Lee Carsley doesn't want to be England manager as he sends clear message to FA
The former Ireland international spelt out exactly how he sees his job
Lee Carsley revealed after England's victory over the Republic of Ireland that he never wants to become England manager.
The former Ireland international spelt out exactly how he sees his job, saying he told the FA before stepping into his interim role that he regards himself as a head coach because the days of a manager are gone.
There is no doubt from listening to Carsley that he wants the England job on a permanent basis. But Carsley wants to do it his way and in a very different style to Gareth Southgate. Do not expect Carsley to be a spokesman for the nation like Southgate. He wants to coach rather than manage and introduce his ideas, method and style to make England successful.
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Carsley said: “Looking back to when I first started the manager would do everything, including organising travel, transfers. Those days are probably gone now. The amount of support now that’s based around a head coach gives coaches the freedom to do what they do best.
“I wouldn’t say I was a manager, definitely not. I see myself as a head coach. I have some real good support around me who help and take a lot of pressure away from me. That’s gives me the chance to coach and be on the grass and hopefully make a difference.
“That’s the way I have got to do it. I couldn’t see myself doing it any other way. I am really lucky with the people that are in charge and are my bosses. They know what my strengths are and aren’t gonna ask me to be anything I am not.
“My strength is coaching, being on the pitch. This (talking) isn’t my strength, what I am doing now. It’s something that I understand that comes with the job, as I saw on Friday. I have my own way of doing it.”
The talking he was referring to was the row over him not wanting to sing the national anthem. Carsley does not like the limelight but accepts it comes with the territory. That controversy was soon forgotten when England started playing well. Carsley wants to make every second with the players count.
That is why he wants to continue putting the cones out and taking the pre-match drills while most managers would leave it to their coaches. Carsley’s buzzword since taking charge has been control. He wants to exert a new style of play in games. He wants England to dominate possession and pin opponents back in the same way Pep Guardiola has achieved at Manchester City.
That worked brilliantly for England in their first half against Republic of Ireland. Declan Rice and Jack Grealish were surely always destined to score in Dublin because they were the two villains who switched allegiances from Ireland to England. They duly delivered.
The second half trailed off and Carsley’s dream is to get them playing like that for 90 minutes. “We need to do that,” said Carsley. “The end goal is doing that against the top teams in the world in the biggest moments. They have got two years to get to that point. We have gone a good way to doing that.
“One of my biggest strengths is my coaching and once again it’s another chance to affect the players and spend some time. Even the possession drills we did before the game had a tactical element to it. So it helps. I have spoken before about the lack of time you get with the players.”
Carsley has got a six game audition to get the job and there is no doubt the fans will have enjoyed their first glimpse of Carsball. Trent Alexander-Arnold started at right back in a 4-3-3 but inverted into midfield when England pushed forward and became a three at the back. This was straight out of the Guardiola coaching handbook.
Grealish was given freedom in midfield. Rice bossed the game as he does for Arsenal. Anthony Gordon’s pace stretched the Republic of Ireland and their slick passing, interchanges and movement made the first half brilliant to watch. It remains to be seen whether a coach is better than a figurehead manager for this team. But that is the argument which Carsley hopes will get him the job.
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