England fans issued a groveling apology to Gareth Southgate last night after the Three Lions slipped to a shock defeat against Greece.
Lee Carsley sidestepped questions about whether he wants thejob on a permanent basis after the interim boss said he will ‘hopefully’ be returning to his role with the Under-21s following next month’s fixtures.
September’s promising Nations League wins against the Republic of Ireland and Finland were followed by boos from those left at Wembley after seeing Greece seal a late, but thoroughly deserved, 2-1 victory.
Vangelis Pavlidis scored a stoppage-time winner – his second of the night – shortly after Jude Bellingham looked to have saved the Euro 2024 runners-up’s blushes having struggled against the side ranked 48th in the world.
Carsley’s bold, attack-minded line-up was flawed and the performance damaged the England Under-21s manager’s chances of permanently succeeding Southgate as senior team boss.
After such a disjointed performance, many England fans were left wondering whether Southgate was a case of better the devil you know and if a man who led the national team to two major finals was really deserving of all the criticism he encountered, especially towards the end of his reign.
‘Thank god we got rid of Gareth Southgate,’ said one fan, ironically on X. ‘0-0 at half time, then go a goal behind to Greece. In case you didn’t notice, that was sarcasm.
‘Careful what you wish for, you miseries. Best manager England ever had, and you hounded him out.’
Another added: ‘Gareth Southgate was England’s greatest manager and you all chased him because he lost two finals.’
‘I hope somewhere in Harrogate last night, Gareth Southgate was sat rightly disappointed that England were humbled, but also smug that he wasn’t getting dogs abuse and he was never the problem,’ commented another rueful fan. ‘Funny that. Grass is not always greener.’
Asked, meanwhile, if the Greece defeat negatively impacts his hopes of becoming permanent manager, he said: ‘I was quite surprised after the last camp in terms of like ‘the job’s mine’, like it’s ‘mine to lose’ and all the rest of it.
‘No, my remit has been clear from the start. I’m doing three camps, there’s three games left and then, you know, hopefully I’ll be going back to the 21s.’
Picked up on his eye-catching comment that he will ‘hopefully’ return to the Under-21s, Carsley said: ‘Well, I said at the start that I wouldn’t rule myself in or out and that’s still the case.
‘I’m more than comfortable in my position where I am. The remit was clear. I’m comfortable and confident with that.
‘After the first camp I definitely didn’t get too excited or believe too much.
‘I’m very aware that this job is one of the best in the world in terms of you’ve actually got a chance of winning – obviously I’m talking about that after a loss but in terms of a major competition – and that’s still the case.’
Carsley’s answer was as confusing as his side’s display as England lost to Greece for the first time, leading to further attempts to clarify his feelings about the permanent role.
Asked directly whether he wants the England job or not, he said: ‘Well, nothing’s changed in what I said in the first press conference.
‘I think it’s a fantastic job. I’m lucky that I’ve got a good job as it is in terms of the 21s.
‘But, like I say, after the first camp when we won two games and had two really good performances, my ambitions didn’t change.
‘I think it’s important that I give it everything I’ve got for the next three games.
‘I’m really happy and comfortable in terms of the communication I have with my bosses, so nothing’s changed in that respect.’
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