“Sack him now!”, “Already a joke” - England fans furious after Lee Carsley names 31-year-old in starting line-up to face Republic of Ireland
Fans were unimpressed with interim coach Lee Carsley naming centre-back Harry Maguire in England's starting line-up against the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League. The match is set to take place on September 7, at Aviva Stadium.
Harry Maguire made his senior debut for the Three Lions in 2017. He has netted seven goals and provided two assists in 63 appearances across competitions for his nation.
A section of fans flooded social media with posts sharing their opinions on Harry Maguire being named in the starting XI for England. While some fans criticized Lee Carsley's decision to include the Manchester United defender, some wanted the manager to be sacked. Here are some of their reactions from X (formerly Twitter):
One fan wrote:
"Picks Maguire.....sack him now! #sameoldsameold #england"
Another added:
"Already a joke starting Maguire"
"How on earth has Maguire managed to slip back in to the starting lineup," chimed in another fan.
One account posted:
"Maguire straight back in 😭 Also start lewis soon over mainoo"
Another tweeted:
"Maguire over Stones & Konsa 😂😂😂 #SouthgateMKII"
"Maguire lol," posted another.
One user wrote:
"I was hoping we'd seen the last of maguire in an england shirt."
While another wrote:
"The only thing i don't agree with its Maguire but the rest is bang on i can get behind carsley ..."
Both England and the Republic of Ireland haven't lifted the UEFA Nations League trophy as of yet. The Three Lions ended up in third place in 2019.
Harry Kane opens up on Euro 2024 disappointment before England's UEFA Nations League clash
England captain Harry Kane spoke about UEFA Euro 2024 before their UEFA Nations League clash against Republic of Ireland. About the Three Lions' heartbreaking loss in the final against Spain, the Bayern Munich star said (via BBC Sport):
"It's tough whenever you get so close to reaching one of the pinnacles of your career and it's taken away. It makes me even more motivated. It puts the fire in the belly to try and get there. Our task is to get better."
Harry Kane told BBC Radio 5 Live that he wants to continue for a long time and said:
"I think when you look at players like [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Luka] Modric and [Lionel] Messi, all these players who are playing in their mid to late 30s, that's the inspiration for me because it shows that you can really play at a high level for a long time."
"I want to play football for as long as possible and at the highest level for as long as possible. I use those players for motivation and inspiration to be able to do that. I feel I am in a really good place both mentally and physically to have another great season, hopefully that continues for many years to come," added the 31-year-old star.
Following their match against the Republic of Ireland, the Three Lions are pitted against Finland in the 2024 UEFA Nations League on September 10, at Wembley Stadium.