Nations League: A triumphant start for ‘Carsley’s England’

England began their post-Gareth Southgate era with a commanding 2-0 win over Ireland, thanks to goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish on Saturday, in a successful debut for interim coach Lee Carsley in UEFA Nations League League B.

Carsley, who represented Ireland as a player, watched as Rice and Grealish – both with ties to Ireland – scored first-half goals.

Rice had played three matches for Ireland before representing his birth country, while Grealish had played for Ireland’s youth teams.

England’s pace slowed in the second half, but the home side failed to find the back of the net, reflecting the difference between the two teams, ranked 54 places apart in FIFA’s world rankings.

Elsewhere, Georgia opened their League B Group 1 campaign with a resounding 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic, scoring three goals within 13 minutes in the second half on Saturday. Georgia will face Albania on Tuesday, while the Czech Republic hosts Ukraine.