A new chapter for England’s soccer team starts on Saturday, but it’s unclear how long it will last.
Interim head coach Lee Carsley is set to lead his first game against Ireland. Carsley, who played 40 times for Ireland, including in a World Cup, takes over after Gareth Southgate left following the European Championship.
Carsley, who was previously coaching England Under-21s, is in charge for Nations League matches against Ireland and Finland. He might stay in the role longer if the search for Southgate’s permanent replacement takes more time than expected, which could extend past the international break in October.
“It’s not something I’m overawed by,” Carsley said on Friday during a news conference after arriving in Dublin. “I’m excited by the challenge.”
The 50-year-old Carsley might even be considered for the permanent position.
“He’s a great manager tactically, man-management is great. … I feel like it suits him perfectly,” said Morgan Gibbs-White, who is part of Carsley’s first squad.
Gibbs-White, a midfielder for Nottingham Forest, was in the England Under-21 team that won the European Championship last year under Carsley’s coaching.
Southgate ended his eight-year tenure as England coach after the team lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Southgate led the team to two European Championship finals and the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, but did not secure England’s first trophy since the 1966 World Cup.
The English Football Association has set high standards for Southgate’s replacement and mentioned in July that it had already identified several potential candidates.
The FA stated that the role involves “winning a major tournament and being consistently ranked as one of the top teams.”
The FA said its next head coach should have “significant experience of English football, with a strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions.”
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was quickly suggested as a possible candidate, but he has stated that he wants to take a year off after leaving his position at Anfield at the end of last season.
The deadline for applications was August 2, but since no candidate was chosen before England’s first games after the Euros, Carsley was given the job on an interim basis.
Although Carsley has not managed in the Premier League, he is well-regarded for his work with young players, having been part of Manchester City’s successful academy.
England’s success at the U21 Euros last year was the first time it had won the competition since 1984. It’s unclear if the FA will consider this experience as part of the “leading international competitions” they want their next head coach to have experience in.
However, Carsley is currently in the role and will be aware that Southgate first got the job after being named interim in 2016.
This makes the matches against Ireland and Finland potential opportunities for Carsley to prove his qualifications. The game on Saturday is in Dublin, and Finland will visit Wembley Stadium on Tuesday.
Carsley said he doesn’t view this as a “fresh start” for England but rather as a way to build on what was achieved with Southgate.
He is missing star players like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Cole Palmer but has chosen some promising young players.
Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes, and Noni Madueke — all of whom have not yet played for the senior team — were part of the U21 Euros-winning squad, along with Anthony Gordon and Levi Colwill.
Gomes describes Carsley’s style as “very attacking, but also (with) a huge emphasis on defense.”
He also praises Carsley’s personal approach.
“He’s a very fair coach. He’s very, very honest and direct in his approach and he’s very close to the squad,” Gomes said. “It helps as a player when a coach takes interest in a player, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch.”
New Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is looking to make his mark in his first game in charge.
He has already been part of an upset against England before. Hallgrimsson was Iceland’s co-coach with Lars Lagerback when the team defeated England 2-1 in the last 16 at Euro 2016, which was one of the most disappointing moments in English soccer history.
“I hope we will have the same result tomorrow, of course,” he said on Friday. “Everything we did that night succeeded, whether it was tactical, taking our chances, defending our goal … and nothing England tried that night succeeded, so it was just one of those days.
“Hopefully it will come again tomorrow. But we know, even if we have our best game, it still isn’t sure it will lead into a victory against a good team like England.”
