Lee Carsley: Is England’s new man destined for glory?

In a recent interview, Lee Carsley said that it was important for him to put his own stamp on the England job. His appointment as the interim England manager by the FA continues a trend of creating pathways for staff from youth coaching into senior management. Carsley, like Southgate, fits the exact mould the FA are looking for, coming into the role after spending time as head coach of the U21s with the aim to develop as a senior manager. The FA’s appointment strategy seems to intend to create clear pathways in English Football for the development of both players and coaching staff.

If there was one thing that Southgate took from his experience as England U21s manager, it is that, more often than not, youth was the answer; his squad, at an average age of 26.3 for Euro 2024, was the third youngest in the competition. He was also not afraid, albeit later in his tenure, to drop older, more experienced players for young talents, such as England favourite Jordan Henderson for the blossoming Kobbie Mainoo. Lee Carsley will most likely be looking to continue this. With these similarities in mind, the appointment of England’s newest manager raises an important question: is there any real difference between Carsley and Southgate, or have the FA gone with the ‘safe’ option for the time being?

A good run of results could see Carsley become a permanent fixture

In his time within the England coaching setup, Lee Carsley has already been able to imprint a distinct style of play on his young side. England U21s had an impressive 2023 Euros campaign, managing to go through the entire competition without conceding a goal. Carsley’s team showed strong defensive nous, while a star-studded front line including the likes of Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, and Emile Smith Rowe unlocked opposition defences. A resolute defence, alongside this reliance on individual attacking brilliance from top players, has seemingly become a staple of England’s senior team in the past couple of tournaments, so Carsley should have no problem pushing that strategy to his new squad.

Unlike Southgate however, who chooses to have two defensive pivots in midfield, Carsley chose to play Curtis Jones and Angel Gomes in the centre of the park – players who both prefer to get forward. Fans can hope that this approach will bring out a more exciting side to England, perhaps with Bellingham playing alongside Rice instead of another defensive midfielder taking the role of the 8.

Although he is, for the moment, only interim manager, a good run of results could see Carsley become a permanent fixture. Relegation to the Nations League B tier for this version of the tournament means that winning should be all but assured, sparing a return of England’s woes in the competition.

For Carsley to transform England from hopeful nearlies to triumphant winners, he will quickly need to adapt

Tactical similarity and a lack of real expectation make Carsley’s appointment undoubtedly the safe option for the FA. Known well within the England camp already, he is unlikely to stir unrest among the established squad to the extent of an outsider, such as the available Graham Potter or Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, both linked with the job. Crucially, he has also built up good relations with many young England players; Gordon described Carsley as the best man-manager he has ever had. He is strikingly similar to Southgate in that aspect too, who was similarly praised by players for his man management skills. But is it almost ironic that the so-called ‘safe’ option is also a risky play?

His insider status could perhaps be to Carsley’s detriment. In the FA system for years, he has styled himself on Southgate and England’s way of thinking, building up a rapport with the youth and senior level management but lacking managerial experience outside of the setup, albeit having brief stints as interim manager at Coventry, Brentford, and Birmingham. He seems very similar to Southgate in the way he got the job, which could signal continuity rather than progress. England’s former manager did an admirable job at times, but he was never quite the right man to take England to the next step. Southgate often lacked the experience and ability to make tactical shifts quickly enough in games, which meant England made hard work of big games, losing to Belgium and Croatia in the 2018 World Cup, Italy in 2021, France in 2022 and Spain in 2024.

For Carsley to transform England from hopeful nearlies to triumphant winners, he will need to adapt quickly to the demands and tactical ability required to win at the top level of international football – something Southgate never truly mastered.