“He's been so refreshing” | Declan Rice praises interim boss Lee Carsley

A New Era for England Under Lee Carsley?

The England national team kicked off their Nations League campaign with a convincing 3-0 win over Ireland, with debutant Jack Grealish and Lee Carsley scoring the goals. The game marked a new beginning for Carsley, who has taken over as the head coach of the senior team.

In his post-match interview, Carsley acknowledged that the game was not without its challenges, stating, "I thought it was going to be a little bit hostile at times, but in the right way. I thought the fans were really respectful with it… I thought they both handled the atmosphere as well as the whole team did."

Comparing to Southgate’s Era

Comparing last night’s performance to England’s group games at the Euros, Carsley noted that they had more shots and created more chances. They had fewer long passes but more touches in the Box, more forward passes, and won more duals, particularly in the first half.

Carsley praised his players, saying, "I think what impressed me more so is that I’ve seen a lot more movement than what I’ve seen under Gareth [Southgate] really to be quite honest… the likes of Saka coming inside, fullbacks pushing on, I think we’ve got the likes of Bellingham, Foden to come back into the team."

A Fresh Start for Carsley and Grealish

The game also marked a fresh start for Jack Grealish, who scored his first international goal for England. Grealish revealed that he had decided not to celebrate his goal as it would have been disrespectful to his Irish heritage. His grandfather and father’s side of the family are from Ireland, and Grealish did not want to celebrate against his family’s country.

Opportunities for Young Players

Carsley handed senior debuts to Angel Gomes and Morgan Gibbs-White, who came off the bench in the second half. Both players have European championship experience with England at the under-21 level and are looking to kick on in their senior careers.

New Beginnings for the Republic of Ireland

Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland are also looking to start anew under new head coach Stephen Kenny. They face Greece in Dublin on Tuesday after losing their opening game 3-0 against Finland. Kenny acknowledged that his side can learn from the defeat, saying, "We’ve played a good team, really good team… they exposed our weaknesses, so we can use a lot from this game."

As England and Ireland look to build on their opening performances, one thing is clear: there is excitement and optimism surrounding the start of this new era in international football.