'Handbrake came off' - could 'Carsball' be future for England?

It started successful unconvincing manner - and ended pinch positives and plaudits.

When Lee Carsley walked retired of nan passageway conscionable earlier kick-off astatine nan Aviva Stadium successful Dublin connected Saturday, he made nan correction of turning nan incorrect measurement and stepping towards nan Republic of Ireland dugout.

But his time sewage amended arsenic England turned connected nan style to expanse their opponents speech 2-0 successful his first crippled arsenic interim boss.

England fans person been craving breathtaking and entertaining football, which was successful constricted proviso nether erstwhile caput coach Gareth Southgate, contempt their tally to this summer's European Championship final.

"The expression, nan state to definitive yourself was missing from Euro 2024," said winger Anthony Gordon, who was constricted to conscionable 1 precocious substitute quality astatine nan tournament.

"We controlled games but we werent dynamic. We weren’t relentless. We lacked dynamism and excitement."

In Dublin, England played pinch a zip and a swagger to springiness their fans logic to beryllium judge that 'Carsball' could beryllium a bully action for nan future.

They created six large chances, much than successful immoderate of their matches astatine Euro 2024, and had a importantly higher expected extremity count. They besides had much shots than successful immoderate of their Euro matches, barroom one.

England carved retired 16 attempts - pinch 9 connected target - arsenic they played pinch a freshness and a vigour that was sadly lacking successful immoderate of their games astatine Euro 2024.

Harry Kane came nether dense disapproval successful nan summertime and location were moreover calls for nan England skipper to beryllium dropped.

In Dublin, he had 4 attempts arsenic he showed flashes that he was backmost to his threatening champion successful his 99th England match, pinch Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka delivering nan ammunition precocious up nan pitch.

Both perpetually pushed up of lone striker Kane to connection existent support, dissimilar during nan Euros erstwhile he appeared isolated excessively often, arsenic shown successful nan schematic beneath comparing England's mean positions successful their group tie against Slovenia - a squad conscionable six places supra Republic of Ireland successful nan Fifa rankings - to Saturday's display.

Gordon looked for illustration a subordinate pinch a constituent to beryllium - having played six minutes successful nan summertime - pinch 2 cardinal passes, while he tested goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher 3 times.

"Anthony Gordon has been consenting to tally successful behind, which is thing England haven't had for a while, and past they flood nan box," said erstwhile England striker Ian Wright connected ITV.

Asked aft nan crippled if England's slick passing and activity - peculiarly for Jack Grealish's extremity that put England 2-0 up - was 'Carsball', Carsley said: "It's decidedly not that.

"It's nan players that are tin of receiving nan shot successful tight areas and playing through. They should return nan credit."

Former Three Lions keeper Paul Robinson, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, said England had been transformed compared pinch nan broadside that was connected show 2 months ago.

"What we saw successful nan first half was a wholly different England, and for want of a amended phrase, nan handbrake has travel off, and you want to spot much of nan same."

Declan Rice, who turned retired 3 times for nan Republic of Ireland arsenic a teenager, was taunted by nan location fans successful nan sell-out crowd for switching allegiance.

He silenced them pinch nan extremity that put nan visitors up earlier supplying nan assistance for Grealish, himself a erstwhile Republic of Ireland younker player, to make it 2-0.

Rice sewage further guardant than he ever did astatine nan European Championship, while Kobbie Mainoo besides looked to beryllium positive.

There looked to beryllium caller state to England's play, having each excessively often stuck rigidly to 2 holding midfielders successful nan summer.

Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold - making his first commencement arsenic England right-back for almost 4 years - provided 2 awesome chances for Kane and Gordon.

"There was a fluidity successful positions, Trent Alexander-Arnold drifting into midfield, Kobbie Mainoo getting forward, and besides Declan Rice, which is wherever nan first extremity came from," added Robinson.

"We saw a batch much guardant thinking. The first thought was to spell forward.

"England's capacity is astir apt precisely what Lee Carsley would person been dreaming astir past night. He would person wanted his squad to beryllium successful control, play pinch a precocious tempo, property high, support a cleanable sheet, people a mates of goals and beryllium tidy successful possession.

"It could not person gone immoderate better."

There appeared a existent power astir England's play, demonstrated perfectly by Jordan Pickford's willingness to play retired from nan back.

At Euro 2024, nan England goalkeeper each excessively often kicked agelong aimless balls, pinch 49% of his passes being long. On Saturday, only 18.5% were agelong passes, allowing nan Three Lions to support possession.

The pre-match talk was dominated by overnight headlines that Carsley would not singing nan national anthem earlier kick-off, thing he besides chose not to do erstwhile he played for nan Republic of Ireland.

"It doesn't make maine immoderate little committed," he said afterwards.

Carsley, who has been appointed interim head for astatine slightest 2 games, added: "Today was 1 of nan proudest days of my career... to lead a squad retired successful Dublin."

There was overmuch to respect astir about his team's performance, though it was possibly inevitable that they would tail off.

Their second-half capacity showed that England stay a activity successful progress.

And nan FA bosses are improbable to publication excessively overmuch into a azygous lucifer arsenic they mull who England's full-time head should be.

But it's truthful far, truthful bully for England's understated caretaker boss, and assurance is precocious arsenic attraction turns to Tuesday's location lucifer pinch Finland.

Now Carsley conscionable has to retrieve which measurement to move erstwhile he walks retired of nan passageway astatine Wembley.