His tactics were muddled, and his comments afterward were just as confusing.
The enormity of being the coach of England’s soccer team might just be hitting Lee Carsley after a night when his performance in the dugout and then in front of the media left many scratching their heads.
Carsley is filling in as interim coach following the departure of Gareth Southgate after England’s loss to Spain in the European Championship final in July, and his tenure began impressively with back-to-back 2-0 wins over Ireland and Finland in the Nations League last month.
Doubts are now swirling regarding Carsley’s suitability for the job after he picked an exciting yet experimental lineup — featuring no striker and a bunch of attacking midfielders — against Greece on Thursday and saw England lose 2-1 in a sloppy and occasionally shambolic display at Wembley Stadium.
“I never at any point thought I’d got it cracked,” Carsley said after the game about his tactics and approach that were widely criticized — albeit after the match rather than before. “It was a case of, let’s try something different.”
Adding to the confusion were Carsley’s later comments on whether he wanted to stay in the job on a permanent basis, with the English Football Association currently conducting a search for Southgate’s successor.
The unassuming Carsley, who was in charge of England’s under-21 team before being asked to temporarily take control of the senior side, was being talked up as a strong candidate to replace Southgate after last month’s double-header of wins when his style of play was praised.
“I was quite surprised after the last camp in terms of (people saying), ‘the job is mine’ and ‘it’s mine to lose’ and all the rest of it,” said Carsley, who has been told he will also be coach for the Nations League games in November, too.
“My remit has been clear from the start. I’m doing three camps. There’s three games left and then hopefully I’ll be going back to the under-21s.”
However, later in the news conference, Carsley — asked if he wanted the senior job — responded: “I said at the start that I wouldn’t rule myself in or out, and that’s still the case, I am more than comfortable in my position.”
There is a lack of obvious contenders to replace Southgate as the person who might lead England’s men’s team to a first major title since the 1966 World Cup.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp might have been one of them, but it was announced this week he will begin a new role as head of global soccer at Red Bull from January, overseeing its international network of soccer clubs.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has also been linked with the vacancy, but he hasn’t declared his interest in it, at least publicly.
Former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter might be in the frame after saying last month he was ready to return to management — a year and a half after leaving Chelsea.
However, he did suggest club soccer would be his preferred destination, telling The Daily Telegraph: “I like the day-to-day and the building process of club management. International management is a different rhythm and there are pluses for that. It’s more intense when it’s on, but you’ve got a bit more breathing space in between.
“It’s nothing that I’ve ruled out, but at the same time, I do like the day-to-day bit of working with the players and being in at the club and trying to build and make a difference.”
With Harry Kane set to be fit to start against Finland on Sunday, normality may yet be restored to Carsley’s lineup and the Greece game might be consigned to overthinking and an experiment gone wrong.
He has two more Nations League games next month, against Greece and Ireland. Then the FA has decisions to make.
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