Yahoo Sports Lee Carsley reveals what to expect from England as new era beckons
Lee Carsley wants to see his England team play with “energy and control” when they take on the Republic of Ireland on Saturday.
The former Everton midfielder, who led the under-21s to glory at last summer’s European Championship, has taken over from Gareth Southgate on an interim basis while the FA conducts its search for a new permanent manager.
The 50-year-old’s first game in charge sees him face the country he represented 40 times during his playing career as the Three Lions kick off their Uefa Nations League campaign.
Carsley has made his mark on the squad by omitting seven of the players Southgate took to Euro 2024, plus Luke Shaw and Jude Bellingham who miss out through injury. But he has had limited time to imprint his methods on his troops.
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“We’ve done three training sessions … probably two and a half, three hours in total of what’s expected, along with four or five meetings,” Carsley said. “We’re looking at different ways of playing through, getting beyond. I expect it to be a little bit scrappy and scruffy at times. But I’ve got total belief in the way that I think we can play.
“We spoke a lot about control, which is going to be a big thing for this group. I’m aware that I’m going to be here for the three camps [in the autumn] and we’ve got to keep building in every one. But I expect them to perform well.”
Carsley takes a more proactive approach to football than his predecessor, but he does want England to retain the defensive solidity that was a hallmark of the Southgate era.
“There won’t just be one thing that I most want to see,” he said. “We spoke a lot about being excited, playing with energy, control. I have seen a lot of really good defending this week in terms of shots that have been blocked in games at the end of sessions. As exciting as you want to be at one end, ultimately to win the game, you have got to keep it out of your goal.
“But this week has really hit home to me the level of players that we’ve got. If we can perform at the right time as a whole group, there is no reason why they can’t create a legacy for themselves.”
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