Lee Carsley was named as England’s interim manager in August following Gareth Southgate’s decision to step down after eight years at the helm.
With Southgate having guided the Three Lions to two European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024, Carsley knew he was stepping into big shoes. Thus far, however, his short reign has been a resounding success.
Naming much-changed squads featuring a number of young stars he previously managed for England’s U21 and U20 sides, Carsley’s England first beat the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in the Nations League, recording their first win on Irish soil since 1985. That victory was followed up by another impressive 2-0 Nations League win over Finland.
The two results, and more specifically, the brave, exciting style of play Carsley’s England displayed (something Southgate’s England were widely criticised for not doing), have led fans and pundits alike to call for the former Derby County and Everton man to be given the job full-time.
By his own admission, Carsley himself is up for the challenge. “I am up for it. I think I am up for it,” the 50-year-old told the press shortly after England’s win over Finland. “I think I’m very grounded. The most important thing about this job is the football for me, making sure we create a good environment for the players to perform in.”
Right now, Carsley might be doing and saying all the right things to see him named as Southgate’s permanent successor. Nothing, however, is written in stone just yet. In fact, there are plenty of reasons he still might not get the job, even if he does fit the mould.
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3 ByMatt DawsonJul 17, 2024 3 The FA is open to a foreign successor FA could seek ruthless appointment by looking further afield
Since England started appointing managers way back in 1946, there have only been two that aren’t English.
First, there was the late Sven-Goran Eriksson, who took charge of the Three Lions between 2001 and 2006. Fabio Capello, who managed England between 2008 and 2012, is the most recent non-English boss.
Eriksson’s reign was underwhelming but by no means a failure, with the Swede guiding England to three consecutive major tournament quarter-finals – and a shootout away from the semis on two occasions.
Meanwhile, Capello’s time in charge, despite boasting the highest win percentage of any English manager in history (excluding Sam Allardyce), was considered a disaster.
At the 2010 World Cup, his side crashed out in the last 16 at the hands of Germany, albeit in controversial circumstances. The following two years were then marred with controversy after controversy, with Capello often being heavily critical of his squad, players moaning about his ruthless tactics, and the Italian failing to learn English, despite promising to do so when he was first appointed.
It all ended in tears, with Capello quitting on the spot after the FA decided to strip John Terry of his England captaincy after he was accused, and later found guilty of, racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.
Since Capello, the Three Lions’ last three permanent bosses – Roy Hodgson, Allardyce, and Southgate – have all been English.
After Southgate stepped down, however, the Football Association hinted that they may be ready to try the foreign route once again.
According to The Guardian’s Matt Hughes, in early August, the FA gave “formal approval for the appointment of a foreign manager” to replace Southgate. Hughes wrote that the decision was made at the request of FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, with all nine of his fellow board members endorsing the request without putting it to a vote.
This open mind could spell bad news to Carsley’s hopes, even if he played internationally for Ireland himself.
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ByBen BrowningJul 17, 2024 4 There's a lot of candidates Crowded field could be bad news for Carsley
Despite being widely seen as a poisoned chalice, there is still an enormous number of candidates to replace Southgate as England boss.
Among them are some of Carsley’s fellow English-born managerial peers – Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard to name but a few. The former two, both of whom boast more experience than Carsley in the dugout, are among the frontrunners for the job.
Then there are the international candidates. BBC Sport named the likes of Jurgen Klopp (who is now heading upstairs at Red Bull Group) and Thomas Tuchel as potential next England managers earlier in the summer, while Pep Guardiola, who is entering the final year of his contract at Manchester City, was also mentioned as another possible candidate.
Klopp, Tuchel, and Guardiola all tick the FA’s two hypothetical “next England boss” boxes. They are all foreign and have won trophies at the highest level. So who will it be? Right now, nobody knows.
One thing is for sure, however. Carsley will be England manager for the Three Lions’ next two Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland on 10th and 13th October.
Continue to impress, and he will no doubt give the powers that be some serious food for thought about whether he could take the job full-time. But with the FA having made it no secret that Carsley was only to step in while its “recruitment process for a new permanent head coach continues”, it may not be a major surprise if he didn’t land the job, no matter how appealing his football may be.
