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Lee Carsley wants to keep “freshening it up” as England’s interim manager looks to build on a promising first camp and “keep moving the squad forward” next month.
The England Under-21s boss was temporarily promoted to senior team manager in August after Gareth Southgate called time on his eight-year reign following the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain.
Carsley is set to manage England throughout the autumn and began his reign with a 2-0 Nations League win away to the Republic of Ireland on Saturday before beating Finland by the same scoreline three days later.
Harry Kane celebrated his 100th cap by scoring both goals in a Wembley clash that had barely finished by the time the interim coach’s mind had turned to October’s internationals.
“You always need competition,” Carsley said. “We need that all over the pitch.
“I’m thinking about the game tonight, but it wasn’t long after coming off the pitch where I was thinking ‘right, I need to start thinking about next one now’.
“And how that might look and what players are going to be coming into form and how that’s going to pan out, so, yeah, competition for places within this squad is very high.
“I think you will see some movement and I think it’s important that we keep freshening it up, we keep moving the squad forward.
“We’ve got another two camps before the World Cup qualifying starts, so it’s important that we’re in a strong position.”
The next window starts with a home match against Greece, who sit top of Group B2 on goal difference, having scored one more goal than England in their own wins over Finland and Ireland.
A trip to Helsinki follows for Carsley’s team as they look to build on encouraging displays by a group that saw the interim manager focus on form and freshness.
Angel Gomes, Noni Madueke, Tino Livramento and Morgan Gibbs-White all received first call-ups for the September camp, injecting new life into a group reeling from their Euros heartbreak.
“With the squad selection that we picked, having the new players coming in, the younger players with the enthusiasm and the energy that they had was always going to help the squad,” Carsley said.
“I was really wary of the fact that the team/squad was coming off the back of a massive disappointment in the summer.
“I wouldn’t have been too shocked if there had been a bit of a hangover going into the two games.
“It was obviously important that we got the results, but more importantly for me, it was important that we had the performances.
“You want to stand at the side of the pitch enjoying watching the team play, attacking, being exciting. I thought we had that over the two games.
“To score four goals in two games is good – I still think we could have done better.
“I think we’ve come up against two really resilient teams, two excellent goalkeepers, but I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
Carsley’s first squad selection certainly raised eyebrows, with England’s Euro 2024 vice-captain Kyle Walker arguably the most notable omission.
I don't think the player should ever come to camp thinking that the starting XI is copy and pasted— Lee Carsley
That decision was based on his lack of Manchester City minutes and allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold to step up impressively at right-back, having been preferred by Southgate as a midfielder.
“I think he’s definitely got the ability to be a player that’s really important for the team,” Carsley said. “I want to, if we can, try and really create some competition for places.
“I don’t think the player should ever come to camp thinking that the starting XI is copy and pasted.
“I think we have to be aware of what they’re doing at their clubs, how many games they’re playing, the level of games that they’re playing in and their form, and then hopefully picking a team around that.
“But I think Trent’s had a really strong camp. I’m not surprised by it.
“The way that he started the season at Liverpool has been outstanding, so he’s just taken that into the last couple of games.”
If Walker was the most surprising omission, then Gomes was undoubtedly the most unexpected inclusion.
The Manchester United academy graduate is now playing for French side Lille and was part of England Under-21s’ European Championship triumph under Carsley last summer.
The 24-year-old midfielder made his debut off the bench in Dublin and impressed in and out of possession on his first England start against Finland.
“He fully deserves it,” Carsley said. “I think it’s good that the performance that you’ve seen today, we’ve seen over the last three or four years.
“It’s important that he keeps working hard, like he will do, but he keeps playing over in France because it’s going to be a really tough, difficult squad to keep in and to get into.”
