England are taking stock after a hugely disappointing European Under-21 Championship in which they took only one point from their three group games, conceding nine goals in the process during defeats to France and Romania and a draw with Croatia on Monday evening.
Having put increased emphasis on international tournaments at age group level, the other side of the coin for the FA is an increase in scrutiny when things do not go according to plan.
In years gone by that scrutiny may have been focused on the systems and structures in place behind the scenes but even a relatively poor run in such competitions over the past year or so is unlikely to bring criticism on that front given the manner in which the senior team have been performing, the ease at which players have gone through the ranks into Gareth Southgate's side being the ultimate vindication.
Instead the focus has been on Under-21 head coach Aidy Boothroyd for his preparation, selections and tactics during the Euros themselves.
The manner of his route into the job, after being sacked by League Two strugglers Northampton Town, has been brought up in the wake of the tournament, a stick that could easily have been used against Southgate himself had things turned out differently with the senior team in Russia last year.