England vs. Germany FIFA World Cup: England's Golden Generation Fails Again

Germany 4-1 England

England has been eliminated from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after an inept display in losing to a classy Germany side.

Germany out-ran, out-passed, and out-classed an England side that looked every bit the older team.

The major talking point will, of course, be the goal that never was from Frank Lampard, but that only masks the fact that England was poor in every aspect of the game.

As a long time follower of England, it makes me wonder how every new manager that takes over the England team persists with playing Lampard and Gerrard on the same team, despite the fact that it is painfully obvious that they can't play together.

Gerrard constantly came inside during today's round of 16 game, leaving the left flank empty and narrowing the midfield. Consequently, every time a player looked to spread the play left, there was no option. 

Why do England managers keep picking the best individuals and not the best team?

Gerrard and Lampard can simply not play in the same team.

Why was there no left winger even picked in the squad?

Speaking of which, Fabio Cappello was clearly wrong in his squad selection. It shows how low the national team has sank when we call from the bench Shaun Wright-Phillips and Emile Heskey to change a game!

I almost laughed and cried at the same time when that happened. 

Wright-Phillips can not even get in the Manchester City team and Heskey has scored 7 goals in over 50 internationals; hardly the change-a-game when you need it! 

England's exit from the World Cup needs to cause a seismic shift in thinking in the National set up and the blame should not all be laid at Cappello's door. The Italian will likely resign or be sacked and rightly so, but at the end of the day, the players need to take responsibility. 

England needs to cut a clean break and look to the future as the Germans have done so well with their youthful team.

Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, James, Rio Ferdinand, Heskey, Barry will all be too old by the next World Cup and have simply not delivered for their country. 

They should all be cut.

Let's pick players for the future and build a real team; not a collection of the best individuals.

The England U-21 set-up is good and has been successful. We have the young players coming through, they just need to be given the chance.

Joe Hart, Theo Walcott, Adam Johnson, Lee Cattermole, Gary Cahill, and Ryan Shawcross have already been in and around the full international side and squad.

Let's build to the future and not give the failed, so called "Golden Generation", any more chances. 

Trust should be placed in these players for the future.