Lee Carsley said he will “hopefully” be returning to his role with England’s Under-21s after a damaging and disappointing defeat to Greece at Wembley.
September’s promising Nations League wins against the Republic of Ireland and Finland under interim manager Carsley were followed by boos from the crowd after seeing Greece seal a late, but thoroughly deserved, 2-1 victory.
Vangelis Pavlidis scored a stoppage-time winner after Jude Bellingham looked to have earned a disjointed England a draw.
Carsley said: “I was quite surprised after the last camp in terms of like ‘the job’s mine’, like it’s ‘mine to lose’ and all the rest of it.
“No, my remit has been clear from the start. I’m doing three camps, there’s three games left and then, you know, hopefully I’ll be going back to the 21s.”
Picked up on his eye-catching comment that he will “hopefully” return to the Under-21s, Carsley said: “Well, I said at the start that I wouldn’t rule myself in or out and that’s still the case.
“I’m more than comfortable in my position where I am. The remit was clear. I’m comfortable and confident with that.
“After the first camp I definitely didn’t get too excited or believe too much.
🗣️ "We tried to overload the midfield… It was something that we tried for 20 minutes yesterday, it's something we experimented with."
Lee Carsley on England's new system#ITVFootball | #NationsLeague | 🎙️ @gabrielclarke05 pic.twitter.com/7C39UZ3dWc
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 10, 2024
“I’m very aware that this job is one of the best in the world in terms of you’ve actually got a chance of winning – obviously I’m talking about that after a loss but in terms of a major competition – and that’s still the case.”
England face Finland on Sunday afternoon before games against Greece and Ireland in November. Who will be in charge after those games?
“I think it’s a fantastic job. I’m lucky that I’ve got a good job as it is in terms of the 21s,” Carsley said.
“But, like I say, after the first camp when we won two games and had two really good performances, my ambitions didn’t change.
“I think it’s important that I give it everything I’ve got for the next three games.
“I’m really happy and comfortable in terms of the communication I have with my bosses, so nothing’s changed in that respect.”
