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Lee Carsley’s interim spell as England manager ended with a 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland to earn Nations League promotion back to League A.
Carsley, who was given a six-game brief following the departure of Gareth Southgate, 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 plucked from his position as Under-21s manager to fill the void left by Southgate’s post-Euro 2024 exit, his mission objective was to deliver England back to the top tier of the Nations League. It went down to the last game, but it was job done with five wins from their six matches. There was the aberration at Wembley in the 2-1 loss against Greece last month, but Carsley’s England have otherwise looked totally assured. The 16 goals scored in six matches showed a willingness to attack and be on the front foot. Carsley displayed a ruthless conviction to do it his way, no matter if it upset people. Whether it was refusing to sing the national anthem or dropping the country’s record goalscorer for the biggest game of the group, he was determined to do it his way, in arguably the boldest caretaker spell in recent memory.
Who were the winners Carsley’s tenure?
Given his day job as Under-21 boss, it is perhaps no surprise that Carsley gave youth a chance. He handed debuts to eight players as Morgan Gibbs-White, Noni Madueke, Angel Gomes, Lewis Hall, Morgan Rogers, Curtis Jones, Tino Livramento and Taylor Harwood-Bellis earned first caps. They were all given the nod ahead of established players, who must now fear for their England futures.
What happens next for Carsley?
Carsley has said he is very excited to return to his role with the Under-21s and will aim to defend the European Championship the Young Lions won in 2023. His success with the senior team has seen him linked with club jobs, notably the vacant position at Coventry, where he used to be a midfielder. He has enjoyed his stint with the senior men’s team, though, and may believe staying in his current job is the best route to get back there permanently one day.
What happens now?
Carsley will now hand the keys over to incoming permanent boss Tuchel, with the pair set to meet soon for a handover. Tuchel officially starts his 18-month contract on January 1, but he may well be seen at Premier League games before that as he gets his eye in and familiarises himself with the players available to him.
What will his first camp look like?
The German’s first game in charge will be in the March window, but the opposition or type of fixture will not be known 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 World Cup qualifiers. If they are drawn in a group of four, the German will be eased in with a pair of friendly games.
Which players could benefit from Tuchel’s arrival?
Marcus Rashford and James Maddison were completely overlooked during Carsley’s short reign and will hope a change in manager could reignite their international careers, while Harry Maguire, Nick Pope and Eberechi Eze were dropped at various stages of the autumn internationals. Chelsea full-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell will be licking their lips at Tuchel’s arrival following their time with him at Stamford Bridge, where Hall was also given his first-team debut by the German. Harry Kane did not enjoy the best time under Carsley, as he was surprisingly dropped for the game in Greece, so he might be looking forward to reuniting with the man who signed him at Bayern Munich last summer.
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