It was a routine 3-1 win for England in the end but the match itself did little to win over Lee Carsley’s biggest critics.
The England interim boss – taking charge of his fourth game – picked yet another bold starting line-up with Jordan Pickford dropped, Trent Alexander-Arnold at left-back and Cole Palmer playing out wide.
Carsley was praised for his adventurous line-ups in September in wins over Ireland and Finland with the likes of Anthony Gordon, Angel Gomes and Rico Lewis impressing when given a chance.
But England were brought crashing back down to earth against Greece on Thursday evening in a disappointing 2-1 loss.
England got back to winning ways against Finland
PA
Carsley’s decision not to play with a traditional No 9 failed miserably with England punished and the first real questions about his credentials to become the next permanent England manager were asked.
He was self-effacing after the result and surprisingly admitted that he would ‘hopefully’ be back in charge of the Under-21 side soon.
It was back to business on Sunday with Carsley facing his first real bit of pressure for the match against Finland.
The Three Lions have never lost to Finland in their previous 12 meetings but Carsley once again threw caution to the wind with his bold team selection.
Harry Kane was back and ready to start as England’s No 9, but there was once again a defensive frailty that was exposed by Greece just a few days prior.
Too often was the centre-back duo of John Stones and Marc Guehi exposed with Declan Rice seemingly struggling to understand his role in Carsley’s midfield.
Gomes played alongside the Arsenal midfielder, but both appeared to be given the licence to step forward and join in the attack.
That sometimes led to Jude Bellingham being overcrowded while Cole Palmer was unable to be as effective out on the right as he has been for Chelsea over the 12 months.
Lee Carsley will take charge of England’s next two matches
REUTERS
Jack Grealish opened the scoring for England in the first half with a well-taken goal and Alexander-Arnold doubled their lead with a brilliant free-kick before Rice added a third as Finland became more open at the back.
Carsley deserves credit for being courageous and trying something new as opposed to copying and pasting Gareth Southgate’s formula which often proved unpopular with fans.
And he’ll still get two more auditions before any decision is made by the FA when England face Greece and Ireland next month.
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Thomas Tuchel is touted as a possible option
PA
What Carsley has managed to do in his short time in charge is showcase where England’s strengths lie with their array of attacking options.
But games against Greece and Finland indicate Carsley may not be the best man to unlock their true potential as a squad.
It’s up to the FA to decide who they believe can best fill that role with the likes of Graham Potter, Eddie Howe and Thomas Tuchel touted as the favourites.
Carsley has laid the groundworks, but it’s clear now that the FA will have to look elsewhere for Southgate’s permanent successor.