Boss Gareth Southgate is looking ahead to a new England Under-21s campaign still full of belief about his position and the Young Lions set-up despite the disappointments of the summer.
Including a two-legged play-off, Southgate's men won 11 of 12 fixtures in qualifying for the 2015 European Championship, but subsequently crashed out of June's finals in the Czech Republic at the first hurdle, finishing bottom of their group.
On Tuesday the squad was announced for their first fixtures since that tournament, a friendly against the United States' Under-23s a week on Thursday in Preston followed by a Euro 2017 qualifier in Norway the Monday after.
And Southgate, who has selected 14 uncapped players among his 23-man party, told Press Association Sport at the official announcement: "It is for other people to decide about my position.
"But I very much believe in my capabilities as a coach and a manager, I've learned a lot over the two-year period and I think we've implemented a very good programme.
"I look at the bigger picture, but other people will have to judge it as they see it."
Southgate - handed a contract extension in January to 2017 - recently had his role modified from the remit he was given when he took the post in August 2013.
Having previously also overseen the coaches responsible for each age group from the Under-20s down to the Under-16s, the 44-year-old will now be focused far more on the Under-21s - something he stresses had been planned prior to the summer's tournament.
That competition saw England lose to Portugal and Italy either side of beating Sweden, and there was plenty of talk at the time about the string of eligible senior internationals who had not been involved.
Notable players not included in this squad that could have been are Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, Everton's John Stones and Manchester United's Luke Shaw.
And Southgate has emphasised the feeling they are senior England players who are "very unlikely" to feature for his side over the next two years, despite their eligibility.
"If they are not playing regularly for the seniors, they might come into consideration for us," he said at his press conference to announce the squad.
"But I think that would be (England seniors boss) Roy Hodgson's decision. It is quite clear in my mind they are senior players at this moment in time."
Southgate pointed out that the Under-21s are about more than just winning.
"One of the big internal enquiries for us (after the Euros) was 'what do we want the Under-21s to stand for?'" he said.
"It can't just be about winning tournaments. It is always a dual purpose.
"When people are giving their views of what the summer was and wasn't, mine would be slightly different in terms of the performances and the players who came through it.
"In the end you will be judged on results, but the programme is about much more than that.
"This is a new group and if others emerge to be challenging for the seniors, brilliant, because there is a (senior) European Championship next summer and we want the first-team to be doing well. The seniors is always the priority."
Eye-catching call-ups among the uncapped players in Southgate's squad are Liverpool duo Jordon Ibe and Joe Gomez, Everton's Brendan Galloway and Tottenham's Dele Alli.
Survivors from the summer's tournament include Arsenal's Calum Chambers, Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Chelsea and Nathan Redmond of Norwich.
Southgate is yet to decide on a new captain to succeed outgoing goalkeeper Jack Butland.
England Under-21s squad in full: Angus Gunn (Manchester City), Jordan Pickford (Preston North End - on loan from Sunderland), Christian Walton (Bury - on loan from Brighton), Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Brendan Galloway (Everton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Kortney Hause, Dominic Iorfa (both Wolves), Jack Stephens (Middlesbrough - on loan from Southampton), Matt Targett (Southampton), Dele Alli (Tottenham), Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea), Jake Forster-Caskey (Brighton), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Chuba Akpom (Hull - on loan from Arsenal), Jordon Ibe (Liverpool), Solly March (Brighton), Nathan Redmond (Norwich), Duncan Watmore (Sunderland), James Wilson (Manchester United), Cauley Woodrow (Fulham).
Source: PA
