England manager Lee Carsley hailed his team’s performance in their emphatic 5-0 win against the Republic of Ireland.
The match was a culmination of a successful campaign that saw England top their group and earn promotion back to League A of the Nations League.
Speaking after the game, he said: It was a good performance. I thought the way we started the game was good, and we played with real intensity.
“It was frustrating to come off 0-0 at half-time, but I had the belief that we would score the goals.
“It was a great evening for a lot of players, and the main thing was getting promotion.
“That was the main thing we said we wanted to do, so that was pleasing.”
What it means. 😍😍 pic.twitter.com/swPIamHxoe
— England (@England) November 17, 2024
Reflecting on his time in charge, Carsley admitted to feeling relief and pride, particularly in how the players embraced the expectations placed on them.
He added: “I wanted the England team to be exciting to watch and be attacking. I see them day in, day out on the training ground, and now we’ve seen it.”
“It’s not a gamble with some of these players; they are excellent players, and they want to overcome anything in front of them. At the Under-21s, they’ve had an expectation of winning.
“It [his spell in charge] has given myself and the staff the confidence that we can do the job.
“You always doubt whether you can do the job, and there’s a lot of people in their homes picking the squad and picking the team.”
“The trust from my bosses has been a massive boost of confidence.”
As England look forward to a new era under Thomas Tuchel in 2025 and beyond Carsley’s contributions leave a strong foundation for the team to build upon, particularly with the young talent embedded into the squad.
