England under 21s lose in final

England’s old adversaries Germany had the last laugh as they handed out a comprehensive thrashing in the under-21s European Championship finals. The team had done us proud to get this far under coach Stuart Pearce but put in a lack-lustre performance.

Fans had been hoping for a better display and, for the first time in years, there was actually as much interest in the UEFA European Under-21 Football as for the full squad or World Cup. It’s just a pity that the rights to show the match fell to Sky which meant millions of would-be viewers missed out. Good job too, some will be saying, considering Germany put away four goals and England just failed to fire. But let’s share the attitude of Pearce who revealed after the match that he has signed another two year contract to continue his great work as the England under-21 manager.

Some might have expected passionate Pearce to blast his young players but he was more philosophic. “Hats off to Germany,” he commented. “You have to be humble but it hurts. But we have to learn from this. It’s a learning curve for the players. They must stick together and be humble and support each other.” It’s difficult to inspire your team for the future with the memory of a crushing 4-0 score line very much on their minds. But we must all remember this was the first time in 25 years that England have reached a major tournament final and the under-21s should be commended, not criticised, for their achievement.

The team was, of course, without some key players due to injury and suspensions, including keeper Joe Hart and Gabriel Agbonlaher. However, Pearce is very much a 23-squad man and believes all-round strength is what it takes to win silverware. Some of the young players will certainly be wondering what the future holds for them, not least after hearing this comment from the manager: “Half of this group can go on again.” So which half has a future with England and which half doesn’t? There are certainly question marks over Theo Walcott who has failed to sparkle so far. He’s got the talent, the pace and the ability so Pearce will need to find his key.

Germany put on a really slick display and Scott Loach in goal tried his best but would Hart have kept the deficit down a bit? England went 1-0 down in 23 minutes but at least kept the half-time score line to a respectable level. But three goals in the second half from Mesot Ozil and Sandro Wagner (2) showed the German under-21 side are a force to be reckoned with and could eventually revitalise the senior squad. England’s Lee Cattermole nearly made his mark by hitting the bar but there was to be no consolation goal. Pearce, 47, who joined England in 2007, confessed that losing did chew him up but also inspired him to become a better coach and manager. Let’s hope players adopt the same ethos.

Certainly, Pearce has absolutely no intention of walking away. He loves the job and is optimistic for the future. So let’s share his ethos and applaud the under-21s for a great all-round performance in the 2009 European Championships. It might not have the happy ending we had all hoped for but there’s always next time.