October 11th 2024.
England's match against Greece at Wembley last night ended in a surprise defeat for the Three Lions, marking their first ever loss against the Greek team. As the fans expressed their disappointment, they also issued a sincere apology to interim manager Gareth Southgate for the team's performance.
After the game, Lee Carsley, who took over as interim boss, was questioned about whether he was interested in the permanent position. He responded by saying that he would "hopefully" return to his role with the Under-21s after next month's fixtures.
This defeat comes after a promising September, where England secured wins against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in the Nations League. However, their performance against Greece was lackluster, resulting in boos from the remaining fans at Wembley. The Greek team, ranked 48th in the world, managed to seal a late 2-1 victory with a stoppage-time winner from Vangelis Pavlidis.
Carsley's attacking line-up proved to be flawed, damaging his chances of taking over from Southgate as the senior team's manager. Many fans were left questioning if Southgate, who led the team to two major finals, was truly deserving of the criticism he received towards the end of his reign. Some even said that getting rid of him was a mistake and that he was the best manager England ever had.
As the fans debated and analyzed the game, one rueful supporter commented that Southgate was probably disappointed but also relieved that he wasn't receiving any backlash, as he was never the problem. They continued by saying that sometimes the grass is not always greener on the other side.
The game also saw Bukayo Saka limping off with an injury, adding to the disappointment for England. When Carsley was asked if this defeat affected his chances of becoming the permanent manager, he replied that he had always been aware of his clear remit, and his focus was on the next three games before returning to his role with the Under-21s.
The press also picked up on Carsley's comment about "hopefully" returning to the Under-21s, and he clarified by saying that he had never ruled himself in or out of the permanent role. He also expressed his contentment with his current position and the support he received from his bosses.
As the questions about the permanent role persisted, Carsley's answers became more confusing, mirroring the team's performance on the field. When asked directly if he wanted the England job, he reiterated that his ambitions hadn't changed since the first press conference, and he was lucky to have a good job with the Under-21s. He ended by saying that his focus was on giving his best for the next three games and that he had a good relationship with his bosses.
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