What now for England?

England exceeded expectations at the World Cup, but they must capitalize on this progress if they want to win a major tournament.

The dust has finally settled after easily the best World Cup we’ve seen in our time. But before getting caught up in the wave of club soccer, a few questions are left to be settled, not the least of which concerns on the tournament’s most surprising teams. What now for England?

England had a very good tournament, but external factors played a significant role. They got luck with the draw, and lost to arguably the only two good teams they faced, Croatia and twice against Belgium, although neither game was particularly meaningful.

The bridge between the traditional big boys and the underdogs has reduced, as Uruguay, Croatia, Sweden and Switzerland showed us. England should be part of this category.

However, Brazil, Belgium and France are miles ahead of this young England side. Germany and Spain may have had shocks to their system this time around, but you can be sure they’ll both be back stronger in a couple of years. Both teams have a ridiculous talent pool to choose from, and man management will be what decides their success.

England have to do the same. In Gareth Southgate, they have a manager who has been groomed for international soccer. His time in the youth teams was key. He knows players across ages and his ability to pick the right side at the right time will be a major factor in how this side progress.

Next: England vs. Belgium - highlights

Despite all the work put into set-pieces and playing out from the back, England’s lack of clear-cut chances from open play cost them. To be fair to Southgate, he recognized this problem. The threat England posed on set plays was a result of this. The high press and free roles given to Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli were a byproduct of this problem. And it worked well for them, until it didn’t.

England and Southgate will take heart from this World Cup, however, as they should. But Southgate will know England can’t rely on this system for too long. Harry Kane barely carried any threat this tournament, despite winning the Golden Boot. At Spurs, Kane has Christian Eriksen to pick him out.

England need something similar. England’s youth teams have got a wealth of attacking talent to choose from. In Lewis Cook, they have a creative number 6 who captained his U-20 England team to a World Cup win last year. Cook’s style of play and composure on the ball is impressive. Given the chance, he could be England’s next great central midfielder.

Harry Winks, who had a poor seasons while struggling with injury, is also more creative than Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson. If he’s able to rediscover the form he showed in the early months of 2017-18, he’ll be back in the reckoning for the England side.

Up ahead, Jadon Sancho and Phil Foden just came off a World Cup-winning summer last year with the U-17s, while Mason Mount, Ryan Sessegnon and Lukas Nmecha were part of the U-19 squad that won the Euros last year.

Ensuring these players get the first-team opportunities they need at club level is essential. England have had great youth teams for a long time, but far too often these players don’t make it at the senior level.

Southgate has to address this problem with the same determination he has shown so far. England can’t afford to lose any more talent to the haze of tabloids and public expectations. Creative gems like Foden or Sancho must be cultivated.

There’s plenty of praise for England after their run in the World Cup. And rightly so. But this euphoria needs to be tempered with caution. The future has always represented hope and glory for England. They have the talent now. The hard part is finding a way to make the most of it.