Interim England manager Lee Carsley was relieved to seal Nations League promotion in a spectacular send-off against the Republic of Ireland and will now prepare a presentation to new boss Thomas Tuchel.
Gareth Southgate called time on his eight-year stint in July after losing in a second successive European Championship final, leading the Football Association to temporarily promote the Under-21s boss.
Carsley has had his ups and downs during a three-camp caretaker stint with England’s senior set-up that was bookended by victories against the nation he represented as a player.
Harry Kane scored from the spot after Ireland defender Liam Scales received a second booking shortly after half-time, with Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen and debutant Taylor Harwood-Bellis then scoring their first international goals in a 5-0 win.
That result and Thursday’s 3-0 victory in Athens meant they went back to the Nations League top tier courtesy of a superior head-to-head record after finishing level on 15 points with Greece.
“It’d be fair to say there’s a bit of relief,” Carsley said.
“If we’d have spoken at the start of the campaign we’d probably have said you’re expected to get promotion but it’s difficult.
“No team has rolled over for us and let us just carry on. I’ve found it personally challenging and I know the staff have. It’s good that we’ve finished the campaign with such a strong performance.
“We spoke about not only gaining promotion from the Nations League but to potentially increase the pool of players Thomas has got to choose from.
“The challenge now for the players that have been involved for the last three camps is to be in and around the March squad.
“A lot of them have done themselves a lot of good in terms of enhancing their reputation of their ability to play in the England senior team and gaining a cap is no mean feat. I’m really proud for a lot of them.”
A giant ‘thank you’ to Carsley was displayed on the Wembley screens at full-time, when Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham released a statement expressing gratitude.
“I would like to thank Lee Carsley and his coaching team for their hard work and results in the last six games,” he said.
“Lee has achieved the main objective from the six fixtures this autumn: securing promotion back to the top tier of the Nations League.
“He has selected some exciting new players and will be providing Thomas Tuchel and Anthony Barry with a very detailed handover as they start work on our qualifying campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“The players have really enjoyed working with Lee and his team – they have made a real impact in their interim roles.
“Lee will now return to the Under-21s and will continue to play a vital role supporting the seniors by developing England’s best young players.
“His leadership and coaching gives us the best possible chance of back-to-back U21 Euro wins next summer, and he will continue to play a big part in elite football development across the FA.”
Tuchel officially starts his role with England on January 1 and Carsley plans to meet the former Chelsea boss sooner rather than later to present him with information.
“I’m trying to put together, with the rest of the staff, a debrief on all three camps,” he said.
“I will put together a document, then hopefully meet him and present what we think and what we’ve found.
“The job for us as an Under-21s staff is to support the senior manager as much as we can, find out what he needs and how we can help.
“I’m really comfortable with that role. I’m looking forward to meeting him now in the next few weeks.”
Carsley sidestepped the question of whether he would like to return to manage the England senior team again one day, instead focusing on the here and now.
“It’s a job that deserves an elite coach with a track record of winning and Thomas has got that,” he said.
“The bonus would be we’ve increased the pool of players. The next squad will be a real challenge to pick, I’m sure. Exciting times ahead.”
[(Vissel Kobe) Strength]: 1. Taisei Miyashiro has scored 7 goals for Vissel Kobe in the J1 League this season, making him the team's top scorer.2. Daiju Sasaki has contributed 6 assists for Vissel Kobe this season and is the team's assist leader.3. Vissel Kobe have achieved a record of 7 wins and 2 draws in their last 9 official matches, demonstrating an outstanding form.4. Vissel Kobe have achiev...
[(Deportivo Toluca) Strength]: 1. Deportivo Toluca currently ranked third in Group A of the Leagues Cup. Facing New York City FC who are 13th-place in Group B, Deportivo Toluca, who performed better, are aiming for the three points, so they are motivated.2. Deportivo Toluca have many strong players, with Helinho and Alexis Vega leading the forward line, Marcel Ruiz and Ricardo Angulo anchoring the...
[(FC Tokyo) Strength]: 1. FC Tokyo forward Motoki Nagakura scored a goal in the last Emperor's Cup game, helping the team take the lead. So far, he scored in both the Emperor's Cup matches, showing stable performances in this tournament.2. FC Tokyo won 3-2 over Urawa Red Diamonds in the last league game, securing a winning streak of two competitive games, which revealed fit form.3. FC Tokyo scored...
[(Columbus Crew) Strength]: 1. Columbus Crew currently ranked fifth in Group B of the Leagues Cup. Facing Club Leon who are in 13th place in Group A, Columbus Crew are aiming for the three points and are full of fighting spirit.2. Columbus Crew striker Diego Rossi has scored two goals in the last two Leagues Cup matches, with high goal-scoring efficiency.3. Columbus Crew have remained unbeaten in ...
[(Tigres UANL) Strength]: 1. Tigres UANL have won both of their 2 group matches and are at the top of the group. However, they are only one point behind the teams behind them. The team still need points to consolidate their current position and have a strong motivation to grab points.2. Tigres UANL striker Angel Correa scored a brace in the last game, helping his team secure all three points. So f...
[(Mazatlan F.C.) Strength]: 1. Mazatlan F.C. are 2nd with 5 points in the table and still need points to secure a qualification spot, indicating strong motivation in this game.2. Nicolas Benedetti made 2 assists in a row in the last game, helping his teammates score.3. Mazatlan F.C. won 2-0 over Houston Dynamo in the last game. They received 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in the last 5 games, showing...
[(Hamrun Spartans F.C.) Strength]: 1. Hamrun Spartans F.C. were eliminated by FC Dynamo Kyiv in the previous stage of the Champions League qualifiers and can only compete for a Europa League spot at present. Facing Israeli giants Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C., Hamrun Spartans F.C. hope to strive for a win to lay a solid foundation for the second leg and are highly motivated.[(Hamrun Spartans F.C.) Weaknes...
[(Houston Dynamo) Strength]: 1. Starting forward Ezequiel Ponce scored 9 goals across all competitions this season, the top scorer of the team.[(Houston Dynamo) Neutral]: 1. The two teams met only once in the last 10 years, where Houston Dynamo drew 0-0 with Pachuca in the 2023 Leagues Cup.[(Houston Dynamo) Weakness]: 1. Houston Dynamo lost two games in the Leagues Cup, ranking at the bottom of th...
[(Malmo FF) Strength]: 1. As the traditional giants in the Allsvenskan, Malmo FF are now 4th in the league with stable performances this season. In this Champions League qualifier against F.C. Copenhagen, they will take home advantage to go all out.2. Malmo FF performed well in the league and the Champions League qualification lately. They have remained unbeaten since July, receiving 7 wins and 2 ...
[(PFC Ludogorets Razgrad) Strength]: 1. PFC Ludogorets Razgrad striker Ivaylo Chochev has scored in the last two matches. The player is in good form and is expected to start in this game.2. PFC Ludogorets Razgrad defeated FC Dobrudzha 2-1 in the last First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) match and have remained unbeaten in regular time in the last five games, with a commendable performance...
- 1 Bayern Munich confirm Palhinha "transfer negotiations" as Spurs move closer
- 2 TIPS - Real Salt Lake VS Atletico San Luis
- 3 Arsenal legend backs Premier League rivals to become next invincibles and take prestigious title from Gunners
- 4 Daily Laugh - Raya nair
- 5 Man Utd, Newcastle turn to Stuttgart striker Woltemade
- 6 TIPS - FC Kairat Almaty VS SK Slovan Bratislava
- 7 Transfer rumors, news: Chelsea face dilemma over Simons
- 8 Real Madrid Willing to Sell Rodrygo — But Only If Two Key Conditions Are Met
- 9 TIPS - KF Shkendija VS Qarabag
- 10 Man United Go All In for Benjamin Sesko! Premier League Giants Notify RB Leipzig of Imminent Bid