England's new generation: why the long wait may finally be ending

The case for optimism

Every cycle brings the same question — is this finally the generation? — and every cycle has been answered with heartbreak. This time, the optimists believe the fundamentals have genuinely changed.

The spine is settled: a commanding goalkeeper, a ball-playing centre-back partnership and a midfield capable of controlling the biggest games. Around them, a new wave of teenage talent has emerged from the league's academies with a fearlessness that veteran coaches describe as the missing ingredient.

The qualifiers have offered glimpses of the finished product — dominant possession, ruthless transitions and a pressing game that has suffocated opponents. The tests to come are sterner, but the identity is no longer in question.

• A settled spine across the pitch for the first time in years
• Three teenagers established as first-team regulars
• Qualifying campaign unbeaten with the most goals scored

We stopped waiting to be lucky and started building something repeatable.