England Manager Odds: Outlining the reasons why Carsley appointment would be the easy way out
England continue their UEFA Nations League campaign tonight when they welcome Greece to Wembley. It’s expected to be an emotionally charged affair following the sudden tragic passing of Greece international George Baldock this week as the Ethniki look to honour the player with all the spoils in London.
For Lee Carsley, it’s another chance to prove his credentials. Carsley has overseen back-to-back 2-0 wins to kick off his reign as Three Lions boss as England eased past the Republic of Ireland and Finland. He’ll feel confident of putting another three points on the board against Greece at Wembley as the 50-year-old looks to hold down the role on a permanent basis.
However, has Carsley really done enough to be handed the reins? The decision to name Carsley as interim boss wasn’t exactly a shock. He’d worked wonders for the U21s and the logical step was for the former Everton midfielder to succeed Gareth Southgate for the senior side once it was confirmed that the latter would step down following Euro 2024.
For want of a better phrase, Carsley was a safe pair of hands. For this youthful England side, a number of whom had already worked until the caretaker boss for the U21s, there was a familiar face at the England helm to guide them into the next stage of their international career. A number of those have benefitted from his appointment. Anthony Gordon is now nailed on as first choice winger having barely gotten a look in under Southgate at the Euros.
Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes and Noni Madueke were all handed their senior debut under Carsley, the trio familiar faces at U21 level having carried out their respective roles well in the U21 Euros triumph last year. As supporters gear up for England’s game against Greece, Carsley has been instilled as the 2/7 favourite to be the next permanent boss but is that a case of just settling?
Lee Carsley names his second squad as interim England manager. 🏴 pic.twitter.com/23kIzHDqKT
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) October 3, 2024
It’s fair to say that England haven’t exactly been up against the ropes in Carsley’s first two games in charge and the difficulty is unlikely to be kicked up a notch against Greece tonight. There are more established names currently on the market who’d undoubtedly jump at the chance to manage the likes of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham, household names who have the chance to dominate at international level for years to come.
Thomas Tuchel is one who is currently on the market following his Bayern exit, and carries about him more clout and top level experience than Carsley. It’s no secret either that the FA have previously been keen on Pep Guardiola even with the possibility of managing both Manchester City and the national team.
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How long will Guardiola remain at the Etihad Stadium helm, however? The Spaniard’s current contract is up at the end of the season, while the full outcome of the 115 charges against City is still yet to be determined. With close friend and City sporting director Txiki Begiristain also set to leave at the end of the season, this heightens the chances of Guardiola leaving in the summer. Having previously been linked with the role, the FA would be foolish to pass up the chance to approach the 53-year-old in favour of Carsley.
Granted, he has the international management experience to call upon, which weighs in his favour ahead of the likes of Tuchel and Guardiola, but they may live to regret appointing Carsley at the expense of a more establised name. With lower ranked opposition to come between now and the end of the year, Carsley won’t have the chance to prove his managerial credentials against some of the game’s heavy hitters on the international stage. Give him the role permanently and that could come back to haunt England in the long run.
