of playing 4 central midfielders across the park, or just indiscipline. Schweinsteiger found room all game long. Their 5 man midfield played the extra man beautifully, and Ozil (at 21) looked a very accomplished footballer. there were definitely questions as to how he would perform against a good team, and unfortunately they still remain unanswered. Gareth Barry was outpaced, out-thought, out-played and horribly wasteful in possession. He looked ponderous and uncomfortable, he was there to protect the back four but didn't. It's possible he spent most of the game looking for them such was their positional sense.

Mark Lawrence made a couple of good points, for goals 3 & 4 England had possesion around the German's 18 yard line and managed to concede 15 seconds later. Lampard's free kick was horrendous, which has been true for large portions of the tournament. If there are 8 England players in the box, you have to clear the wall, instead of shooting put a ball in people can attack, otherwise, well, we all saw what happens.

Another question for the FA and Capello, is he the person best placed to turn it around for England, he has seen England at their worst, he knows what it takes to make a winning team, is it time for him to build for the next World Cup. Build a team for 4 years time? The Euro's come as tournament experience, and yes they'll lose games but building a team that's for the future. How many of these players have played their last World Cup? After some of those performances, maybe half.

Is the England job the international equivalent of the current Liverpool position? The poisoned chalice of football. A once great team that has sky high expectations, occasionally perform miracles at which point all associated with the team believe they are world beaters, and then comes the ignominious defeat and then the vitriolic contempt pours forth.

It seems time to breed a new team, the Gerrard/Lampard question has dogged England since Scholes retired and the answer has been obvious, but an alternative has not. Of the 11 starters against Germany, how many have played no just their last tournament, but their last game for England, more than 1 I suspect.