Prepare for 'Carsball': What to expect from Carsley's England

Some of nan biggest managerial names successful world shot person been linked to nan England occupation since Gareth Southgate resigned aft Euro 2024.

But, for now astatine least, it is Lee Carsley who is nan astir apt action arsenic England's interim head for Nations League games against Ireland and Finland successful September.

And could nan England Under-21 head beryllium a contender for nan imperishable role, pursuing nan pathway of his predecessor Southgate?

BBC Sport’s Alex Howell followed Carsley’s England U21 broadside successful Georgia past summertime arsenic they won nan trophy for nan first clip successful almost 40 years playing a marque of fluid, attacking, high-risk shot – while besides becoming nan first squad to grounds six successive cleanable sheets successful nan tournament's history.

Carsley moreover guided England to triumph complete Spain successful that last – a feat that appears intolerable astatine elder level, pinch nan Spanish men’s nationalist squad and La Liga sides winning each 27 awesome finals nan 2 countries person been progressive successful making love backmost to 2002.

A erstwhile Republic of Ireland international, Carsley is 1 of respective highly-rated coaches who has progressed done nan St. George’s Park strategy since he joined nan FA set-up successful 2015.

One of nan main criticisms of Gareth Southgate’s tenure was that he did not make capable of nan attacking players he had astatine his disposal. It was nan astir hotly-debated rumor of England’s tally to Euro 2024, pinch plentifulness of statement astir Phil Foden’s cleanable position, Cole Palmer only being utilized from nan chair and Anthony Gordon hardly featuring.

When nan England U21 broadside won nan European Championship past summer, societal media was rife pinch montages of nan team’s charismatic shot dubbed ‘Cars-ball’.

Those homemade edits resurfaced successful nan days aft Southgate stood down and Birmingham-born Carsley’s sanction was among nan contenders to switch him.

In opposition pinch nan image of erstwhile Everton and Derby midfielder Carsley’s playing profession arsenic a cardinal destroyer, he encourages his broadside to build up pinch nan shot and to definitive themselves.

At nan tourney successful Georgia his broadside was packed pinch method players specified arsenic Liverpool duo Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, and Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White.

He had a right-footed left-back successful Bournemouth's Max Aarons; Everton's James Garner, a cardinal midfielder, playing astatine right-back; and Jones, a number 10, arsenic 1 of his 2 pivots successful midfield.

Jones played alongside Angel Gomes - now astatine Lille - who had already transitioned from a number 10 to a heavy midfielder. Carsley resisted nan enticement to put a accepted centre midfielder adjacent to him.

Moves often started pinch Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford passing retired and players encouraged to definitive themselves and spot successful their decision-making.

There was 1 juncture erstwhile Chelsea defender Levi Colwill stood still connected nan shot for much than 30 seconds arsenic he waited for nan guidance to property him truthful he could tie successful unit and past initiate nan onslaught - thing nan squad had worked connected successful training.

Whenever England play there’s a statement astir really they fresh successful each of their champion players. Looking astatine really Carsley group up his U21 side, could he beryllium nan coach to fresh together Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker and Reece James - England’s glut of exceptional correct backs - and players specified arsenic Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Foden and Jude Bellingham into 1 team?

On nan measurement to lifting nan trophy successful Georgia, erstwhile his broadside came up against Germany successful nan group stage, Carsley played Palmer successful a number 8 position successful centre midfield and played nan mostly of nan tourney pinch Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon – named subordinate of nan tourney - arsenic his main striker.

Gordon called Carsley nan “best man-manager” he has had successful his profession and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliot said Carsley is an “unbelievable manager” during nan Reds pre-season circuit this summer.

Of people location are players specified arsenic John Stones, Declan Rice and skipper Harry Kane that Carsley has not worked pinch earlier but, since nan U21s lifted nan trophy successful Georgia, a ample number of them person made nan measurement up into nan elder squad.

Carsley says he loves to beryllium connected nan training transportation pinch his players, describing putting nan cones retired earlier sessions arsenic “the champion bit” of nan job.

However, nan scrutiny that comes pinch being England head would beryllium thing that Carsley has ne'er faced before, on pinch nan bigger personalities and profiles of subordinate that he will person to manage.

One of nan things that comes pinch being England head is nan almost statesman-like domiciled erstwhile dealing pinch nan media.

With truthful overmuch liking successful nan squad and nan floor plan of players and head being truthful high, their opinions connected important matters transportation weight.

Southgate was fantabulous astatine dealing pinch difficult topics specified arsenic racism, taking nan knee, debates astir flags connected kits and tons of different off-field issues.

He sewage little progressive successful those matters towards nan extremity of his tenure arsenic he wanted to attraction connected football.

However, Southgate struggled pinch nan level of disapproval this summer, yet revealing really overmuch immoderate of it wounded him personally, amid maltreatment from immoderate supporters.

This level of scrutiny will beryllium thing that Carsley would person to get utilized to.

He has done hundreds of interviews arsenic a subordinate and a head passim his career, but each connection arsenic England head would beryllium dissected.

When dealing pinch him astatine media opportunities astatine nan European Championships tourney successful Georgia, he was guarded but very happy to talk astir nan tactical broadside of nan crippled and deflected questions he didn’t want to prosecute pinch successful a friends matter.

He is protective of his players and pinch nan U21 broadside he understands that immoderate players request an limb astir their enarthrosis erstwhile not playing astatine their clubs and really crippled clip pinch nan Young Lions could beryllium captious to them.

He’s been astir nan England group up agelong capable and worked pinch precocious floor plan players agelong capable to cognize that what is said successful beforehand of nan media will really matter.

One of nan arguments that could beryllium put guardant against Carsley arsenic nan imperishable head is his comparative deficiency of elder squad experience, though he has coached men's elder teams before.

As a player, he has a batch of acquisition of elder shot and successful a profession spanning complete 500 games, he played 282 of those successful nan Premier League.

The 50-year-old has been caretaker head for Coventry City successful 2012 and 2013, caretaker of Birmingham City successful 2017. He besides had a 10-game stint arsenic interim caput coach successful nan Championship earlier Dean Smith was appointed permanently astatine Brentford.

During his clip arsenic nan Bees' interim head he won 5 of his 10 games successful complaint and was named Championship Manager of nan Month successful October 2015.

Carsley had been successful discussions pinch Brentford proprietor Matthew Benham astir taking nan occupation astatine nan nine permanently during that clip but he said he was focused connected improvement football.

Benham said to Carsley he could create nan players successful nan first squad astatine nan nine and Carsley has since admitted he wouldn't beryllium “caught out” by making that correction again if offered a elder job.

When speaking to nan BBC successful 2023, he said he played nan champion shot of his playing profession betwixt nan ages of 28 and 33 years-old, utilizing nan illustration that players tin ever create astatine immoderate stage.

As auditions go, a debut fixture against nan state he represented astatine world level, would beryllium rather nan introduction.