Lee Carsley Remains Committed to Attack After Greece Setback

Lee Carsley will stick to his attacking style when England faces Finland on Sunday, despite the disappointment of a surprise defeat to Greece that jeopardized his chances of securing the role permanently. England began their Nations League campaign strongly under Carsley achieving victories over the Republic of Ireland and Finland before suffering a 2-1 loss at Wembley.

In that match, Carsley fielded five attackers without a traditional striker, a strategy that backfired. However, he remains committed to his attacking philosophy. “The way I want my teams to play is to attack, and I wanted to try something different with the players we have available,” Carsley explained. He acknowledged that hindsight might suggest a different approach but emphasized his desire to continue experimenting in the future.

Long-serving captain Harry Kane is likely to return after missing the Greece match due to injury. While Carsley sees potential in playing Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer together, he indicated he would avoid that setup against Finland. “Had Harry been fit, I might have gone down another route,” he noted. Despite the setback, Carsley expressed confidence in his interim role, stating, “Nothing changes in my respect.”

He aims to complete his remit for the three camps and remains focused on his responsibilities without dwelling on the pressure of potentially losing the job. The defeat against Greece may prompt FA executives to reconsider their search for a permanent manager. While Lee Carsley has remained tight-lipped about his aspirations for the role, the Football Association’s leaders, Mark Bullingham and John McDermott also keep their plans under wraps.