Lee Carsley concluded his time with the England first team when his side thrashed the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.
A penalty kick from Harry Kane and four first-time goal scorers in Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis stole the show in a contest which was goalless at half-time.
The hosts showed little conviction in the opening 45 minutes, and it was epitomised by Jude Bellingham - just a couple of minutes from the interval - when he fired an unconvincing volley way over the bar, which increased England’s frustration.
Kane then created the penalty when he sent a ‘pass of the year’ contender to Bellingham, forcing Liam Scales to be carded for a second time and therefore sent off.
Things got better for England when all four first-time scorers gave Carsley the perfect send-off - it was also the first time since October 1930 that the hosts had four different players open their international account.
And although there were moments of bewilderment from Carsley, who said he wasn’t in the running for the permanent role in a press conference, only to clarify soon after that he was, his time at St George’s Park has been one to remember.
Carsley's time as England interim manager
Back in September, Carsley opened his interim role against the Republic of Ireland - the nation who he formerly played for.
It was undoubtedly one of his best showings and, had his side not scored five second half goals in a thrilling contest on Sunday, it would have been England’s best game of the Nations League by far.
His appointment came with controversy after he said he wouldn’t sing either national anthem out of respect for both sides, but soon explained why and that criticism proved to fizzle out.
He said: “We had the national anthem with the Under-21s also and I am in a zone at that point. I am thinking about how the opposition are going to set up and our first actions within the game.
“I fully respect both anthems and understand how much they mean to both countries. It’s something I am really respectful of.”
The England fans who found this frustrating might need to get used to their incoming coach not singing God Save the King as Thomas Tuchel stated in his first press conference that he “hasn’t made a decision yet”.
As the Uefa Nations League’s format, which is soon to change, operates at two games for three different international breaks, England returned home for a 2-0 victory against Finland before the team went back to their respective clubs.
England had four-times the amount of passes in contrast to Finland, and held 79 percent of the ball throughout the entire game. It seemed as if every meeting was complimenting Carsley’s high-risk, high-reward style of football and the term “Carsball” was becoming a trend.
Exactly a month after that victory over Finland, the controversy began flooding in when Carsley tried a “no striker” team against Greece in the first of two games in the October international break.
It was a time where the interim boss thought to experiment, but it just clarified the importance of tactics in a game which, even with the likes of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Bellingham in a team, so much talent doesn’t necessarily mean success.
That expectedly didn’t work out for England and Vangelis Pavlidis was the player to shine at Wembley, in what was Greece’s first ever victory at the stadium as the forward got a brace - including a last-gasp winner.
England got their revenge on their opponents from that night, which washed out any memories of the debacle prior to the away game in Athens, which Carsley’s side won 3-0.
Carsley stressed how challenging it can be to squeeze so much talent into the starting XI but his rotation has been completely different to Gareth Southgate, who frequently opted for his usual starters.
The interim boss said: “There is a generation that expects to win in an England shirt that can only be good for the future.
“I think we have shown that we have so many quality players. The biggest challenge is fitting them all in. We played with balance.
“Players come in and out of form. A lot of good performances tonight and hopefully we see the same at Wembley.”
In total, Carsley gave out eight senior team debuts and many of which made a crucial impact in a time where it was very much needed due to the withdrawal of 10 players.
Eight withdrew from the squad before a single game was played in the most recent international break, including key names such as Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold, with others later dropping out through injury. Most notably, Ezri Konsa, who went off with a hip injury in Carsley’s penultimate game against Greece.
Curtis Jones, after what felt like an eternity, earned his England debut and scored with a 96 percent pass accuracy to pair, and showed positive signs which radiated onto the rest of the team.
In addition to that revitalising performance from a young England side, four debutants got their name on the scoresheet - alongside Newcastle United duo Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall receiving their first starts.
Carsley finished how he started with a convincing victory against Ireland and although his time with the first team is now over, there will be little surprise if the 50-year-old reaches similar heights in the near future, no matter what path he decides to take.
What is next for Carsley?
From what has been agreed, Carsley will now return to the under-21s in time for the 2025 European Championships, despite the suggestion that Carsley would suit a club role with his newly expanded portfolio.
By winning five out of his six games in interim charge, Carsley has made his name much more established from when he first arrived as “the under-21s coach”.
His high-risk football and low-key demeanour has warmed to many, and without the awkward and tenacious press conferences he was part of, his time with the first team was rather successful.
And although his risky approach didn’t muster a 100% win rate in the end, there aren't really any negatives about Carlsey’s time with England after all, even the FA’s lack of communication was somewhat entertaining.
He’ll soon hand the keys to Tuchel, who will become permanent manager at the start of January 2025 - but won’t make his first managerial appearance until March.
So, what is next for Carsley? It’s a question that comes with many branches and possibilities. Club football? Maybe. But for now, he’ll return to the under-21s to try and renew history when they play in the 2025 European Under-21 Championships - a tournament the Three Lions won under him in 2023.
Club football is much different to international football and Carsley will know that. His list of options will undoubtedly be long when looking at his win-rate with the England first team.
But even with his success, it is a huge leap to go from a minimal playing calendar to one that continues to grow in today’s game.
There wouldn’t be a way into the Premier League for Carsley due to the demand, but the Championship seems homely for the 50-year-old, who is yet to rule out whether he wants to manage in club football or not.
The future looks bright for him, whether that is with the under-21s, the first team when Tuchel’s contract runs out, or even a club at some point in the future.
