England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley signs new deal through to end of 2027 Euros
ENGLAND U21 COACH Lee Carsley has signed a new deal through to the end of the 2027 European Championship.
The 51-year-old was handed the reins of the senior national team on an interim basis last summer following Gareth Southgate's departure, overseeing five wins and one loss in six Nations League matches.
Carsley was heavily linked with becoming England's permanent manager before Thomas Tuchel's appointment, but is now back in his under-21s role as the defending champions continue preparations for the 2025 Euros in Slovakia.
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'I'm delighted to extend my time with the FA,' Carsley said. 'It's a privilege to have the opportunity to work with a young, talented group and help develop them on the international stage.
'While the future is exciting, our immediate priority is this summer's UEFA U21 Euro in Slovakia as we attempt to emulate the achievement of Dave Sexton's teams in 1982 and 1984.'
England open their campaign against Czechia on Thursday, June 12, before further Group B games against Slovenia and Germany.
Carsley is set to name his final squad for the tournament on Friday.
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Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Karen Duggan: Manager Carla Ward needs to park her fixation with attacking flair and embrace the Irish way
Belgium it is for Ireland in October's Nations League playoffs . They're a team you wouldn't be intimidated by, but you definitely need to respect them. They had a mixed bag of results and performances in a really tough League A group, some of which were poor while others were excellent. Their stand-out result was beating England at home. It is, then, hard to know what to expect from them. Instead of picking out their 5-0 defeat away to England and taking heart from it, it's much more important that we analyse how Ireland lost 4-0 away to Slovenia and learn from it. Yes, we won our other five group games, but that's the result that stands out. READ MORE It was a tough time for Carla Ward to come in . There had been no end of upheaval and disappointment before she arrived, not least with the defeat to Wales in the Euro 2025 playoffs and the subsequent departures of Eileen Gleeson and Colin Healy . Add in the retirements of Niamh Fahey, Louise Quinn, Diane Caldwell and Julie-Ann Russell – four leaders gone from the dressingroom and the pitch – and it was always going to be a challenge. There was also no getting away from Ward's own lack of experience at international level. But my worry throughout our League B campaign was the lack of balance between the Carla Ward way and the Irish way. It's all very well wanting a more adventurous attacking style, but it was our defensive strength and resoluteness that ultimately got us to the World Cup. We can't lose that. We can't afford to. It's not that she has reinvented the wheel with her preferred 4-4-2 system as all of our players have played it at some stage from underage up. But the effort to improve us going forward can't be done at the expense of us being defensively sound. That's the balance that has to be found. Maybe she underestimated Slovenia and overestimated us when we played them in February, but she went gung-ho, with too many attacking players on the pitch, some out of position. It just looked disjointed. We were torn apart. And that was the result that cost us top spot in the group. We were hearing too much about how it was a great job for her work-life balance She didn't quite know her team then and you'd hope she does now. But when you don't know your team, you need to err on the side of caution. I hope she's learned from that. We should certainly err on the side of caution against Belgium. They've been playing at a higher level than us recently and will have a Euro 2025 campaign behind them by the time we meet in October, so their intensity is going to be high. I didn't see any intensity from Ireland until that first half in Cork against Slovenia on Tuesday, in our final group game . By that stage, my concern had grown about how this team was shaping up. But there was real improvement that evening. We were excellent: back to basics, direct, strong, quick, playing for each other, taking responsibility. I thought it was all there – except we still didn't have the finishing. Louise Quinn with her son Darragh after her final appearance for Ireland against Slovenia in Cork last Tuesday. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho I wondered if that performance was an emotional reaction from the players to it being Louise Quinn's last game for Ireland, although I'd prefer to think that it was down to work done with Ward in training, having reviewed the team's struggles in the campaign until then. Either way, it was heartening after a less-than-stirring start to her time in charge. I think she started off with too much of a 'nice' approach to it all. We were hearing too much about how it was a great job for her work-life balance and how she loves the Irish way, the grit and determination. But sometimes you have to coax that out of the players too, especially when they had taken such a confidence hit from their defeat by Wales. I don't think that was addressed. The key for me is that she learns she has to bend a little bit on the Carla Ward way in favour of the Irish way until we're a bit more settled. It's all still a work in progress, I'm not sure she even knows her best starting 11 yet. And there's still scope for change on the player front. She has talked about the scouting efforts for new talent. She brought in Mel Filis, from the English Championship, in her first squad, and Erin Healy, from the Australian league, in her last, after both of them got their Irish passports. And that's fine. But both inclusions raised an eyebrow and in the end, neither played. I think you need to be very sure, when you pick these players, that they'll come in and make an impact. Otherwise, why not keep an eye on players closer to home? Such as Ellen Molloy, Jess Fitzgerald, Ellen Dolan and Joy Ralph, or any of the players coming through from the under-19s. Bring them in, give them a taste of where they need to get to in terms of making it at professional level. Have a look at them. If you don't rate them, fine. But give them a chance. In wider development terms, nothing seems to be working too well. Hannah Dingley left her role as head of women and girls' football after just a year. There was no impact. In with a whimper, out with a whimper. And the strategic plan that she presented was, to put it mildly, underwhelming. We need someone in that role who is willing to put a few years and a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it. It needs to be someone who is passionate about the development of the game here. Dingley's predecessor, Eileen Gleeson, was a great appointment. Would she be willing to take that role again? I don't know what her relationship is like with the FAI now. Ward could have done without all that drama, but her focus now has to be on getting past Belgium in the playoffs. It's been a damp squib of a start for her in this job, but there's time to get things right. The report card on her and her team, at this point, might say: 'Expect more from someone with their ability.'
The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
'Stephen brought a lot of the lads through... Heimir has a different sort of tactic'
WILL SMALLBONE has hailed the impact of manager Heimir Hallgrímsson after Ireland drew 1-1 tonight with Senegal — a team 41 places above the Boys in Green in the world rankings and unbeaten in 20 matches heading into the game. Injuries have meant it is only the second time Smallbone has featured in a camp since the Icelandic coach took charge. And while the hosts were disappointed at the concession of an 82nd-minute equaliser, the Southampton star felt the game was 'another step in the right direction' following back-to-back Nations League playoff wins over Bulgaria in March. 'I think sometimes these summer camps have been a bit of a struggle where we've had a long time off and we've been coming in and trying to get up to speed,' Smallbone said. Advertisement 'I've noticed a real high quality and high intensity throughout the whole week, and it's been showing in the performance there.' While he has not had too many opportunities to link up with the squad in the last few months, Smallbone has been impressed with Hallgrímsson as a coach. 'Throughout the week, the manager has made it really clear what he wants from people, and it's just getting back in the swing of things and being in an Irish set-up. I love coming away to play for Ireland, I couldn't wait to get away and see everyone and get back in it and build connections with everyone.' Smallbone played alongside Jason Knight in central midfield and said the position was not 'too different' to what he has been accustomed to recently, despite sometimes being employed in a more attacking role for club and country. 'I was only in Heimir's first camp so that was very new for everyone so I missed the next three camps, so to then come back in, it was very similar messages. But it all seems very clear and concise — that makes it easier as a player when you know exactly what the manager wants from you and you just have to go out and do your best to deliver it. 'The lads have done really well over the last few camps, it's good to see us winning games. Performances have been really nice, and maybe in the past we've got good performances, but we need to make sure we're winning to get to these tournaments. 'I think he wants to create a winning habit, and you see the way he talks about getting to the World Cup, it's obviously the aim for everyone. Winning is the only way we can get there. So it is about coming out on top in games in the past we maybe would have lost by a goal to switch it the other way to win by a goal and put an emphasis on set-pieces and making sure we're a threat whenever we get one.' Smallbone also admitted it felt 'different' to the reign of Stephen Kenny, who gave the midfielder his senior debut in 2023. 'Stephen brought a lot of the lads through from 21s, and Heimir has a different sort of tactic if you like. I think if you look at Irish teams in the past, they've always been built very big on set-pieces and making the Aviva a really tough place to come to, so I think that's what we've to get back to. 'The goal for every game is to win, at times performances were… I don't want to say performances have been good, but winning has not been there. So the main thing is just winning. 'The more I play football, the more I go into my career and see that winning is what gets remembered, it's what ultimately is going to get us to the World Cup. I think if the game is scrappy and it's a one-goal game, we need to make sure it's us that gets the goal, and as long as we're in games with however long left, we'll always feel we'll get an opportunity to get a goal from set-pieces.'
The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
Clear signs that Hallgrímsson's messages are coming through loud and clear for Ireland players
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O'Shea had the licence to be that aggressive and quick with his closing down rather than simply passing the man on to someone in midfield who might not have had the same momentum in their stride to keep Senegal going backwards. That level of freedom for players in the moment to assess such a situation and take on the responsibility is another cornerstone of what Ireland are trying to achieve under Heimir Hallgrímsson. It was evident again two minutes after the re-start when Jason Knight anticipated a breaking ball around 35 or so yards from the opponents' goal and straight away zipped a pass to Will Smallbone so his fellow midfielder. Advertisement He let the ball run across his body, took one more touch to set himself for a shot centrally but directed it far too close to Yehvann Diouf and that allowed the goalkeeper make a comfortable save. Still, it was sharp and positive and done with purpose; exactly what management asked of the players. By that stage, of course, Ireland led after Kasey McAteer's 21st minute goal. It was his first for the Boys in Green, coming on the occasion of his fifth cap and full debut. Friendly fire, perhaps, but if it can act as a catalyst for the Leicester City winger to make a telling impact in the World Cup qualifiers to come from September through November than it will be recalled as a pivotal moment. Again, he showed anticipation and impressive instincts to get his goal, staying on the move after Ryan Manning – excellent all evening in an advanced central role and also on the left when required – kept the corner kick alive to connect with a deft header, and following up Diouf's superb save with a calm touch and sharp swivel to fire low through the legs of Abdoulaye Seck. Nathan Collins wins a header against Boulaye Dia. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO Just as encouraging as that telling impact in the box was a piece of defending seven minutes before half-time that was the second element of the gameplan: stop Senegal's counter attacks. That was the second message repeated around camp all week, and when Habib Diarra looked as though he was about to break free down the left, McAteer's willingness to sprint back and nick possession drew applause around Aviva Stadium. Most pleased would have been Hallgrímsson and assistant John O'Shea as well as coach Paddy McCarthy. There were three more clear examples of Ireland players ensuring they followed the doctrine laid out. Captain Nathan Collins led by example in the ninth minute when Manning looked to have been bundled over down the left after receiving a throw in, play was waved on and with the Brentford centre back advanced to try and get on the end of a ball into the box, he ended up sprinting 40 or so yards back to stop Senegal making it out of their own half. Job done. Nine minutes later Knight and Smallbone also combined with pressure to hurry Krepin Diatta into a misplace pass from the centre when there was a break on down the left and numbers supporting centrally. Best of all, and perhaps the strongest nod yet to Hallgrímsson finding out who among his squad have the capability of being that 'bastard in the team' that he spoke of when he took charge, came on 56 minutes. After Senegal cleared an Ireland corner, Knight picked up the ball around 40 yards out and adhered to the crowd's roars of 'shooooooooot.' It was blocked down, and all of a sudden space opened up for Diatta to take the ball clear. Killian Phillips made his Ireland debut. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO He was still only midway through his own half but before he could open his legs and get into his stride Collins clattered in from behind with a type of organised clumsiness that prevented the counter. He was thoroughly apologetic for the incident, hands in the air straight away, but he knew exactly what he was doing and it was exactly what was required in that moment, and what was expected. That the Senegal equaliser on 82 minutes came after a raft of subs had been made won't soften the blow for Hallgrímsson. It would no doubt have been disallowed for offside after a VAR review had this game been one of consequence, but it was not in use so Cheikh Sabaly standing in Caoimhín Kelleher's eye line went unpunished. It undone so much good work in terms of the result but, crucially, it was a performance that highlighted how Hallgrímsson's messages are coming through loud and clear with World Cup qualifying on the horizon.
