‘Credit the players, not me’: Lee Carsley says he’s lucky England have such talent
Manager praises squad after opening reign with 2-0 winGrealish happy after ‘one of worst summers of my life’
A modest Lee Carsley played down compliments about his tactics and style of play after opening his reign as England’s interim head coach with a dominant 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Saturday night.
Carsley, who is looking to land the job on a permanent basis after taking over from Gareth Southgate, preferred to direct the praise towards his players for beginning their Nations League campaign with a fine performance at the Aviva Stadium. The 50-year-old enjoyed victory in his first game thanks to early goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, but he steered clear of accepting that England’s fluidity in possession was evidence of “Carsball” clicking into gear.