Lee Carsley has just entered the news conference following England’s 3-1 victory out there in Helsinki against Finland in the Nations League.
Hi Lee! How’s it going okay? Can we get your thoughts on the performance? Did you get the response you were looking for after Thursday night?
Yeah I think we I mean ultimately we’ve we’ve won the game um 3-1 scored three good goals um it was a shame that we couldn’t keep a clean sheet um the fact that you know still not I don’t don’t know the players that well yet in terms of the the way the team reacts to a defeat and a setback um so you know I was I was I was thrilled to the way that they responded um it’s a great sign of a of a good team. When you they do suffer a setback and they they come back so strongly in terms of I thought we really dominated the game um created some good chances scored. Really good some really good goals it’s just a shame we couldn’t have uh kept a clean sheet.
You’ve just said in an interview that this job deserves a world class manager who’s won trophies and you’re still on the path to that. Yeah does that mean you feel that the the long-term job is too soon for you?
Definitely not. I think um you know I try I tried to make it as clear as I could um anytime we speak like this you know my remit was first was three camps the the the Nations League um the point I was trying to make is that and it’s uh it’s one of the top jobs in the world um you know obviously I’m not I’m not part of the process but
um you know it it deserves a top coach um the players that we’ve got available um you’ve got a real chance of winning um so that was the that was the point I was making.
Jack Grealish’s point to prove after the summer can we just get your your thoughts on how he’s gone about that his performance tonight and how you’re getting the best out of him and also he said that he believes you’re a top top manager and he absolutely loves playing for you.. What does that praise from him mean to you?
I well first first of all I don’t think Jack had a point to prove I think um you know Jack CV speaks for itself the amount of trophies that he’s won the club that he’s playing at the importance of him and how important he is to the team you know it’s um it was a privilege for me to be able to pick him um the way he’s played in the in the games where he’s he’s been involved in he’s been outstanding it was a shame that he wasn’t available for the Greece game but like we spoke about um yesterday we didn’t want to take any risk for him but he’s a he’s a top top player um and he’s also a great person you know he’s in just throughout the squad so important to England and it’s just good to see him playing well and and um and and enjoying his Football.
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Trent Alexander Arnold played at left back today just what you made of him this week since you’ve been interim head coach in his performance tonight?
Yeah I think Trent you know no no surprises um in terms of the quality that he’s got and the the the areas of the pitch we can get him on um we’re always going to be try quite quite um creative with that in that left-hand side because of the the amount of players that we’ve got um I think Trent’s applied himself really well over the last two games I think he’s got three man of the matches now in four games is it so he’s brought his Liverpool form into International Football and that’s that’s brilliant to see.
Just on what you said about you’re on the path to being a worldclass coach do you think you’d be able to do that well in the role?
Well I think I think it’s it’s um I’ve done one thing which is the which is winning the 21-s which was which was a you know great achievement for the for the players and and the staff um you know I’m finding this this job a challenge um in a good way you know it’s um it was it was it was really disappointing the other day against Greece to concede a goal in the last you know whatever it was and um and to lose the game it’s not something that I’m used to doing with England um you know with the in in the past we’ve won so many games and um you know losing games is not something that I that I enjoy doing yeah thanks.
Hi Lee um you just said um that you’re not part of the process at the FA once your initial interim spell ends do you expect or want to be part of the process after that well I’ll speak to John every day uh we spend a lot of time together um I definitely don’t think it’s something I should be involved with um you know my role is quite clear in terms of I mean I’ve got two titles at the minute interim um senior manager and under 21 head coach so um I’m I’m really lucky with the with the support that I get at the FA from from all of the people that work above me um very lucky with the bosses that I’ve got feel well supported and and privileged to be in this position to to be able to coach the senior team.
Just just on Jack um he he talked about the freedom that you’re giving these players is was the sort of route to the victory today do you feel like you’re getting the responses that you want from the players with regards freedom and then he also said in his um postmatch press postmatch interview that he uh had a 500 pound bet with Trent Alexander will you be making sure he pays up on on that um..
I’m not I’m not not sure about the bet not not heard that one um now I think um I think Jack that was a question was it Jack yeah I think Jack’s been um outstanding um for the games that we’ve we’ve had him um he’s playing with a lot of freedom like you’ve said but you know the with there’s definitely structure within that in terms of his starting position there it’s important that we have um we have a base to to start from and and Jack’s very important in that as as is the other side in terms of the the width that we play with.
I think where Jack probably improved for us I’m not really sure about what his his past England record but I think that’s two goals now in three games so you know it’s very important um I Know Jack said in the past that that’s not a massive part of his game because ‘s a lot more to his game than than goals and assist but it it definitely helps in them wide areas if you can contribute to you know towards the scoreboard.
Lee um going back to the comment you made on the television about you know this this job deserves a world class manager is one trophies that almost suggests a foreign manager you know there literally aren’t English coaches currently with one major trophies um is that something because you’re you’re sort of part of the sort of pathway the under 21s that’s kind of what the FA been looking into and that seems to contradict…
Yeah I think it the point that I was that I was I was trying to make which um I suppose it’s more like the hope hopefully comment um it was the it was the fact that this is a world-class job um this will be up there with the best jobs in in football um so you know whoever gets it is going to be at high level um again it’s it’s it’s a privilege to do this job I feel really well trusted.
Did um that’s why you know it was it was so tough the other night to to lose a game and and and you know have a defeat but similar to what we spoke about earlier the the response has been good.
You you obvious been very reluctant to say yes or no I want the job or I don’t want the job why are you so reluctant to ask?
I’m definitely I’m definitely reluctant because um in the past when I’ve done when I’ve done this caretaker stroke interim role um I’ve gone so far down the I don’t want the job that I’ve not done the job I’ve actually not done the job um and I was I was with it was one of the things that that I spoke about when when I was asked to to take temporary charge that it’s important that I keep an open mind um because um in that in that case then I’m not as um I’m not I’m not I’m not being Reckless with my decisions.
I’m thinking thoroughly about how how how the team should play the squad I should pick which is a challenge because um you know Squad selection is is very very difficult the amount of players that we have to leave out and what we’ve got available for us um and I’ve got another Camp to do that now so it’s just a shame that we can’t we can’t play Greece next week um it’s been a real challenge this this Camp because of the duration of it the amount of contact time we’ve had with the players um coming off the back of their their two games a week that they’ve had for the last month and obviously next month’s going to be the same so again you know the um the
monitoring starts again next Saturday um watching that out watching the players and getting the squad together.
Highly congratulations on the win um you’ve spoken about being open-minded a lot of people have taken your comments night I’m sure Board of questions about this by now as that you’re effectively ruling yourself out is it just is that the wrong assessment?
Yeah definitely I think it’s um like I say it’s important that I do the best that I can um it’s it’s a it’s a privilege to do this job I feel well trusted it’s it’s a great job um and you know whoever gets it um will be fully deserving and when it comes to next month after the September Camp it seemed like your mind was straight on to it you were planning Personnel change and everything have you already thought ahead to that definitely I think it’s you know the um I’m constantly thinking about the squad the team um the form of the players who’s playing with who who do I think can play together um you know I’ve I’ve watched the Greece game back twice now.
And I’ve I’ve always got to put that to bed now and um and watch this game there was a lot of positive to take from tonight um definitely gave me a lot of food for forward in terms of the way that we can set up against Greece the the um the plan is simple we have to go to Greece and win um and then we have to follow that with a with a strong performance and a victory against the Republic of Ireland so yeah definitely on to the next two games okay last couple and and then we finish.
Lee you’ve spoken several times about your fondness for coaching and how you see yourself as a you know a feet on the grass coach yeah does it frustrate you that you just don’t really get the time to do that in in this role?
Yeah it’s um it’s it’s uh it’s something that I’m used to um I know we spoke about it before about I coach every week um it’s probably not the level that that I’m coaching that here but it’s it’s important that um I didn’t want to be a coach that start that that coached for England but was um that got worse at coaching through throughout my duration so it’s important that I’m constantly thinking of new ideas different ways of playing um I’m really looking at at the um the Streacom Foundation that they give me that they for me that that chance to do that and to and to try things and um yeah but obviously like everyone I miss I miss the day-to-day coaching I miss being around players um but yeah it’s um it’s something that I’ve I’ve got used to.
With the greatest respect that kind of makes me think that in a way this job is not a job for someone like you who is obsessively fond of coaching?
It’s exactly the same well not exactly the same.
It’s almost the same as the 21s we um you know we have we’re on the same same duration in terms of camps um so nothing really changes the way that the way that I see that
And finally um are you finding that we obviously we’re going round and round and round with this subjective View and what you want and what you might do is it wearing you down at all this constant conjecture about what may happen?
No no and I can I can definitely understand why you would be frustrated by it definitely I can I can understand that because like everyone um you know Clarity is what everyone’s looking for in in this in this process I think it’s um it’s important that um my remit was really clear in terms of the three camps. I’m not I’m not someone that’s constantly saying to John can I have an update can I have an update um because the job’s difficult enough as it is in terms of um currently um so yeah I’m quite comfortable in that respect but yeah I can see I can see it is it is why you would be frustrated.
Quick question on the goalkeeper obious Jordan Pickford for didn’t play tonight pretty big decision given his standing in the squad can you explain your reasoning for for that please?
Yeah so with with with all of the players um it was important that when they come to come on Camp they feel that they’ve got a chance of playing it was always the always the case that we were going to make a change whether it be the first team first game Sorry or the second game so um no slight on Jordan um we’re very lucky that you know Jordan’s been so consistent for England um Dean’s playing well at Palace as his Nick at at Newcastle so we’ve got um you know we’ve got really challenging uh positions for for places you know Aaron ramale as well is doing well um so yeah there’s a lot of definitely a lot of food for thought.
