LADYMAN: Where are the new kids on the block to take England forward?

The holes in technique, mentality and intelligence exposed by the quick passing of Croatia suggest a percentage of the squad McClaren relied on to take England to the Euro 2008 finals next summer are simply not good enough.

Manchester City's Micah Richards has taken to international football well, the muchmaligned David Bentley would appear to have a winner's mentality and the re-emergence of Gareth Barry reflects well on a versatile and talented footballer.

But on the evidence of the past 18 months — and not just Wednesday's spectacular implosion — Wayne Bridge, Shaun Wright- Phillips, Joleon Lescott, Alan Smith, Stewart Downing and even Joe Cole have done precious little to advance their causes.

Lescott has a lot to learn, Wright-Phillips, Downing, Jermain Defoe, Paul Robinson, Michael Carrick, Kieran Richardson, Jermaine Jenas, Joey Barton and Everton's Andy Johnson have gone backwards, while Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon has dropped off the radar altogether.

How many of these players would be good enough for Italy, France, Spain, Portugal or Holland? How many would get in the Croatia team that brought McClaren's world crashing down?

Former England captain David Beckham said: 'There must be something wrong, but I don't know what it is. We're a nation with some of the best players in the world and we should be qualifying, no matter what.

'I've always said the foreign players who have come to England have made the Premier League better and improved the quality of the home-grown players. I don't know what's coming through at the moment.'

The end of the road may already have come for Beckham, Sol Campbell, Gary and Phil Neville and David James. Michael Owen's future will depend on his fitness.

Finding replacements, however, will not be easy from a domestic English league that continues to exist on a football diet quite out of step with the game played by the rest of the world.

As the nation scans the squads of 20 Premiership clubs for signs of green shoots, perhaps the most natural place to look for hope is the Under 21 squad.

Stuart Pearce's young lions reached the last four of last summer's European Championship on the back of terrific performances from defenders such as Everton's Leighton Baines, Nedum Onouha of Manchester City, Newcastle's Steven Taylor and, ironically, goalkeeper Scott Carson.

There was also much to admire in the contributions of West Ham's midfielder Mark Noble and Newcastle's James Milner, but none of them have kicked on sufficiently at club level this season to force their way into the senior squad.

Manchester City coach Sven Goran Eriksson has high hopes for his 20-year-old midfielder Michael Johnson, who has a passing range and turn of pace that could prove valuable at the top level.

Another intelligent distributor of the ball is Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone but there are concerns about a heavy physique that restricts his mobility in the holding midfield role.

Elsewhere, it is inconceivable that centre forward Gabriel Agbonlahor will not join his Aston Villa club mate Ashley Young in the national set-up — especially if their club manager Martin O'Neill gets the England job — while Theo Walcott will become a squad regular if he continues to benefit from Arsene Wenger's gentle nurturing at Arsenal.

Manchester United reserve goalkeeper Ben Foster could have been England's No 1 by now if he hadn't suffered a knee injury on loan at Watford last season. His prospects depend solely on the nature of his recovery.

As for former captain Beckham, he continues to rail against the passing of time and will be irritated by suggestions that his international career should be brought to an end.

Certainly, the future of a man who will be 35 by the time of the South Africa World Cup in 2010 will be a debating point once a new coach is appointed.

If we want to build a team capable of winning the next World Cup, Beckham goes. If we want a team capable merely of getting there, he stays.

The same can be said of the Nevilles and, indeed, Campbell.