England’s Interim Coach: We Will Continue to Refresh the Squad During the Next International Break
Sudan Events – Agencies
Lee Carsley, the interim coach of the England national football team, wants to continue refreshing the squad as he looks to build on a promising first camp and “keep progressing the team” next month.
According to the British news agency PA Media, the England U21 coach was promoted to temporarily lead the senior national team in August after Gareth Southgate ended his eight-year tenure with the England team following the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.
Carsley is set to lead the England team until the end of this year. He started his tenure with a 2-0 win over hosts Ireland last Saturday in the UEFA Nations League, followed by a 2-0 victory against Finland three days later.
Harry Kane celebrated his 100th cap for England by scoring both goals at Wembley, and after the game, the interim coach quickly shifted his focus to the upcoming international matches in October.
Carsley said, “You always need competition, we need that in every position on the pitch.”
He added, “I’m thinking about today’s match, but not long after leaving the field, I started thinking, okay, I need to think about the next match.”
He continued, “And how will the match look, who are the players that will regain their form, and how things will develop. So yes, the competition for spots within the team is very intense.”
England’s next international break begins with a home match against Greece, the current leaders of Group B in League B, leading by goal difference, having scored one more goal than England in their two wins against Finland and Ireland.
The team will then travel to Helsinki, seeking to build on the encouraging performances that have seen the interim coach focus on performance and squad renewal.
In September’s camp, the manager called up players such as Angel Gomes, Noni Madueke, Tino Livramento, and Morgan Gibbs-White for the first time to strengthen the squad that is still recovering from the disappointment of losing Euro 2024.
Carsley noted, “With the squad we chose, we had new players, the younger ones with their enthusiasm, and the energy they bring has always helped the team.”
He added, “You want to stand on the sidelines and enjoy watching the team play, attack, and feel the excitement. I think we achieved that in these two games.”
He concluded, “Scoring four goals in two games is good, but I believe we can do even better.”
