Carsley: Overlooked for the senior team, heralded with the U21s

Lee Carsley’s reputation suffered a blow eight months ago when his team’s disastrous defeat by Greece hampered his chances of becoming the senior men’s coach.

After German Thomas Tuchel was appointed, he returned to his job with the under-21s, concentrating on the European Championship this summer.

After guiding the Young Lions to their second consecutive European Championship Under-21 title, Carsley is now receiving praise once more.

In their final game defeat against Greece, England’s senior team won five of Carsley’s six games. However, some daring deeds did not materialize.

He chose his team’s tactics and tactics, which led to “an unseemly mess” and a humiliating defeat at Wembley.

Carsley said he had a lot to learn from the experience prior to Sunday’s U21 Euros final, which he had to watch in Slovakia, where England started by defeating the Czech Republic, before drawing with Slovenia, and losing to Germany.

Former England defender Stephen Warnock described them as “poor in the group stage, they struggled, and then found their feet” on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Lee Carsley improvised and came up with the idea. He and his staff were the ones who spearheaded this, and they were able to put the team together at the right moment.

England faced Germany once more in the final, where they were superb in the first half, leading 2-0. Spain and the Netherlands were defeated.

Germany fought back and almost won it at the death, but Carsley’s team regrouped to score in extra time as he countered by becoming too defensive.

He asserted that there is definitely a little feeling during the game. You sense that you are out of your depth, or that the players are perhaps allowing too much territory or going too deep.

England won the game, and Carsley’s man-management abilities and tactical acumen helped them succeed. He even made a positive impression while playing for the senior squad.

Another incredible accomplishment, said Manchester City forward Jack Grealish on Instagram. What kind of manager is this guy? deserves it.

Charlie Cresswell and Harvey Elliott, two of Carsley’s current squad members, were the only ones who survived their 2023 triumph, but he moulded them into European champions, emulating the England Under-21s’ back-to-back victories in 1982 and 1984.

Former England Under-21 captain Nigel Reo-Coker remarked on BBC Radio 5 Live that Lee Carsley is “fearless.”

He backed the team he assembled, hoping to give the players with less experience a chance to succeed. And they resisted the challenge.

With six substitutions in place for Alex Scott due to injury and Sunday’s final coming in extra time, Carsley had to rely on his team.

Tyler Morton and Jonathan Rowe combined for the winning goal in the tournament while defender CJ Egan-Riley was used for the first time.

The lazy thing as coaches would be to try to replicate what we did the first time, but this time it was a completely different, Carsley said.

We had a “outside the box” approach to our training, tactics, and how we wanted to play our squad.

England manager Tuchel must have been impressed as he considered his options for the 2026 World Cup as he watched on from the Bratislava stadium.

How many of Carsley’s 2023 squad’s members will make their debut against his new European champions? Ten have already made their senior team appearances.

The Football Association’s CEO, Mark Bullingham, said, “I’m sure Lee will be humble about what he and the group have accomplished, but he deserves praise for this extraordinary accomplishment.”

We hadn’t won this trophy in 39 years before Lee took over [in 2021]. He has won it twice in two tournaments.

He has also overseen player development, with many U21s making their senior team debuts, in addition to this exceptional tournament success.

Carsley will continue to lead the Young Lions into the upcoming tournament after agreeing a new contract until the 2027 U21 Euros.

His Slovakian team had yet to win the trophy, and he was already considering a European hat-trick.

“I suppose the challenge is to do it once more in two years,” Carsley said.

Funnily enough, I received the new squad of players that might be able to play in the upcoming campaign on Saturday, so I’m not thinking about moving too quickly.

When asked if he would represent Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup alongside Tuchel, Carsley replied, “I’m not sure. I’m very proud of what I do, and I enjoy working with the players.

Phil McNulty, the chief football writer:

The Football Association holds him in such high regard because of his second successive victory at the European Championship with England U21s.

His tenure as interim manager of the senior team, which included Sir Gareth Southgate’s departure and Tuchel’s appointment, was generally successful, with five victories out of six games.

“Carsley’s ultra-attacking selection backfired spectacularly and, at times, he looked uncomfortable in the unforgiving spotlight that shines on England’s manager, and that was the low point,” he said of the 2-1 home defeat to Greece. At Wembley, the selection and outcome raised doubts about his qualifications for the position of the highest priority.

He resisted doing what he had always done best: coaching and shaping the younger generations into the cohesive, prosperous unit they have become.

“Players praise Carsley’s coaching and methods, and his most recent success only strengthens his reputation.

After Tuchel’s indifferent debut as England coach, Carsley’s brief tenure has started to reflect more positively on the history of the country. However, leading the U21s still seems much more comfortable than the senior side, and it was the right decision to step up.

The FA may find it more difficult to handle the FA’s final victory over Germany.

Clubs looking for a progressive manager will undoubtedly find Carsley’s work interesting, but the FA will be at ease with it because he signed a new contract with the FA in 2027 and has consistently stated that he is happy where he is.