Less than three months after the EURO 2024 final, England suffered a shock defeat at home to Greece. After defeating Ireland under interim coach Lee Carsley, it seemed the Three Lions would be on a steady upward trajectory. However, once again, the team has fallen into a spiral of instability.
The FA gave Lee Carsley a clear mandate: to finish the Nations League group stage with a bang. The away win over Ireland was the perfect warm-up, but things took a 180-degree turn at Wembley. Immediately after the defeat, questions were raised about Carsley's future, even if it was only an interim one, among FA managers.
The approach to the match was not in the style of the home favorites, which made England regretful. However, it was Lee Carsley's attitude in the post-match press conference that was of interest. When asked whether he wanted to stay with England long-term, Carsley hesitated. He seemed to want to return to the England U21 team after 6 Nations League matches. This is very dangerous for the "Three Lions" because if their coach thinks like that, the next 5 matches in the Nations League will be in a very bad mood for this team.
Some say Carsley is being modest when he says he is not sure about his future with the England team. On the other hand, many say Carsley is not serious about the job he is given at the moment. In the past, Gareth Southgate may have disappointed a large part of the England fans. However, he has never lost at Wembley in such a way.
Against the weak Greeks, Lee Carsley's England played like a "wild and amateur" team, with no lines, no style, nothing. It felt like Greece were applying terrible pressure on the home team's penalty area every time they attacked. It made England fans feel like they were playing against the super-class opponents like Spain or France, not Greece.
Lee Carsley looked utterly confused as he made three substitutions but the game remained the same. The former international had also made three changes to his team from the match against Ireland.
"They played very well, we were simply the worse team tonight. With the number of players we have in the squad, sometimes we have to be brave to make changes and be creative. It would be easy to go with a good, proven squad. But change is also the right thing to do, right?
Of course, I am responsible for this bad result, it should not have happened tonight. In the coming times, we will try to improve" - Carsley shared after the match.
After losing to Greece, England will have another match at October's FIFA Days in the UEFA Nations League with a trip to Finland on October 13.
