Lee Carsley tipped to 'force FA's hand' in England spell by ex-caretaker manager
Lee Carsley is currently managing England on an interim basis, but the 50-year-old has been tipped to "force the FA's hand" and earn the full-time job by Stuart Pearce
Lee Carsley has been told he could "force the FA's hand" in their search for Gareth Southgate's successor by former interim England manager Stuart Pearce.
Carsley has stepped up from his role as England U21s boss after Southgate resigned following Euro 2024 and the 50-year-old has an opportunity to prove he deserves the job on a full-time basis.
It is the same opportunity Southgate took when he replaced Sam Allardyce on an interim basis in 2016, while Pearce also stepped up from the U21s for one match in 2012 after Fabio Capello resigned.
His sole game in charge was a 3-2 friendly defeat to the Netherlands and Roy Hodgson was named as Capello's replacement three months later, with Pearce admitting he was not "ready" for the job.
"I told him [ex-FA boss Sir Trevor Brooking] I didn't think I was ready for that leap," Pearce told the Sun. "I felt I needed more experience. I always knew I was doing it for the one game. When you haven't managed at international level, coming in from the outside, it can be daunting.
"I'm sure Lee will feel that pressure but he's worked inside the FA for a number of years and understands the pressure. That's why he'll be OK. Carsley was a common-sense approach. He has trod the same path as Southgate and these games are not high-pressure ones.
"This will buy the FA some time to have a look at other candidates. But make no mistake, this is an audition for Lee. It is a fantastic opportunity to show what he can do. And if he does well, he might just force the FA's hand. If he thinks this job is for him, he must utilise these games to bed in for a decent tilt at the 2026 World Cup."
Carsley, though, has remained coy when asked about the prospect of taking the job on a permanent basis. "To be honest, I've not really thought about it that much," he insisted. "Honestly I've not. My priority is just doing a good job.
"Ultimately this is up there with the best jobs in football. We've potentially got a unique period of time — which will pass — where we've got some outstanding players. Someone needs to get the absolute best out of them.
"We have done so far, because we've got to the latter stage of tournaments. We've been so close. The best person for the job will do it [full-time]. I think people are really excited about the future. Just missing out in the final, people know that we're close."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
