UEFA NATIONS LGE: Job done – that’s a relief, says Carsley on way back to the under-21s
KEIR RADNEDGE at WEMBLEY: Lee Carsley welcomed a sense of “relief” after England’s interim manager wrapped up his six-match stint with a 5-0 win and promotion back to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League.
Goals from Carsley now reverts to leadership of the under-21s from whose graduates he drew with such success and hands over the seniors in the new year to Thomas Tuchel for England’s next pursuit of World Cup glory.
He said: “It’s a bit of relief. At the start we were expected to get promotion but no team has rolled over for us so it’s good we finished with such a strong performance. I told the players at halftime that we were going to score so they should just keep going and it was pleasing to get five goals.”
Carsley said he was proud of the young players he had brought through from his under-21s and reflected on the personal pressures of his interim appointment.
He added: “I found it challenging personally. I felt out of my comfort zone but I never felt I was drowning. I think we’ve got stronger as the match windows have gone on.
“One pleasing thing is the quality of the young players as well as the way the senior players reacted to a new coach even though it was only for the short term. We’ve tried to move on the style and they’ve taken it on board.
“I’m still gutted about the Greece game [we lost] at home. It’s a lonely place in that dugout when you’re not winning at Wembley. Getting promotion is a big thing so maybe in a couple of days I’ll look back and think it’s been quite enjoyable.”
Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson conceded his team had been shattered “mentally and physically” by England’s three-goal, six-minute salvo early in the second half.
He said: “I’m almost lost for words. Six minutes of madness was a shock after conceding a penalty and losing a player. We probably lost our heads at this minute, leading to a second and third goal. From there we gave up. I said before the match that we are struggling with confidence and it took away all confidence from what we did in the first half. It was a slap in the face and difficult to code back from there.
“It’s easy to sit on sideline and criticise. The first half was a game like we wanted it to be. We were defending compact. But excuses when you lose 5-0 are pathetic. It’s embarrassing to lose five-zero.”
Hallgrimsson thought the Irish should have had a penalty when Evan Ferguson tumbled in the first half. However he did not use this as an excuse, saying: “I thought it was a penalty which would have changed the momentum but I don’t want to make excuses. The first half was good. Let’s take that as a positive going forward.”
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