Declan Rice praised Lee Carsley's 'refreshing' start as the interim England manager, as he ushered in a new era by emphasizing an attacking approach in the 2-0 victory over Ireland on Saturday. Rice scored England's first goal since the departure of long-time manager Gareth Southgate, netting in the first half of the Nations League opener in Dublin. Carsley, who led England's Under-21s to European Championship success last year, is temporarily in charge while the Football Association looks for a replacement for Southgate. Southgate resigned following England's loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July, a disappointing end to a campaign marked by harsh criticism of his conservative tactics and inability to fully utilize a world-class squad.
In contrast to Southgate's cautious approach during his eight-year tenure, which included two Euro final losses, former Ireland midfielder Carsley expressed his intention to play without restraint, as England showcased a dominant and stylish first half. Statistics revealed they created six 'big chances'—more than in any of their Euro 2024 matches—and had more shots (16) than in all but one of their games in Germany. Rice embodied the freedom offered by 'Carsball', advancing further forward than he did at the Euros, where he played as a defensive midfielder. Unshackled, Rice scored the opener and assisted Jack Grealish's goal before halftime with a clever pass.
'All I know is that from us, from the set of lads, we've been so impressed with him this week. He's been so refreshing,' Rice said of Carsley's potential to secure the job permanently. 'His meetings have been top, really to the point, and the way we play and train is really different so I think all the lads are really happy with him.' Rice also acknowledged the fond memories with Southgate, highlighting the only missing element—a trophy. 'But with Lee now, I think he's adapted so well to the job. He's given a lot of lads a lot of confidence to go and play.'
Carsley's emphasis on building possession from the back was evident, with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford kicking long only 18.5 percent of the time, compared to 49 percent at the Euros. Manchester City winger Grealish also thrived under Carsley's more liberal approach. Grealish was omitted from the Euro squad, with Southgate unconvinced by his freelancing outside the team's pattern of play. However, Carsley assigned Grealish the number 10 role behind Harry Kane, and he delivered a dynamic performance. 'Look at Jack today. I think Jack's best when he's got an arm around him and he's told how good he is,' Rice said. 'I think Lee's done that this week and Jack went out there, and when Jack's playing with personality and confidence he's one of the best players in the world.'
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, who had only one substitute appearance at the Euros, was also given the freedom to attack by Carsley, with impressive results. 'The expression, the freedom to express yourself was missing from Euro 2024,' Gordon noted of the change. 'We controlled games but we weren't dynamic. We weren't relentless. We lacked dynamism and excitement.' Carsley's decision not to sing 'God save the King' before kick-off drew criticism from some of England's more patriotic fans. However, if the 50-year-old can inspire another impressive performance from England in Tuesday's Nations League match against Finland at Wembley, the anthem issue will likely be forgotten. Newcastle's Eddie Howe remains the bookmakers' favorite for the England job, but Carsley's prospects are improving.
