NEW ENGLAND INTERIM boss Lee Carsley says his objective is to help the team take “the next step” and win a senior tournament.
Carsley’s appointment as caretaker England head coach was confirmed last week, as he stepped up from his role in charge of the Under-21s.
He will definitely oversee next month’s Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland but is also expected to lead the team for their other matches in the same competition later in the year.
The next major trophy the team will compete for is the World Cup in 2026, and after reaching two successive Euros finals under Gareth Southgate, expectations will be high of challenging once again.
Carsley’s appointment has made him favourite to land the job on a permanent basis, but irrespective of whether he is at the helm or not for the World Cup, he says there is one obvious target for this group.
“I think we’ve got some outstanding players in the senior team and in the pathway. I think the level of player over the last few years has really improved,” the former Irish international told England’s YouTube channel.
“You can see that by the way that we’ve done in major tournaments. Obviously that next step is winning, and that’s got to be the objective.
“It’s testament to (Southgate) and the staff that they’re getting to back-to-back finals, which isn’t easy. Now, obviously the last bit is going that extra mile and winning. I think we’ve got the players to do that. So hopefully this could be the start of that.”
Carsley, who led the Under-21s to European Championship glory last summer, is set to name his squad for the September matches on 29 August.
Asked about his aims and priorities for those games, he said: “It’s important that we put our stamp and make subtle adjustments, but it’s important to realise that a lot of the players have done really well in the past and we have to acknowledge that.”
They will face Heimir Hallgrímsson’s Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on on 7 September, before hosting Finland at Wembley Stadium.
“They’ve both got a unique way of playing,” Carsley added.
“Ireland, we’d be more unsure on what to expect in terms of the change of manager and what he changes. I know John O’Shea did a good job with them from a temporary point of view in getting them a bit more resilient. It will always be a difficult game in Dublin.
“Two teams that we’re looking forward to playing against, and really encouraged to see how we fare against them.”
