Lee Carsley says he wants more from his England Under-21 side Lee Carsley says his England side were "shell-shocked" during theirduring their 2-1European Under-21 Championship defeat by Germany - and "need to address" how they started the game. The defending champions found themselves 2-0 down inside the opening 33 minutes of their final group match, with Alex Scott replying during a more encouraging second-half display. England will now face Spain in the quarter-finals as Slovenia's 2-0 defeat by the Czech Republic meant the Germany result was not more costly for the Young Lions. "I thought there was definitely a bit of shell-shock, going 2-0 down so soon," said Carsley. "We didn't start well either in the last game [0-0] against Slovenia. That's something we need to address." Carsley, who made four changes to his starting XI, made a triple substitution at half-time, bringing on Genoa right-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy, captain James McAtee and striker Jay Stansfield as he looked to address his side's disappointing opening. "The first half was nowhere near good enough. The way we started the game, the goals that we conceded were really disappointing," he added. "It was important they knew that. The changes we made at half-time, [we] could have made any number of changes. I asked for a reaction in the second half and we definitely saw a reaction. "The performance was not at the level we need. When you think of the reaction in the second half that was more like it. It took us to go 2-0 down to get to that point which is disappointing." Carsley has not had as much time as he usually would to prepare his squad for the tournament following his stint as interim head coach of the senior team. He returned to take charge of the under-21s in March and has had to deal with the loss of Liam Delap and Jobe Bellingham after the pair signed for Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund respectively and will feature at the Fifa Club World Cup. "You know, with the attention that the team get, living up to some expectations, the responsibility of when you put the shirt on, no-one's going to roll over for us," said Carsley. "We've spoken about that. But the response was very good and I expect us to start like that in the next game, because if we give Spain a two-goal start, it's game over."
England U21s 'shell-shocked' during Euros loss - Carsley
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"England U21 Coach Lee Carsley Calls for Improvement After Loss to Germany"
Bbc News
7.6
TruthLens AI Summary
Lee Carsley expressed disappointment over his England Under-21 side's performance after their 2-1 defeat to Germany in the European Under-21 Championship. The young Lions found themselves in a precarious position early in the match, conceding two goals within the first 33 minutes. Although Alex Scott managed to score in the second half, the initial shock of falling behind so quickly left Carsley concerned about his team's mentality and preparedness. He noted that the team's slow start mirrored their previous match against Slovenia, indicating a pattern that needed to be addressed. Carsley acknowledged the need for improvement, particularly in the first half, where he felt the team did not meet expectations. He emphasized the importance of starting strong, especially in knockout matches, and called for a more proactive approach in future games, particularly against a formidable opponent like Spain in the upcoming quarter-finals.
In response to the disappointing first-half performance, Carsley made significant changes to his lineup, including a triple substitution at halftime, bringing in players like Brooke Norton-Cuffy, James McAtee, and Jay Stansfield. He was looking for a reaction from his team, which he did see in the second half, where the performance improved and showed signs of resilience. Carsley also reflected on the challenges he faced leading up to the tournament, including limited preparation time and the absence of key players like Liam Delap and Jobe Bellingham, who have moved to clubs participating in the FIFA Club World Cup. Despite the setback, he remained optimistic about the team's potential and stressed the importance of starting strong in the next match against Spain, warning that falling behind early would likely be detrimental to their chances of success.
TruthLens AI Analysis
You need to be a member to generate the AI analysis for this article.
Log In to Generate AnalysisNot a member yet? Register for free.