Carsley: overlooked for the senior team, heralded with the U21s

Lee Carsley has been the England men's Under-21s coach since 2021 Eight months ago Lee Carsley's reputation took a hit as England's dismal defeat by Greece scuppered his chances of becoming the senior men's coach. He returned to his job with the under-21s, focusing on this summer's European Championship, once German Thomas Tuchel was appointed. Now Carsley is being lauded again after leading the Young Lions toa second successive European Championship Under-21 title. So, was the 51-year-old harshly judged for his senior spell? What might his future hold? And will he stay with England's Under-21s to try to complete a historic successive hat-trick in the competition? Carsley spoke to his players on the field before and at half-time of extra time in the win over Germany England's senior team won five of Carsley's six games as interim boss but some bold moves backfired in the solitary defeat against Greece. He gambled with his team selection and tactics which resulted in"an unseemly shambles"and a humbling Wembley loss. Speaking before Sunday's U21 Euros final, Carsley said he learned a lot from the experience and it has shown over the past three weeks in Slovakia, where England began by beating the Czech Republic before drawing with Slovenia and losing to Germany. "They were poor in the group stage, they struggled and then found their feet," former England defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Lee Carsley tinkered and found the solution. He and his staff masterminded this and they have made the team peak at the right time." After knocking out Spain and the Netherlands, England faced Germany again in the final and were superb in the first half, going 2-0 up. Germany fought back and nearly won it at the death, but the Young Lions regrouped to score at the start of extra time as Carsley responded when his team started to be too defensive. "There's definitely a bit of feel during the game," he said. "You feel that you're on the back foot or the players are maybe going a little bit too deep or conceding too much territory. "I felt that we were on top in extra time and I felt you just want to give them that belief to go and attack them. Try to score, don't try to hold on. Go for it and if you get caught and lose the game, that's fine." Carsley's man-management skills, as well as his tactical acumen, steered England to glory, while they even left a positive impression during his time with the senior squad. Manchester City forward Jack Grealish said on Instagram: "Another amazing achievement. What a manager this guy is. Deserves it." Just two players in Carsley's current squad remained from their 2023 triumph - Charlie Cresswell and Harvey Elliott – yet he moulded them into European champions, matching the back-to-back triumphs of the England Under-21s side in 1982 and 1984. "Lee Carsley is fearless," former England Under-21 captain Nigel Reo-Coker said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "He believed in the squad he assembled, to give the players that don't have as much experience the chance to go and get the job done. And they stood up to the mark." With Sunday's final going to extra time, Carsley had to rely on his squad, making six substitutions. Defender CJ Egan-Riley was used for the first time in the tournament, while Tyler Morton and Jonathan Rowe combined for the winning goal. "The lazy thing as coaches would be to just try to reproduce what we've done last time but we've done it totally different," said Carsley. "We thought outside the box with our training, about tactics and with the way we wanted to play with our squad selection. "All these instructions we've tried to put into them have been taken on board so quickly. This squad believe that they can win and that's the kind of players we need." Tuchel was accompanied by assistant manager Anthony Barry (left) and the FA's chief football officer Dan Ashworth at the final England manager Tuchel watched on from the stands in Bratislava and must have been impressed as he considers his options for the 2026 World Cup. Ten members of Carsley's 2023 squad have already represented the senior team, but how many will go on to do so from his new European champions? "I am sure Lee will be humble about what he and the group have achieved but he should be recognised for this special achievement," said the Football Association's chief executive Mark Bullingham. "Before Lee took over [in 2021], we hadn't won this trophy for 39 years. In two tournament cycles he has won it twice. "On top of this exceptional tournament success, he has overseen player development with many U21s making their debut for the senior team." Carsley added: "The most important thing is that the under-21s keep winning and keep producing players for the senior team, along with the U17s and U19s, so it's a brilliant thing to go for." Having signed a new contract until the end of the 2027 U21 Euros, Carsley is set to continue to lead the Young Lions into the next tournament. His team had not even lifted the trophy yet in Slovakia and he was already talking about going for a European hat-trick. "I suppose the challenge now is to do it again in two years," said Carsley. "Funnily enough, on Saturday I got the new squad of players that are potentially available for the next campaign so I'm not thinking about moving on too quickly." Asked whether he would be working alongside Tuchel at the 2026 World Cup, Carsley added: "I'm not sure. I'm very proud of the job that I do and I love working with the players. "Obviously, I've had a chance with the senior team as well and I loved that, so the best thing I can do is help the pathway and help the senior team." Chief football writer Phil McNulty: "Carsley's second successive European Championship triumph with England U21s is further evidence of why he is held in such high regard by the Football Association. "His period in interim charge of the senior team, in between Sir Gareth Southgate's departure and the appointment of Tuchel, was, by and large, successful with five wins from six games. "The low point was the 2-1 home defeat to Greece, when Carsley's ultra-attacking selection backfired spectacularly and, at times, he looked uncomfortable in the unforgiving spotlight that shines on England's manager. It was a selection and result at Wembley that raised question marks about his credentials for the top job. "This is why he relished a return to what he has done best, coaching and moulding the younger generations into the cohesive, successful unit England have become. "Players speak in glowing terms about Carsley's coaching and methods, and his latest success only raises his reputation further. "After Tuchel's indifferent start as England coach, history is starting to look more kindly on Carsley's brief tenure, but leading the U21s still looks much more of a comfortable fit than the senior side and returning to his main role was the right move. "England's final success over Germany may, however, create a complication for the FA further down the road. "Carsley's work will no doubt attract attention from clubs seeking a progressive manager, but the FA will be comfortable with that because he signed a new deal to 2027, stating consistently he is happy where he is. "And the FA is certainly happy with him."