In today's Telegraph General Richards is quoted as saying:

'While Afghanistan is not the template on which to base the future, it is most certainly a signpost for much of what that future might contain.'

That may well be true but it could just as likely be a red herring. Before the first world war, and to an extent between the wars, the British army was reorganised to fight small conflicts in the corners of empire. This left them wanting when the real challenge came.