England’s 3-1 Nations League victory over Finland in the Olympic Stadium brought some kind of order back to the field following the mayhem that followed their loss to Greece. The match was mostly played in gray, but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s thunderbolt of a free kick made it stand out.
Still, misunderstanding exists off the field. Increased doubts regarding interim coach Lee Carsley’s desire to take over as the FA’s chosen permanent replacement for Gareth Southgate clouded the build-up to the match.
Although a win is a win, it appears like England has entered a phase of inertia and will continue to drift until Carsley makes his intentions clear or the FA names a new permanent manager to succeed him following the last Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Greece next month.
Carsley took a more cautious approach this time around in response to the unsuccessful experiments that were on display during the Greece game, and he was rewarded with respectable performances, especially from Angel Gomes and Jack Grealish.
However, the game had the feeling of being abandoned on an island where nobody knew who would be the new manager. Even though their supporters may not believe they are as excellent as they are, England still has some of the best players in the world.Finding a manager for them shouldn’t be too difficult, especially with the World Cup approaching, but the FA are in a rut and don’t appear to know if Carsley would accept the position. They must ascertain this quickly.
Prior to this game, there were rumors circulating that Carsley did not want the England position, despite his repeated refusals to accept the media’s requests to express his intention in accepting the position permanently.
Carsley is not a bad coach if they turn out to be accurate. Most likely the reverse. It implies that he might not be driven by the same fierce ambition that so many of his colleagues in management and coaching seem to be. It alludes to a man with distinct life priorities.
Still, it is by no means the best circumstances for the FA. Confusion has spread throughout the leadership and fans as a result of the ambiguity. Additionally, it has left a void in the English system for leadership and authority.
Additionally, since Gareth Southgate left, it has delayed the team’s progress. There was at least some purpose to the otherwise worthless Nations League when it seemed like Carsley might be the next manager.
However, Carsley’s personnel and style changes in matches like this tie will mean less if he is not going to be the team’s long-term leader. Whoever becomes permanent leadership of the Under-21 team, if Carsley decides to return to coaching, will bring his own philosophy regarding players and tactics.
The notion that the FA had devised a seamless succession plan that would have given Carsley the senior position as compensation for his successful tenure as coach of the Under-21s is also severely damaged. The idea of an English coach’s pathway has all of a sudden become murky.Given such circumstances, it was hardly shocking that this game felt uninteresting. The same weakness that permeated England’s performance against Greece quickly surfaced again. A poor pass from Gomes ceded possession to the Finns and when Fredrik Jensen’s shot was blocked, the ball fell to Benjamin Kallman, who dragged his effort wide.