Yet, the mistakes that gifted Switzerland two goals would not have been averted by Young’s inclusion and, on the subject of energy levels, what was he meant to say?

Challenged about the fitness of the players on the eve of the game, he could hardly predict they would go out like a box of lights at around 70 minutes as usual. He was torn between levelling with his audience and saying what they needed to hear; we cannot handle the truth.

England are a good football team, certainly within the world’s top 10. England’s cricket team are in the world’s top three. Andy Murray is among the world’s best four tennis players. Manchester United are arguably second only to Barcelona in European club football.

Does any of this win you a tournament? No. It gets you beaten by the better team, or man, on the day. Invariably there will be a superior version of you.

Murray can beat the field, even injured; but then he will hit one of the top three seeds and come up short.
England’s cricketers stood on the brink of series victory in South Africa last year, but were crushed in Johannesburg in the last Test.

Not the answer: Darren Bent (right) should have won the match for England but missed a sitter

All the romantic idealism about the echoes of 1968 for United could not get the ball off Barcelona at Wembley last month. And some very obvious flaws place England on a familiar path to the tournament next summer.

What has changed is that, some years ago, if a manager left out an in-form player, such as Young, the critics disagreed. Now he does it and the critics say he should be sacked, even when top of the table.

Then they claim Abramovich’s dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea is a knee-jerk reaction and that more patience is required.

It makes no sense. There is no reason to believe Harry Redknapp, or any English manager, could greatly improve England right now.

Had Young started we presume the performance would have been better, yet he was on for 43  minutes, including added time, with the score at 2-2 and the momentum in England’s favour, yet could not unlock Switzerland’s defence for the winning goal.

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