"This job deserves a world-class coach who has won trophies" - Lee Carsley on England job after win over Finland
Lee Carsley has spoken about his role as head coach of the England national team, admitting that he is not the perfect fit for the role. This comes after the Three Lions visited the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland's capital for the Nations League, where they beat the Nordic country 3-1 on October 13.
Three days earlier, the Three Lions lost 2-1 to Greece in front of their fans at Wembley. However, they overcame that setback with a strong performance against Finland, with Jack Grealish scoring an early goal to put England ahead in the 18th minute.
In the second half, it was Trent Alexander-Arnold who found the net with a brilliantly taken free-kick from range with 74 minutes on the clock. Declan Rice made it three for the Three Lions in the 84th minute, before Arttu Hoskonen found a consolation goal for Finland.
Despite the win, Lee Carsley spoke about not being the head coach to take the national team forward. With his interim role set to conclude in November, he was asked about his potential future at the helm of England's footballing affairs. Carsley responded (via Metro):
"Yeah, I’ve not really thought that much about it. I know I keep saying the same thing – my remit was to do six games, really happy with that, privileged position that I’m in. I’m really enjoying it, didn’t enjoy it for last two days, it was hard work, I’m not used to losing in an England team, I don’t take losing very well."
Carsley was asked about to debunk or confirm rumors that he did not want to continue with England. He responded:
"I think people are always going to try to put their chips on one side. I’m totally in the middle. My bosses have made it totally clear what they need from me. This job deserves a world-class coach who has won trophies and been there and done it. I’m still on the path to doing that."
In the meantime, Lee Carsley will be pleased about the 3-1 win over Finland, with England sitting in second place, behind Greece.
Clinton Morrison has claimed Lee Carsley wants England job
Former player Clint Morrison has claimed that Lee Carsley wants to become the permanent head coach of the Three Lions. Questions around Lee Carsley's job began to come to the fore after the Three Lions lost to Greece, with the head coach speaking about a return to managing the Under-21s again.
However, Morrison told BBC Sport (via Mirror):
“I know Lee Carsley. I speak to him. We were room mates with the Republic of Ireland and we're still good friends. If the FA want Lee Carsley to take the job he will take the job. Him saying, 'I'll go back to the under-21s'...he meant if he did not get offered the [senior] job, hopefully he will be able to go back to the under-21s.”
With Carsley's recent comments about the Three Lions needing a coach with trophy-winning pedigree, it is uncertain where the future of the head coach lies.