Football Features

    England 5-0 Republic of Ireland: Winners and losers from Lee Carsley’s time in charge

    By Mohamed Moallim

    Published: 18:50, 17 November 2024 | Updated: 11:13, 21 November 2024

    Lee Carsley took charge of his final game as interim England boss.

    He ultimately oversaw six matches, all coming in the Uefa Nations League, and leaves with an 83.3% win rate. It is a commendable effort that no doubt pleases the FA, who can look forward to seeing where Thomas Tuchel takes the Three Lions from January onward.

    After earning promotion under Carsley’s watch, the European Championship runners-up will again play in League A of the Nations League. The only blemish was a disappointing 2-1 loss to Greece at Wembley last month, but 15 points from 18 available is a more than decent return. Moreover, there’s an injection of energy with many new faces hoping to feature prominently under the new England manager.

     

    On Sunday night, a buoyant Ireland were the final opponent. England also came into this fixture in good spirits, avenging that loss to Greece. Despite missing several big names this was another comfortable outing as England ran out 5-0 winners, turning Carsley’s farewell into a feelgood rout.

    Following a goalless opening half, Harry Kane put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot shortly after Irish defender Liam Scales was shown a second yellow card for bringing Jude Bellingham down inside the area. Anthony Gordon immediately doubled England’s lead before Conor Gallagher added a third minutes later. Jarrod Bowen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis then both came off the bench. Bowen scored with his first touch while Harwood-Bellis also netted on his debut.

    So, with the curtain now coming down, let’s pick out three winners and three losers from this brief footnote in the annals of Three Lions history.

    Winner: Declan Rice

    The one that was promised. Rice will turn 26 in a few months’ time and is certain to be the fulcrum of this England side for many years to come. He recently picked up a 60th international cap, and barring an extraordinary series of events, the Arsenal midfielder is on course to become a centurion. The heartbeat of the national team, Rice featured in Carsley’s opening four games, subsequently registering two goals (as many as he had managed in 34 previous international outings) and creating one more.

    He played all but five minutes, which would be his lot, as fitness concerns led to him withdrawing from the November international squad. That said, only Bellingham (one goal and three assists) recorded more goal involvements.

    If the Londoner had been available, there’s no question he would have featured, potentially scoring or creating another seeing as there’s a greater incentive to play box-to-box under Carsley. But seeing what his teammates did in Greece without him must have been encouraging, as sometimes there can be an overreliance on certain players (though in the marquee clashes England will play, they need their midfield lynchpin).

    Loser: James Maddison

    Even if the appointment was temporary, it meant a new face in charge, and that was an opportunity for those overlooked to get back into the fold. James Maddison, to some bewilderment, did not make England’s squad for Euro 2024 but with Gareth Southgate no longer at the helm, perhaps there was a way back, especially given how well he’s started for Tottenham in the Premier League this season.

    Carsley, however, had other ideas. On three occasions, the interim boss named his squad, and Maddison was not called up a single time. His last appearance (seventh overall) remains a 29-minute cameo against Bosnia in the pre-Euro 2024 warm-up.

    Winner: Angel Gomes

    No fewer than seven players (Curtis Jones, Noni Madueke, Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Lewis Hall, Morgan Rogers and Taylor Harwood-Bellis) earned their first senior international cap during Carsley’s brief stint, with all having previously worked under him at the U21 level. Gomes was the second-oldest at 24 years and seven days old. His presence has been eye-catching, with many observers, including the outgoing temporary boss, citing that the former Manchester United academy graduate is the kind of midfielder England rarely produced.

    It would be in everyone’s best interest if Gomes is afforded the patience to develop and, in doing so, give the Three Lions a different dimension that is more in line with their European cousins. He wouldn’t score across his three appearances but provided the assist for England’s go-ahead goal in Finland, a brilliant Iniesta-esque ball into Jack Grealish, which comes as no surprise as he’s previously named the former Barcelona and Spain midfielder as the player he tries to emulate most while out on the pitch.

    “A real bit of quality. A brilliant goal, if you saw France or Spain score a goal like this you’d be praising them,” Roy Keane told ITV Sport. “Nice and patient, Gomes doing what you do, passing it forward, and he just seems to wander in there. Jack draws a few players over, which obviously helps him eventually when he gets in there.

    “But this pass again, Trent [Alexander-Arnold], nice and simple. Sharp, these couple of touches from Gomes and this last piece… honestly. Pure quality. Lovely and obviously Jack finishes it off but a really lovely bit of quality.”

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    Loser: Harry Maguire

    It’s often said: out of sight, out of mind. An injury robbed Harry Maguire, a regular presence in England’s defence under Southgate, from participating at Euro 2024. His position was filled by Marc Guehi, who subsequently received many plaudits. Maguire, who continues to be linked with a move away from Manchester United, was named in Carsley’s first squad and even started against Ireland (playing 85 minutes) before remaining on the bench against Finland next time out.

    He would miss England’s subsequent international matches with John Stones, Levi Colwill, Guehi, and Ezri Konsa the quartet from which Carsley has drawn his rotating central defensive partnership. In the past, even when he’s not playing for his club, Maguire always seemed in contention to represent England. Unfortunately, it seems that there is no longer a guarantee, and even if he’s active in league football, competition for places have only gotten stronger. The Yorkshireman is watching from the outside, and getting back inside is hard.

    Winner: Noni Madueke

    Noni Madueke rose to prominence at PSV Eindhoven, where the Tottenham academy graduate bagged 20 goals and created 14 more across 80 appearances in all competitions. That earned him a move to Chelsea, but finding his bearings in an overcrowded and often disjointed team took a while. Now a regular for Enzo Maresca, he’s developed into a fully-fledged international under Carsley, coming off the bench on three occasions before starting in Greece earlier this week.

    On his debut against Finland, he picked up his first assist before collecting a second in Carsley’s penultimate game in charge. He earned back-to-back starts against Ireland this afternoon, but if Madueke is to establish a presence, then he’ll need to raise his game to heights it’s never been as Bukayo Saka will be his immediate challenge for that coveted berth on England’s right flank.

    Loser: Marcus Rashford

    A new face in charge often means anyone eligible for a call-up is given a clean slate. However, that’s not always the case, with Marcus Rashford being a notable example. What’s not done his cause any service is a worrying decline at Man United, where the forward looks a shadow of his former explosive self. Rashford still retains a spot in United’s starting lineup, which says more about the club’s predicament: someone woefully out of knick can still command a regular berth for a team seeking a place back in English football’s high-table.

    Chances are Rashford has won his final cap, that most recent appearance being a 15-minute runout against Brazil this March, as name recognition no longer cuts it. Southgate and Carsley made sure of that. That said, if he can somehow regain the form that once put his name in the same conversation as Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, then maybe Thomas Tuchel could welcome him back into the fold, but we are not holding our breath.

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