England interim Lee Carsley wants to carry on his 'other' job coaching students at a local academy in the Midlands to help him try out new tactics for Harry Kane and Cole Palmer. Carsley is in temporary charge of The Three Lions for the first time against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, having led the under-21s to Euro glory last year. Despite the added responsibilities, Carsley doesn't want to give up on the once-a-week sessions he delivers every Friday morning to aspiring players aged between 16 and 21 at the Strachan academy in Warwick. Given six matches in charge before The FA choose a successor to Southgate, Carsley thinks his work on the grass between international matches helps him communicate ideas to his Premier League when they turn up for camp.
'I still find a way to coach which gives me the chance to practice what I'm going to do with any teams I'm working with,' he explained. 'I could potentially be practising for two months on what I'm going to try, rather than a day when you've got two games in an international window. It gives me a chance to experiment and then hopefully deliver it when the (England) players are live.'
'I was there in Warwick last Friday (Aug 23). I've been doing that for maybe three years. It's like an education and coaching centre. The biggest thing you notice when you first come and work internationally is that you stop coaching and I was adamant that wasn't going to happen to me. My biggest strength is coaching so that is one of the things I didn't want to stop.'
'I have other priorities within the job as well I have to be creative and make sure I have got a couple of hours every week on a Friday morning that I'm able to get out there and try things and get it wrong!'
Lee Carsley’s attitude to being the England interim manager is that it won’t change him and he intends to continue an unusual arrangement he has had with the FA since becoming the manager of England Under-21. It is that once a week, he can go off and put a session on for a group of non-professional players — youngsters at the Strachan Foundation, who train at the University of Warwick.
On Thursday, at his first squad announcement, Carsley spoke about how, after various coaching roles at clubs, he had discovered how much working with international teams suits him. “I have really enjoyed the planning, the preparation, the level of players you’re working with, the level of games, the level of opposition,” he said. “I think sometimes when you’re at a club you get caught in a treadmill of play game, train. This job [with the FA] has really pushed me out of my comfort zone in terms of the level the players are coming from.”
Yet Carsley, 50, also acknowledged the biggest drawback that managing international teams brings, lack of contact time with players, before revealing his novel — and humble — way of addressing it. “I still find a way, with this job, to coach,” he said.
“I go somewhere and coach once a week which gives me the chance to practise what I’m going to do with any teams I’m working with. So, with two games in [an international] window I could be practising for two months [prior to it] what I’m going to try, rather than in a day. It gives you a chance to try things, experiment and hopefully deliver it when the players are live.”
The Strachan Foundation is run by Carsley’s former manager at Coventry City, Gordon Strachan, and takes in young players, mostly aged 16 to 18, from outside the professional game. Several have gone on to have careers with Football League and non-League clubs. However its programme is also educational, and involves encouraging students to take their coaching badges and learn about the football industry.
Carsley lives in nearby Kenilworth and plans to keep coaching at the facility despite being put in temporary charge of England’s senior team, whose first match under him is a Nations League clash with Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
“I’m going to keep it going,” Carsley said. “I was in there last Friday. It’s like an education and coaching centre and I’ve been doing it for maybe three years. The biggest thing you notice when you come and work internationally is that you stop coaching and I was adamant that wasn’t going to happen to me.
“My biggest strength is coaching and that is one thing I do not want to stop. So, it was trying to be creative that you’re not stopping. I have other priorities within the [England] job but it’s trying to make sure I have a couple of hours every week on a Friday morning that I’m able to go out there and try things and get it wrong.”
Coaching the Next Generation
The academy is part of the Strachan Football Foundation founded by former Manchester United and Leeds great Gordon Strachan in 2011 to bring together education and football for aspiring students and footballers. Its website lists Carsley among several coaches including former Aston Villa boss Brian Little and current Coventry manager Mark Robins who have delivered sessions.
The Importance of Coaching
As a player, Carsley enjoyed some of his best times at Everton and credits his former manager David Moyes for pushing him to go on coaching courses. The 50-year-old will now hope to follow the trend of under-21s managers being promoted to the senior job as Spain did with Luis de la Fuente whose side beat Southgate's England in the Euro 2024 final.
He has named five of the under-21s trophy-winning side in his first squad including Chelsea's Noni Madueke who scored a hat-trick at Wolves last weekend despite being barracked by home fans because of a rude social media post he made about the city of Wolverhampton. 'He definitely wasn't picked on that one game!' smiles Carsley. 'Noni is really explosive and attacking. I think he brings energy and enthusiasm which is what the squad potentially needs after the summer, and he is in form right now.'
'It's not Noni, but all that generation don't seem to feel it (pressure). I remember before the semi-final of the Euros, I was expecting them to be nervous. You go into the dining room, the music is on, two or three of them are dancing, there is table tennis going on. I'm thinking 'Hang on, you're not nervous?!' But a lot of those players have had that expectancy all their lives. And one thing I would say about them all is their attitude and work-rate is always what we look for first.'
A Legacy of Coaching
Carsley has selected a vibrant and fresh-looking squad for the game with Ireland and home fixture with Finland three days later. Among the uncapped players is Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, 22, who starred for Carsley at under-21 level. “He’s really attacking, really explosive, he is a brilliant age, he is learning, he has a mindset that he wants to get better — I think he brings energy and enthusiasm, which is what the squad potentially needs after the summer,” Carsley said.
Last Sunday Madueke scored a hat-trick at Molineux, despite being jeered by home supporters after a social media post in which he derided Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the way he shook off the controversy to excel typifies the fearless resilience Carsley is hoping for from his young squad, who are tasked with restoring England morale after the disappointment of losing the Euro 2024 final to Spain.
“Not just Noni, but what I’ve noticed with the players at the Euros [the squad Carsley coached to victory at last year’s European Under-21 Championship] is that generation and age group, they don’t seem to feel it. They just take it in their stride.
“I remember before one of the games, maybe the semi-final, I was expecting them to be a bit nervous. You go into the dressing room, the music is on, two or three of them are dancing, there is table tennis going on. I’m thinking, ‘Hang on, you’re not nervous!’ Whatever you put in front of them they find a way of dealing with it,” Carsley said.
“When I was playing, if you made a mistake then you spent the next five minutes being safe. This generation of players are straight back on the ball and trying to be creative again.”
Carsley's Vision for the Future
Birmingham-born Carsley won 40 international caps for the Republic of Ireland through his grandmother and went to Cork in the summer for a big family reunion. He was also met Irish football chiefs in 2023 when they looked for a new manager. 'It was quite an informal conversation. It wasn't that I was offered the job or wanted the job or turned the job down or anything like that. It was far from that,' he said. 'It was after the Under 21 Euros. At the start of my career I had advice that if someone wants to meet you, go and pay them that respect. I was really aware going into the conversation that I had a really good job (with the FA) and supported where I am.'
On Friday, the children at the coaching centre in Coventry will have to do without him. He has another group of footballers to oversee. Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and co.
