Have England dipped to its lowest low in its footballing history?

Last night, hearts sank and expectations dropped to what must conceivably be an all time low for English football. After an eventful and miscalculated journey in their group at Euro 2016, England took on a buoyant and well drilled Iceland side ranked 34th in the world in the Round of 16 stage, and as they say - the rest is certainly now history. England succumbed to a sobering defeat, with a lack of energy, a lack of direction and a simple lack of organisation and determination. Full Time asks, have England found a new low in their footballing history?

Optimism is often a dangerous path to cross when discussing the prospects of any England side and perhaps no more so than when discussing Euro 2016. After fantastic victories against France and Germany in pre-tournament friendlies, there was a right to own a quiet belief in some of the most talented young players the nation has produced in recent years. Dele Alli, Harry Kane, and co performed brilliantly in both games, offering a realistic belief that perhaps these players could take England into unchartered territory once again. Oh how wrong we were. Both Alli and Kane severely underperformed in a group where they should truly have been lighting up the tournament judging by their club form throughout the season. Likewise, Wayne Rooney - who albeit played well in England opening three games - had his worst game in an England shirt against Iceland and he shall see this as another missed opportunity to add to an already lengthy list.

Much had been said about England's unnerving and leaky defence, and it speaks volumes that a side ranked just 34th in the world could unlock two seasoned international's in Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling, as well as beating a lacklustre Joe Hart in goal. Of course it is unfair to single out individuals on an evening's performance where the whole team seemed to be lost and bewildered, but most certainly Roy Hodgson has lost his job, his pride and his integrity after his players undoubtedly let him down last evening. His original squad selection was bold, and perhaps proved to be a good choice after the late late victory against Wales just a few weeks ago. However, Roy's boldness in selection didn't translate into his tactics, deciding that Raheem Sterling - evidently devoid of confidence and belief - warranted a starting place ahead of the in-form Adam Lallana. Similarly, as England chased the second half without a single drop of energy, he left Marcus Rashford on the bench until the 85th minute. Rashford had an instant impact, running at the Icelandic defence, winning two corners and looking infinitely more dangerous than the rest of his 10 counterparts had for the previous 85 labouring minutes.

In days, months, even years perhaps, England fans and commentators alike will look at Euro 2016 as a benchmark that should never and can never ever be replicated. This England team has underperformed like no other has before, even more so than the dismal World Cup campaign at Brazil 2014, and there is a an evident need for reform deep within the English FA board, as well as within the coaching system, the grass roots system, and fundamentally the English clubs and the players they generate and develop. You can be sure that events in the next few weeks will surprise, possibly even shock. But at the moment, English hearts across the country are broken and shattered, and as with every cracked relationship, a reconciliation will take more than just time and effort.

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