Lots will be written in the coming days about any number of aspect of German football that England should replicate - the ownership of clubs, the number of youth coaches, the promotion of young talent at big clubs, the trusting of that talent rather than acquiring superstars globally and so forth.
La Masia is out of the window as a model. As is Clairefontaine. As is Coverciano. The new model must be German. Unless and until someone else wins something. We need an English solution to this English problem - taking things like magpies from around the world and adapting them.
I won't add to that juggernaut. I will merely note that like all other leading nations German footballers are far more global in their outlook than English footballers. If everyone else is doing something and we aren't maybe that should be the place to start? I know I bang on about this but the point is obvious - we import but we don't export.
From the squad which won the World Cup, seven players play in major leagues elsewhere in Europe (Mertesacker, Özil and Podolski at Arsenal and Schürrle at Chelsea in England, Klose at Lazio and Mustafi at Sampdoria in Italy, and Khedira for Real Madrid).
To that number, Toni Kroos will start next season at Real Madrid whilst both Boateng and Zieler have played overseas whilst the likes of Hummels, Reus (injured but he would have gone but for that) and Draxler are also subject to interest from clubs around the continent.
Outside the squad, ter Stegen and Gomez are playing abroad. Younger players like Can, Kreuzer, Gnabry, Yesil and Jesgarzewski.
England? At the highest level, Mancienne, Defoe, Cole and Dier. We need to up our game.
RCM