but he’s still the easy option for the F.A.
Plastic Paddy Carsley had a right mare as he became the first England manager to lose to Greece, thanks to his absolutely clueless managerial decisions from start to end, this was even worse than Southgate.
It’s funny that all the talk beforehand was that Beckham free-kick just over 23 years ago, that grabbed a draw from defeat against Greece and sent England to the 2022 World Cup. No mention during all of it about how England struggled that afternoon, and the free-kicks Beckham didn’t score for – remember Sheringham telling him he’d missed so many that it was time for a change.
That was a Greece three years from winning the Euros, this was a Greece ranked so low that they became to the lowest ranked team to beat England on home soil and the scoreline flatter the home team.
Don’t know what was worse, Carsley’s starting XI, Carsley’s tactics, Carsley’s blind panic subs, or Carsley’s post match words.
Yet again an England manager picks his team based on names. “Star” names. “Big” clubs. Let’s just put ’em in there, it’s a winning formula. What? We don’t have a striker, well one of my names will do that. So what we had was one of the most disjointed performances imaginable.
The whole confused episode is perfectly highlighted by Solanke. He scored 19 league goals for Bournemouth last season, Carsley didn’t think of picking him before, he’s scored a couple of tap-ins for Spurs and he’s in the squad but then Carsley doesn’t pick a striker. No because Carsley has to get Bellingham back in, with Saka, Foden, Gordon and Palmer.
Palmer, that’s funny. Wins England player of the year and that clown Southgate played him for a whole 85 minutes over 5 of the 7 games England played at the Euros. Bet Hayzeus Bellingham was livid.
Carlsey seemed to have turned the clock back to the old 2–3–5 pyramid formation but without a striker. This left his wingers confused, so you never really saw Saka – just one greedy attempt to be the hero – only Gordon and Foden had touched the ball less than Saka when he departed injured. Ideal opportunity to introduce a striker. But No Carsley went with like-for-like. Another greedy winger who offered nothing team wise.
Gordon was too busy turning back to be of any use. Turning back, that was another theme on the night. Lost count the number of times an England player would make to go forward, then pirouette and end up going back. Foden was hopeless, running round cluelessly doing absolutely nothing. It was screaming out for his replacement at the break but Carsley did nothing then and nothing that wasn’t forced on him until the hour was up.
By then of course England were behind. And were lucky not to be well behind. All night it generally took Greece just one ball to get by the whole of England’s outfield. And so it took to nearly start the ball rolling for Greece, it just Pickford to fanny about, nearly fall over his own feet well outside of his area and Greece had an open goal, which is where the ball was heading when it was cleared off the line. From the resulting corner Pickford was at it again… twice… and this time Greece had the ball in the back of the net. But the flag was up for offside. Not for the last time.
Greece were having the best chances, hell they were having the chances. Bar an early Bellingham attempt at glory and a Palmer free-kick and one shot from open play he should have done a hell of a lot better with, England were offering nothing in attack, as the Greek keeper was unemployed. And it was only taking that one ball to get through Carsey’s side.
Three minutes after the break and Greece opened the scoring. Surrounded by white shirts the Greek striker just skipped his way through the piss weak challenges to score. John Stones with some real arm band wearing captaincy there.
Ten minutes later and another ball out of defence and England have been left behind while Greece are in on goal, again more inept defending, three round him and he still manages to get the ball out to the “scorer”, but again the flag goes up for offside.
Carley then made his first tactical sub. A striker finally on, on for Gordon. Why Gordon? Why take the winger who was struggling because there’s no striker on, when you bring a striker on? Is it because he’s completely clueless? Gordon had the fewest touches of an England out-player but it was screaming for Foden to be removed, he had only slightly touched the ball more. Within seconds Watkins had a chance that he should have done better with.
Again Greece had the ball in the back of the net, again it was offside, via VAR. Again there was a crowd of white shirts around the scorer. By now Carsley had gone full panic mode and what was strikerless now had two strikers, as Foden finally made way, for Solanke. And a hit and hope shot from some haphazard build up play saw Bellingham equalise. Oh, isn’t he the greatest ever? I mean… 85 minutes of doing somewhere between sod and fuck all.
It was three minutes into added time when again surrounded by white shirts, Greece scored the winner. Honestly the defending was beyond atrocious. Captain Stones, leader Rice. It was what Greece deserved and what England and Carsley deserved.
Carsley deserved it for that starting XI, for that manner of play. The players deserved it for just not turning up. Not one of them turned up. Pickford was hopeless, the back four useless. The midfield non-existent. The wide men and forwards clueless. Yes Carsley’s tactics hindered the players but they could have still been better than that.
It was fitting that the game ended with England fannying about deep in their own half as the seconds ran down. From a throw-in taken backwards and to the feet of Pickford. Taking the worst parts of Southgate’s reign and making it worse. That takes some doing.
2-1… what could it have been… what should it have been. Three chalked off for offside, one cleared off the line. 5-1… 6-1… would have been funny, what would the F.A. have done then? They couldn’t have carried on with Carsley even in this interim period with a scoreline like that. This scoreline should be a sacking offence but they were so assured Carsley would cruise through this Nations Lower League that there was no real alternative. He now says he’ll be happy to head back to the U21s but what’s the point of that if the coaching pathway is meant to see the U21 coach promoted to the senior role? You might as well just fully bin Carsley now.