England interim manager Lee Carsley revealed that their victory over the Republic of Ireland has given him a significant confidence boost, acknowledging that he initially had doubts about his ability to lead the Three Lions.
The former Everton midfielder took charge of Harry Kane and Co for the first time on Saturday, marking the first occasion since November 2016 that Gareth Southgate wasn’t in the England dugout.
Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, both of whom previously represented Ireland before switching allegiances, found the back of the net, securing a routine 2-0 win in Dublin to kick off England’s new chapter.
It remains unclear how long Lee Carsley will stay in charge, with the 50-year-old currently serving as interim manager while the FA continues its search for a permanent appointment.
Carsley will no doubt hope to put himself in contention for the role, especially after guiding England’s U21s to their first UEFA U21 European Championship title since 1984 with a fluid, attacking, possession-based style of football.
We saw flashes of this exciting approach during the first half on Saturday night, as England looked more expressive than they had in recent matches. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Grealish were particularly impressive, thriving after being named in the starting lineup.
While the first half offered a glimpse of what England might look like under Carsley’s full-time leadership, the team’s performance noticeably dropped off in the second half—an issue that will need addressing if he’s to secure the permanent role.
In the end, it was a solid performance against weak opposition, providing Carsley with the confidence boost he needed to quell any doubts about his ability to manage at this level.
"In the back of your mind you always think... you know, it's easy to be the England manager, isn't it, when you're sat in the house," said Carsley.
"There have been times where I've thought I'm not sure if I could do it.
"But it [the Dublin win] has done my confidence good, and the rest of the staff as well, that actually we're OK, we'll be all right.
"I think it's natural to have doubts."
Meanwhile, Harry Kane will win his 100th England cap when he leads the team out at Wembley tomorrow (Tuesday) for their game against Finland.
The 31-year-old earned his first England cap in March 2015 under then-manager Roy Hodgson. Since then, the Bayern Munich striker has risen to become the nation's all-time leading scorer, amassing 66 goals with an impressive average of 0.67 goals per game.
Tuesday’s match will see him become just the 10th player to reach 100 caps.
