by Lee Carsley’s interim spell as England manager ended with a 5-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland to secure promotion back to League A in the Nations League.
Carsley, who was given a six-game spell following Gareth Southgate’s departure, will now hand the keys to Thomas Tuchel, who begins his new role in January.
Here the PA news agency takes a look at the questions surrounding the England team.
How did Carsley do?
When the 50-year-old was recalled from his role as under-21 coach to fill the void left by Southgate’s departure after Euro 2024, his mission was to lead England back to the top tier of the Nations League. It came down to the last game, but with five wins from six games the job was done. There was a deviation at Wembley in last month’s 2-1 defeat to Greece, but otherwise Carsley’s England looked completely confident. The 16 goals scored in six games showed the willingness to attack and lead the way. Carsley showed a ruthless conviction to do it his way, no matter if it upset people. Whether it was not singing the national anthem or ditching the nation’s leading scorer for the group’s biggest game, he was determined to do it his way, in arguably the boldest interim period in recent memory.
Who were the winners during Carsley’s tenure?
Given his day job as under-21 coach, it is perhaps no surprise that Carsley gave the youth a chance. He gave eight players their debuts, including Morgan Gibbs-White, Noni Madueke, Angel Gomes, Lewis Hall, Morgan Rogers, Curtis Jones, Tino Livramento and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. They all received the contract ahead of established players who now have to fear for their future in England.
What happens next for Carsley?
Carsley said he was excited to return to his role with the under-21s and would aim to defend the European Championship won by the Young Lions in 2023. His success with the senior team has seen him linked with club jobs, particularly the vacant position at Coventry, where he was previously a midfielder. However, he has enjoyed his time with the senior men’s team and may believe that staying in his current job is the best way to return there permanently one day.
What happens now?
Carsley will now hand over the keys to new permanent coach Tuchel, and the pair will soon meet for the handover. Tuchel officially begins his 18-month contract on January 1, but it’s entirely possible he could be seen in Premier League games before then as he takes a look and gets familiar with the players at his disposal might.
What will his first camp look like?
The German’s first game as manager will take place in March, but the opponent or type of game will not be announced until December, when the World Cup qualifying draw is made. If England are drawn in a group of five, Tuchel’s reign will begin with the World Cup qualifiers. If they are drawn in a group of four, the German will be relieved with two friendly matches.
Which players could benefit from Tuchel’s arrival?
Marcus Rashford and James Maddison were completely overlooked during Carsley’s short reign and are hoping a coaching change could revive their international careers, while Harry Maguire, Nick Pope and Eberechi Eze were left out at various stages of the autumn internationals. Chelsea full-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell will be licking their lips over Tuchel’s arrival after playing with him at Stamford Bridge, where Hall also made his first-team debut for the German. Harry Kane hasn’t had the best of times under Carsley, as he was surprisingly missed for the game in Greece, so he may be looking forward to a reunion with the man who signed him from Bayern Munich last summer.
