Ian Wright offers clear verdict on Lee Carsley becoming England manager after Finland win
Lee Carsley has given mixed signals over taking the England manager job on a full-time basis, but Ian Wright feels his answers around the Greece defeat and Finland win have made it clear
Ian Wright admires Lee Carsley for his honesty, but says his comments after the win over Finland show he’s not the right man to lead England in the long-term.
England bounced back from their disappointing defeat against Greece by beating Finland 3-1 in Helsinki on Sunday. Jack Grealish ’s smart finish, Trent Alexander-Arnold ’s curling free-kick and a tap-in from Declan Rice had the Three Lions cruising before Arttu Hoskonen headed in a late corner to give the hosts a consolation.
It was a good response from England, who know they need to win every match to earn promotion in the Nations League. But the question of who will take charge of the team in the long-term remains unclear, with interim boss Carsley casting doubt over his own case for the job by hinting he’d be happy to return to his old role with the under-21s.
Former England striker Wright is a fan of Carsley, yet feels the last few days have made it clear that he’s not suitable. “I think that if you are in the driving seat for it, and you haven't got the passion to say I want to do this job, then it's probably not for him,” Wright said on ITV before kick-off.
“What I listened to, in talking about going back to the under-21s, it's not something that he's looking at, the full international job. But while he's doing it, I'm pleased to see him doing what he wants to do. While he's in the seat, you should do exactly what he wants to do.”
Carsley was quizzed on his feelings towards the full-time job again after securing a third win out of four matches as interim boss. "I've not really thought much about it,” he said. “I keep saying the same thing. My remit was six games and I'm happy with that. This is a privileged position. I'm really enjoying it but I didn't enjoy the last two days. I'm not used to losing in an England team, I don't take losing well.
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"People are always going to try and put their chips on one side. I'm in the middle. My bosses have made it clear what they need from me. This job deserves a world class coach who has won trophies and I am still on the path to that."
Responding to those quotes, Wright said: “I think he’s being very honest. When I look at him, I believe him. He doesn’t think he’s ready. He knows his remit – he knows he’s got six games. I admire him. I admire what he’s doing – the choices he’s made because he knows what he’s capable of doing.
“Like he said, he’s not used to losing, which is really cool to listen to, because the under-21s are so good. But what’s good about this is that he’s getting an opportunity to have a go at this – and he’s very privileged to get that chance.”
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