Lee Carsley: England’s likely interim manager plays brand of football dubbed ‘Carsball’

One of the main criticisms of Gareth Southgate’s tenure was that he did not make enough of the attacking players he had at his disposal. It was the most hotly-debated issue of England’s run to Euro 2024, with plenty of debate about Phil Foden’s perfect position, Cole Palmer only being used from the bench and Anthony Gordon barely featuring.

When the England U21 side won the European Championship last summer, social media was rife with montages of the team’s attractive football dubbed ‘Cars-ball’.

Those homemade edits resurfaced in the days after Southgate stood down and Birmingham-born Carsley’s name was among the contenders to replace him.

In contrast with the picture of former Everton and Derby midfielder Carsley’s playing career as a central destroyer, he encourages his side to build up with the ball and to express themselves.

At the tournament in Georgia his side was packed with technical players such as Liverpool duo Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.

He had a right-footed left-back in Bournemouth’s Max Aarons; Everton’s James Garner, a central midfielder, playing at right-back; and Jones, a number 10, as one of his two pivots in midfield.

Jones played alongside Angel Gomes – now at Lille – who had already transitioned from a number 10 to a deep midfielder. Carsley resisted the temptation to put a traditional centre midfielder next to him.

Moves often started with Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford passing out and players encouraged to express themselves and trust in their decision-making.

There was one occasion when Chelsea defender Levi Colwill stood still on the ball for more than 30 seconds as he waited for the opposition to press him so he could draw in pressure and then initiate the attack – something the team had worked on in training.

Whenever England play there’s a debate about how they fit in all of their best players. Looking at how Carsley set up his U21 side, could he be the coach to fit together Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker and Reece James – England’s glut of exceptional right backs – and players such as Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Foden and Jude Bellingham into one team?

On the way to lifting the trophy in Georgia, when his side came up against Germany in the group stage, Carsley played Palmer in a number eight position in centre midfield and played the majority of the tournament with Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon – named player of the tournament – as his main striker.

Gordon called Carsley the “best man-manager” he has had in his career and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliot said Carsley is an “unbelievable manager” during the Reds pre-season tour this summer.

Of course there are players such as John Stones, Declan Rice and captain Harry Kane that Carsley has not worked with before but, since the U21s lifted the trophy in Georgia, a large number of them have made the step up into the senior squad.