September 7th 2024.
England's Nations League campaign got off to a strong start under interim manager Lee Carsley, as they secured a 2-0 victory against the Republic of Ireland. However, former Ireland and Manchester United captain Roy Keane was less than impressed with England's second-half performance and criticized their "arrogance" despite the win.
Carsley's side dominated the first half, with goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, who have both previously played for Ireland, giving them an early lead. The duo faced boos and jeers from the Irish crowd, but used it as motivation to perform even better. As some fans called for Carsley to be given the job permanently, England seemed to take their foot off the gas in the second half, much to Keane's disappointment.
"The frustrating thing for England today was that Ireland were there for the taking," Keane said on ITV. "But that was the opposite in the second half. I thought they were awful in the second half, players playing for themselves, taking too many touches, trying to play Roy of the Rovers passes. Keep doing the basics and suck Ireland out."
Keane also criticized the substitutions made by England, saying that players were "strolling off" and showing arrogance. He believed that with a team like Ireland, who were playing with pride in the second half, England should have been more focused and ruthless in their approach.
Former England and Arsenal forward Ian Wright shared similar sentiments, feeling that England eased off when they should have been pressing for more goals. He also praised Ireland's Chiedozie Ogbene for his efforts and suggested that young player Evan Ferguson should have been brought on earlier.
Carsley, on the other hand, was pleased with his team's performance and gave credit to the players for the win. He believed that they showed real talent and deserved the clean sheet. He also praised Rice and Grealish for their well-worked goals and expressed confidence that they will continue to add more goals to their game in the future.
Looking ahead, England will face Finland at Wembley on Tuesday evening, and Carsley will be eager to maintain their winning momentum. It remains to be seen if he will be given the job permanently, but for now, he is focused on leading his team to another victory.
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