England’s Winners and Losers From Lee Carsley’s First Games as Manager

England interim boss Lee Carsley, 50, has enjoyed two wins at the helm. First, the Birmingham-born tactician defeated the Republic of Ireland thanks to goals from Jack Grealish and Declan Rice and continued his flawless record with a 2-0 win over Finland courtesy of a brace from skipper Harry Kane.

In truth, The Three Lions’ Nations League campaign couldn’t have got off to a better start, having not conceded a goal in their opening duo of fixtures, with them sitting on six points alongside a stubborn Greece outfit, who Carsley and his entourage are set to face on 10 November.

Being one of three teams not to concede in their opening Nations League affairs, the pressure on Carsley and England is beginning to ease as they look to emerge out of the group stages unscathed – which is becoming a real possibility looking ahead at their remaining fixtures.

But who, under Carsley’s short but sweet tenure, has impressed supporters the most? And who, of those recently selected by the ex-England Under-21 chief, has flattered to deceive in their opening outings? Here are the winners and losers from the nation’s fresh pair of 2–0 victories.

England’s Winners

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Angel Gomes, Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, Rico Lewis

Despite having a plethora of right-back talent at his disposal, former England boss Gareth Southgate – and his back-room staff – always struggled to decipher his first-choice, with Kyle Walker, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold all being solid options.

With Ben White not in contention for a call-up in the near future, by virtue of the Arsenal man’s recent admission, Carsley’s right-back berth is up for grabs – and Alexander-Arnold, 25, took his opportunity and ran with it, having started both games under the new custodian’s matches in charge.

The Liverpool gem, widely considered to be one of the best defenders in world football, looks finely poised to be Kyle Walker’s long-term successor for the Three Lions with his ball-spraying ability key to how England operate.

Another winner from the current boss’ first games is Angel Gomes, who enjoyed a quietly impressive cameo against the Republic of Ireland when he got his first crack of the whip at senior international football, as he earned his first start under Carsley against Finland.

Alongside the ever-reliable Declan Rice, the diminutive – 5’6” to be precise – midfielder offered an array of passes throughout and also showcased his defensive qualities by snapping into a litany of tackles in his 90-minute cameo.

With a point to prove after being omitted from Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, Jack Grealish couldn’t have endured a better start to life under Carsley. Playing in the No.10 position, behind the talismanic Harry Kane, the winger-by-trade enjoyed, perhaps, his best performance in the fabled white of England in Dublin.

Whether the Manchester City man’s string of displays can rival Jude Bellingham for a starting berth remains to be seen – but in the Real Madrid superstar’s absence through injury, the ex-Aston Villa gem was often the difference maker in attack, as evidenced by his goal against Ireland.

Anthony Gordon, who earns £60,000-per-week with Newcastle United, has also enjoyed a brilliant start to life in the Three Lions’ fresh stewardship, racking up two more starts under his belt, and impressing in both.

Throughout Euro 2024, Phil Foden struggled to be a stand-out performer on the left, leaving the door ajar for ex-Everton wide man Gordon – and, despite not getting on the scoresheet recently, has given Carsley a selection headache moving forward.

The final winner has to be Rico Lewis, 19, as with Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell perennially injured, left-back is one of England’s – and, in particular, Carsley’s – problem positions that he needs to sort.

Bury-born Lewis, one of the best teenagers in the Premier League, was deployed on the left-hand side of England’s back line against Finland and epitomised being an old head on young shoulders defensively, all while moving infield to create an overload in midfield.

England’s Losers

Conor Gallager, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker

There were only three outfield players that failed to feature in either of England’s matches. Conor Gallagher, who moved to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea in a deal worth £34 million over the summer, was one of the trio that failed to get a sniff of action against Ireland or Finland.

Bellingham and Arsenal man Rice are expected to be mainstays in England’s engine room make-up for the foreseeable future; though, despite Kobbie Mainoo impressing in Germany throughout the summer months, there is still a midfield spot up for grabs.

It seems, however, that Gallagher is far down on Carsley’s pecking order. Of course, it’s been a challenging few months for the Epsom-born ace, who was displaced by the aforementioned Mainoo at Euro 2024 and then shoved out of his boyhood club thanks to their financial mismanagement.

Whether he can, after his high-profile move to Spain’s top tier, worm his way back into Carsley’s thinking remains to be seen, especially after Gomes’ terrific displays in the former Chelsea man’s favoured position.

The 2023/24 Premier League’s Player of the Season, Phil Foden, is as instrumental as he can be for his domestic employers, but has struggled to have the same influence on the international stage and, given that the aforementioned Gordon has impressed thus far under Carsley, the future may look bleak for the playmaker.

Many fans suggest that Foden, due to his sheer talent, should be shoe-horned into the England squad regardless of who the competition is – but given that he wasn’t in the squad to face Ireland or Finland, the 24-year-old’s place could be in jeopardy.

The Etihad Stadium graduate, revered as one of the best players in the English top flight at the time of writing, can also play in the No.10 role, but on the back of how brilliantly Grealish, his club teammate, has played recently – there is an evident lack of space for someone as talented as Foden is, especially with Bellingham in the mix too.

Similarly to Gallagher, the seasoned Kyle Walker is now in a race to reaffirm himself as a starter in Carsley’s preferred line-up. The speedster’s exertions at the European Championships opened the door for others to rival for the starting spot at right-back and Walker, 34, is evidently not at the forefront of his international manager’s thinking.

A 90-cap England international, the six-time Premier League winner has experience in abundance but, in the absence of Southgate’s well-earned trust, his skill-set is less desirable to the current England management. And with Alexander-Arnold, nine years his junior, proving that he oozes class, the writing is on the wall for the Sheffield-born veteran.