Lee Carsley: England's likely interim manager plays brand of football dubbed 'Carsball'
Previewing 'Carsball' - What To Expect From Carsley's England
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Lee Carsley's dynamic group of promising young players from England's Under-21 team emerged victorious over Spain, securing the European Championship title in 2023.
A journalist who covers sports news for the BBC has written a blog post.
Many well-known coaches in international soccer have been rumored to be candidates for the England manager position following Gareth Southgate's resignation after Euro 2024.
Currently, it seems that Lee Carsley is the top choice to temporarily manage the England team for the Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in September.
Is it possible that the manager of the England Under-21 team could be a candidate for the permanent position, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Southgate?
Last summer, BBC Sport's Alex Howell documented Carsley's England U21 team in Georgia as they clinched the trophy for the first time in nearly four decades. The team showcased a dynamic and aggressive style of play, taking risks while maintaining their defensive strength. They made history by achieving six consecutive clean sheets, a feat never seen before in the tournament.
Carsley led England to a win against Spain in the final, something that seems unlikely in high-level competitions. The Spanish men's national team and La Liga clubs have won all 27 major finals they have participated in since 2002.
Former player for the Republic of Ireland, Carsley is one of many well-respected coaches who have advanced through the St George's Park program since he became part of the FA team in 2015.
What Is Carsley's Playing Style As A Remarkable Manager?
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England's Under-21 team is seen celebrating alongside their coach, Lee Carsley, following their victory in the European Championship final in 2023.
One of the main complaints about Southgate's time in charge was that he did not maximize the potential of the attacking players he had available.
The talk of England's journey to Euro 2024 centered around a highly disputed topic, causing a lot of discussion on Phil Foden's ideal role, Cole Palmer's limited playing time, and Anthony Gordon's lack of opportunities on the field.
After the England U21 team won the European Championship last summer, social media was buzzing with videos showcasing the team's entertaining style of play, known as 'Carsball'.
The edited videos created at home became popular again after Southgate resigned, and Birmingham-born Carsley was suggested as one of the possible choices to take over his position.
Unlike his style as a central destroyer during his time playing for Everton and Derby, Carsley now urges his team to focus on ball possession and play freely.
During the competition in Georgia, his team was filled with skilled players like Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones from Liverpool, as well as Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.
He used a right-footed left-back from Bournemouth, Max Aarons, as well as James Garner from Everton, who normally plays in the center midfield, at right-back. He also had Jones, who typically plays as a number 10, in one of the two central midfield positions.
Jones partnered with Angel Gomes, who is now playing for Lille, in a different position. Gomes had changed from being a number 10 to playing as a deep midfielder. Instead of choosing a typical central midfielder to play alongside Gomes, Carsley decided against it.
The game usually began with Burnley goalie James Trafford kicking the ball out, giving players the chance to show off their skills and have confidence in their choices.
One time, Chelsea defender Levi Colwill held onto the ball without moving for over 30 seconds. He was waiting for the other team to come towards him so he could start their offensive play - a strategy they had practiced in training.
Whenever England plays, people discuss how to include all their top players. Looking at how Carsley organized his under-21s team, could he be the manager to bring together Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker, and Reece James - England's many talented right-backs - along with other players like Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Foden, and Jude Bellingham into one cohesive team?
During the championship in Georgia, Carsley positioned Palmer at number eight in center midfield when his team faced Germany in the group stage. He teamed up with Newcastle winger Gordon, who was later named player of the tournament, as his main striker for most of the matches on their way to winning the trophy.
Gordon said Carsley was the best at managing people in his career, and Elliot from Liverpool said he was an amazing manager.
Naturally, there are some players like John Stones, Declan Rice, and team leader Harry Kane that Carsley hasn't coached yet, but many of them have progressed from the under-21 team that won the trophy in Georgia and are now part of the senior squad.
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Is there potential for Carsley's U21 connection with Newcastle's Anthony Gordon to develop further in the Premier League?
Carsley expresses his enjoyment of being with his players on the practice field, stating that setting up the cones before training sessions is his favorite part of the job.
Nevertheless, the intense examination that accompanies being the manager of England would be a new challenge for him, as well as handling the more prominent personalities and profiles of players.
When you are the manager of the England team, you are expected to act almost like a statesman when interacting with the press.
Due to the team's popularity and the reputation of its players and manager, their thoughts on important topics hold significance.
Southgate did a great job addressing challenging subjects like racism, the gesture of taking the knee, discussions about flags on uniforms, and various other non-game-related issues.
He became less engaged in those issues as his time in office was coming to an end because he preferred to concentrate on football.
Nevertheless, Southgate found it challenging to deal with the amount of negative feedback he received this summer. He later admitted that some of the criticism really affected him on a personal level, especially the abuse from certain fans.
This level of examination would something that Carsley would need to become accustomed to.
He has participated in many interviews as a player and manager over the course of his career, but every word he says as the England manager would be carefully analyzed.
During interviews at the European Championship tournament in Georgia, he was cautious but eager to discuss the strategic aspects of the game. He skillfully avoided answering questions he didn't want to address in a polite way.
He cares for his players and knows that some of them may need support when they are not getting playing time at their clubs. He recognizes the importance of giving these players opportunities to play with the U21 team, as it could be beneficial for their development.
He has been involved with the England team for a long time and has experience working with well-known players. He understands the importance of what is said in front of the press.
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Carsley may choose to emulate the career trajectories of Howard Wilkinson, Stuart Pearce, and Gareth Southgate, all of whom moved on to manage the England national team after leading the under-21s squad.
Carsley's Previous Management Experience
An opposing argument against Carsley being the permanent manager could be his limited experience leading senior teams. However, he does have previous experience coaching men's senior teams.
He has plenty of experience playing in professional football as a player, with over 500 games under his belt. He has appeared in 282 matches in the Premier League throughout his career.
The individual, who is 50 years old, served as temporary manager for Coventry City from 2012 to 2013 and for Birmingham City in 2017. They also had a brief period as interim head coach for 10 games in the Championship before Dean Smith was named as the permanent manager at Brentford.
While serving as the Bees' temporary manager, he emerged victorious in five out of his ten matches and was awarded the title of Championship Manager of the Month in October 2015.
During that period, Carsley had been talking to Brentford's owner, Matthew Benham, about potentially becoming the permanent manager of the club. However, he stated that he was more focused on his role in youth football development.
Benham told Carsley that he could help the players in the main team of the club improve, and Carsley has now confessed that he wouldn't make that error again if given a position of higher responsibility.
During his interview with the BBC in 2023, he expressed that he believes he reached the peak of his football skills between the ages of 28 and 33. He noted that players have the potential to improve at any point in their careers.
When it comes to auditions, facing off against the team he once played for on the international stage is quite the way to make a first impression.
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Carsley and Liverpool's Harvey Elliott proudly holding the European Under-21 Championship trophy after defeating Spain in the final in 2023.
