Farewell to the normal one: Carsley puts England’s players first as he signs off
Interim manager knows praise and pillory are part of the job and will hand on to Thomas Tuchel having made bold calls
The contradiction with Lee Carsley is that he is a normal man who feels mysterious in a football context. Managers at the highest level are supposed to be egomaniacs, but Carsley has almost seemed allergic to taking any credit for tactical triumphs during his time as England’s interim head coach. The 50-year-old has never wanted to be the story. He prefers the focus to be on his players.
But managing England is unlike anything else. The scrutiny is intense, and not only when it comes to team selection. A pile-on lurks behind every corner. Carsley learned that the hard way before facing the Republic of Ireland in his first game two months ago, sparking an absurd reaction with his refusal to sing the national anthem.
