A coach with minimal experience has joined the England squad. Now they are waiting for Guardiola
Grigory Telingater August 12, 2024, 09:45 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Lee Carsley has already worked with Phil Foden both at City’s academy and youth team.
There was talk of Gareth Southgate’s departure from the England national team for a long time, but for a long time it was unclear whether he would leave the team or not. Possible successors appeared in the media, but in general the information remained contradictory. On July 16, the FA finally announced Southgate’s departure. And 24 days later it became known about the appointment of Lee Carsley as interim head coach.
Lee Carsley
Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images
On the one hand, the position itself suggests that the Irishman will not stay in this position for long. On the other hand, Southgate also came as an actor, but after a series of relatively successful matches he stayed for eight years. In September, October and November, England will play two games each. In addition, the three opponents in the Nations League group are very passable: Ireland, Finland and Greece.
The fact is that England finished last in Group A3 in the last draw and were relegated to Group B2. The result was a very favourable schedule for the coach to keep his job. Curiously, the English will start with a match against the Irish national team, for which Carsley played 40 matches.
The comparison between Lee Carsley and Southgate is suggested not only because both began with the prefix y. Ah, but also because they came from the England youth team. In a sense, this is a logical step, if the coach works for a long time: he will have to manage, among other things, the footballers he knew in his youth.
By the way, at youth level, Carsley has definitely achieved more than Southgate. Last summer, the English won the 2023 Youth Euros. In the final, they defeated the Spaniards 1-0. Then Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Levi Colville entered the line-up, who later made their debut in the senior team. And guys like Harvey Elliott, Oliver Skipp and Noni Madueke from the same tournament are already knocking on the door of the senior England team.
Lee Carlsley wins the 2023 European Youth Championship
Photo: Sebastián Frej/Getty Images
Overall, Lee Carsley’s career is rather modest: he was head coach at Coventry and Birmingham, plus one season at Brentford. In all cases, these were Championship clubs. And each time Carsley managed the team for no more than 10 matches. True, he once managed to become the Championship’s coach of the month (in October 2015).
He then worked at City’s academy with the U18 team. Interestingly, in 2017, Carsley led the team to the final of the FA Youth Cup. At that time, Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho were playing in his team. Notably, after such a result, the manager was called up to the England U-20 team, where he worked with Foden himself. And only then Carsley managed the youth team for three years.
Lee Carsley and Philip Foden
Photo: Nick Potts/Getty Images
In England, Carsley is now perceived as a man who will soon hand over his job to a more famous coach. Guardiola is the most frequently mentioned candidate. “To be honest, I would like Pep to be appointed,” former England striker Wayne Rooney said recently. But Pep himself did not rule out such a possibility.
Josep Guardiola
Manchester City head coach
“I have to decide what I want to do with my life. I could stay here, take a break, lead the team… but now I’m here and looking forward to the season!”
But for now, according to The Independent, this option remains unlikely, even if Guardiola really does leave City at the end of the 2024/2025 season.
This is how Southgate will be remembered:
England have released the most controversial manager of our time.
