Declan Rice praised Lee Carsley’s “refreshing” approach as the interim England manager kicked off a new era with a commitment to attacking football in Saturday’s 2-0 win against Ireland.
Rice scored England’s first goal since the departure of long-serving manager Gareth Southgate, finding the net in the first half of the Nations League opener in Dublin. Carsley, who guided England’s Under-21s to European Championship success last year, is temporarily in charge while the Football Association searches for a successor to Southgate.
Southgate resigned after England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain in July, a disappointing end to a campaign that saw him heavily criticized for his conservative tactics and inability to maximize the potential of a world-class squad.
In contrast to Southgate’s cautious approach during his eight-year tenure, which included two Euro final losses, Carsley, a former Ireland midfielder, expressed his desire to play more freely. England dominated the first half with a stylish performance, creating six ‘big chances’—more than in any of their Euro 2024 matches—and recording 16 shots, surpassed only once during their campaign in Germany.
Rice epitomized the freedom under “Carsball,” advancing much further forward than he did at the Euros, where he played as a defensive midfielder. Unleashed, Rice scored the opener and set up Jack Grealish’s goal before halftime with a clever pass.
“All I know is that from us, from the set of lads, we’ve been so impressed with him this week. He’s been so refreshing,” Rice said of Carsley’s potential for the permanent role. “His meetings have been top, really to the point, and the way we play and train is really different, so I think all the lads are really happy with him.
“Obviously, we had such an amazing time with Gareth. Some of the best memories that we probably could ever imagine. The only thing that was missing there was, obviously, we didn’t win a trophy.
“But with Lee now, I think he’s adapted so well to the job. He’s given a lot of lads a lot of confidence to go and play.”
Personality and Confidence
Carsley’s decision to encourage England to build possession from the back was evident, with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford kicking long just 18.5 percent of the time, compared to 49 percent at the Euros.
Like Rice, Manchester City winger Jack Grealish also thrived under Carsley’s more liberal approach. Grealish, who was left out of the Euro squad due to Southgate’s reservations about his freelancing style, was given the number 10 role behind Harry Kane by Carsley. He rewarded this trust with a standout performance.
“Look at Jack today. I think Jack’s best when he’s got an arm around him and he’s told how good he is,” Rice said. “I think Lee’s done that this week and Jack went out there, and when Jack’s playing with personality and confidence, he’s one of the best players in the world.”
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, who only had a substitute appearance at the Euros, was also given the freedom to attack under Carsley, delivering impressive results. “The expression, the freedom to express yourself was missing from Euro 2024,” Gordon remarked. “We controlled games, but we weren’t dynamic. We weren’t relentless. We lacked dynamism and excitement.”
Carsley’s decision not to sing ‘God Save the King’ before kick-off drew some criticism from patriotic fans. However, if he can lead England to another strong performance in Tuesday’s Nations League match against Finland at Wembley, this issue is likely to be overlooked.
While Newcastle’s Eddie Howe remains the bookmakers’ favorite for the England job, Carsley’s reputation is steadily growing.
