Former England international Ray Parlour believes there would have been a sense of regret as Fabio Capello's squad flew home from Qatar on Saturday night.
Shorn of a dozen senior stars, a 1-0 defeat to Brazil seems like quite an encouraging result.
But in truth England did little to lift the tempo of what seemed little more than a training match at times.
In addition to Nilmar's second-half winner, Luis Fabiano also skied a penalty over the bar and captain Lucio smashed a shot against a post.
For their part, England barely created a chance.
And given there were so many fringe players on duty, Parlour, who was in Doha as ambassador for England team sponsors Nationwide, was left bitterly disappointed.
"You should never have regrets when you leave the pitch," he said. "Even if you don't play well you want to feel as though you had a go.
"But when you go home and say you could have done better and wish you had done certain things it is not good.
"And I am sure a few people thought like that on Saturday night."
In Parlour's eyes the chief culprits were Darren Bent and Jermaine Jenas, who were both recalled after lengthy absences for a game which could represent their only chance to impress Capello on England duty before the provisional squad is picked next May.
"It was surprising because it was a big opportunity," said Parlour. "You are playing against great opposition and great players.
"If you can shine in that sort of game, Capello is bound to take notice.
"But there was no urgency. They didn't really push them and have a go."
