Lee Carsley appeared to all-but rule himself out of the race to become England’s next full-time manager, only to then confusingly insist that was not the case.
Carsley is in post for England’s six Nations League matches this autumn in an interim capacity, while the Football Association decide who will become the permanent successor to Gareth Southgate, who resigned as manager after losing the final of Euro 2024 to Spain.
After Carsley’s side were stunned 2-1 by Greece at Wembley on Thursday to damage their hopes of an immediate return to the top tier of the Nations League, reports emerged that suggested Carsley is not keen on taking the permanent role.
Speaking about his future after his side returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Finland, Carsley said on Sunday night: “I’ve not really thought that much about it — I know I keep saying the same thing.
“My remit was to do six games. I’m really happy with that. It’s a privileged position I’m in. I’m really enjoying it; didn’t enjoy it the last two days, it was hard work, I’m just not used to losing in an England team. I don’t take losing very well.
“People are always going to try and put their chips on one side. I’m totally in the middle. My bosses have made it totally clear what they need from me. This job deserves a world-class coach that has won trophies and been there and done it, and I’m still on the path to doing that.”
However, asked a press conference whether he was therefore not ready to take the permanent job, Carsley responded: “Definitely not.
“I tried to make it as clear as I could. My remit was for three camps. The point I was trying to make is it’s one of the top jobs in the world. I’m not part of the process but it deserves a top coach.
“The players that we’ve got available, you’ve got a real chance of winning. That was the point I was making.:
England beat Finland 3-1 on Sunday with goals from Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice.
“I thought we were looking for a reaction,” Carsley said. “This is only four games into it, and I’ve still not properly worked out how this team responds to setbacks. They’ve shown they’ve responded really well.
“We played with a lot more control. We created a lot of chances, but I think we can still be better.”
