How England's 'Golden Generation' describe the reasons why they failed

Tactical shortcomings, misguided managers aliases stellar opponents are among nan galore reasons often cited why England's alleged 'Golden Generation' grounded to present occurrence connected nan pitch.

Former skipper Steven Gerrard's recent study that they were simply "egotistical losers" besides plays into nan nine cliques statement that has travel to nan fore since galore retired arsenic players.

Squads boasting nan likes of nan Liverpool fable positive David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen reached 3 successive awesome quarter-finals betwixt 2002-06 earlier failing to suffice for Euro 2008 and bowing retired of nan 2010 World Cup successful nan past 16 to Germany.

Surely they should person done better, is really nan communicative goes, particularly pinch protect options for illustration Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, John Terry and Ashley Cole that existent leader Thomas Tuchel would surely beryllium envious of.

BBC Sport looks astatine nan factors that inhibited 1 of England's astir talented group of players.

Club complete state and nan fiercely competitory Premier League rivalries betwixt Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal often travel up arsenic a problem.

Speaking arsenic a impermanent connected nan Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast 45-year-old Gerrard, who won 114 caps and played astatine six awesome tournaments without reaching a semi-final, said: "I deliberation we were each egotistical losers.

"Why didn't we link erstwhile we were 20, 21, 22, 23? Was it ego? Was it rivalry?

"It was down to nan civilization wrong England. We weren't friends aliases connected. We weren't a team. We ne'er astatine immoderate shape became a really good, beardown team."

That position has been shared by some Ferdinand and Lampard antecedently connected TNT Sports., external

"You consciousness truthful passionately astir nan nine you play for pinch your team-mates, your ain performances, that to beryllium a spot pally pinch personification you're competitory with... it whitethorn person [held backmost England]," Lampard said.

"We didn't dislike each different but by quality we would beryllium connected different tables."

But fixed Italy won nan 2006 World Cup pinch players from a competitory postulation of Serie A clubs and Spain won everything successful show from 2008-2012 pinch players from bitter rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, it felt for illustration England's problems ran deeper, pinch Ferdinand stating location "were truthful galore variables that affected us".

Then FA main executive Adam Crozier coined nan word 'Golden Generation' pursuing England's 5-1 World Cup qualifying distant triumph complete Germany successful 2001.

But astatine nan 2002 World Cup it was nan Germans who reached nan last successful Japan and England, who were without nan injured Neville and Gerrard and pinch Beckham only "75%" fit,, external were knocked retired successful nan past 8 by Ronaldinho's freak free-kick for eventual champions Brazil.

Still, during nan early 2000s, England's midfield - astatine slightest connected insubstantial - was arsenic bully arsenic immoderate around.

But were nan strategy and tactics? Under Sven-Goran Eriksson (and later Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello) England stuck rigidly to a 4-4-2 statement pinch Beckham connected nan right.

Gerrard and Lampard, who struggled to dovetail, were paired centrally and Scholes, who nan Swede regarded arsenic his "most talented player," was shunted left.

Speaking to Ferdinand, Gerrard said location should person been a measurement to deploy each 3 centrally, while Neville suggested pivoting to a 3-5-2, external could person brought glory.

Realistically, would it person made a difference?

In summation to nan mercurial Ronaldinho, Brazil's star-studded squad featured Cafu, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Lucio to sanction but a few. France could telephone upon Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram and Robert Pires.

Meanwhile, Spain fielded Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Xavi, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos.

So, while England had nan luxury of awesome players, different starring nations did too.

"The elephant successful nan room is that, successful those tournaments, location were different teams who were simply amended than us," said erstwhile goalkeeper David James connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

James, who won 53 caps for England, added: "They tin extremity you from being your champion and you tin lose. If you want to blasted egotistical players, you're astir apt missing nan existent rumor - which is that sometimes, different teams are simply better.

"We conscionable weren't bully enough. It's not that we didn't person awesome players - we perfectly did - but erstwhile I started reasoning astir nan deficiency of relationship wrong nan squad, it became clear that thing was missing."

England's preparations and performances astatine football's bluish riband competitions person ever seemed to beryllium hampered by wounded problems to cardinal personnel.

Former England and Manchester United skipper Bryan Robson's woes successful 1986 and 1990 were highlighted arsenic a awesome obstruction to World Cup occurrence by Sir Bobby Robson and Des Walker,, external and fittingness concerns were often a thorny issue for nan likes of Beckham, Owen, Rooney, Ferdinand and Gerrard., external

The psychological unit of punishment shootouts was highlighted by Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo erstwhile he talked of taking advantage of the fearfulness successful English eyes successful 2006, external., external

So was nan civilization and mentation each it could be?

Scholes has said he retired prematurely from world work because he wished to debar agelong stints distant from his family, while England lurched from nan circus of nan WAG arena successful 2006, external that Neville has since criticised,, external to nan regimented and distant campy successful Rustenburg successful 2010 during Capello's tenure that near Terry and Rooney complaining of boredom.

"Spending hours successful hotels trying to entertain yourself was tough. That benignant of isolation tin deterioration connected you," added James.

"In 2010, we were successful a beautiful hotel, but it was correct successful nan mediate of nan training facility. We couldn't flight football.

"Meanwhile, we'd spot images of Ghana stepping retired of their hotel, being mobbed by fans. It was beautiful to spot - nan World Cup being enjoyed nan measurement it should be."