The dawn of a new era for England is here as Lee Carsley begins his reign with a Nations League clash against the Republic of Ireland.
The Three Lions travel to Dublin on Saturday evening with interim manager Carsley looking to prove he can be Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor.
And if his first squad selection is anything to go by, the new boss isn’t afraid to take risks and make big changes, calling up nine players who weren’t selected for Euro 2024.
This includes four uncapped stars: Tino Livramento, Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White and Noni Madueke.
The quartet are among the players who know Carsley extremely well through his time with the England U21s, but how many of them will he trust to start in his first game in charge of the senior side?
Lee Carsley’s formation and tactics
Throughout his U21s career, Carsley most commonly deployed a 4-2-3-1 or attacking 4-3-3, though when out of possession his teams switch to a 4-1-4-1 or 4-4-2.
Regardless of formation, his philosophy is clear: Attacking, fluid and expansive football, something fans will no doubt be happy to see after Southgate’s more pragmatic style teetered too far on the boring side.
The midfield double-pivot is crucial to the success of his tactics, while attacking players are encouraged to drop deep to support build-up play and Carsley has a reputation for deploying players outside of their normal positions.
In possession, full-backs surge forward to join the midfield (one at a time) with the corresponding winger inverting inside to effectively become another No.10. Ultimately, very few players will stick rigidly to their starting positions.
England starting XI vs Ireland
Jordan Pickford has been England’s No.1 since 2018 and that doesn’t look set to change under Carsley.
Kieran Trippier has retired from international duty and Kyle Walker was not selected for this squad, meaning Trent Alexander-Arnold finally gets a chance to stake his claim at right-back.
England’s 23-man squad in full
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Angel Gomes (Lille), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
With no left-backs in the squad, there are only two real choices for that position: Levi Colwill, the only left-footed defender in the team, or Livramento with the Newcastle full-back capable of playing on both flanks.
Harry Maguire missed the Euros through injury but while he’s back in the squad, Marc Guehi’s impressive performances in Germany surely makes the Crystal Palace captain and John Stones the first-choice centre-back partnership.
As ever, Declan Rice is nailed on to start. Kobbie Mainoo could also keep his place in the midfield pivot, but the selection of Gomes, who has quietly shone for Lille, may change that.
Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden are all out with injury or fitness issues, allowing Carsley to give Gibbs-White his debut at No.10, though Eberechi Eze would also be a good choice.
Jack Grealish has also returned to the fold after the disappointment over his Euro 2024 snub but Anthony Gordon, who starred for Carsley as England won the U21 Euros last summer, will very likely get the nod on the left-wing.
It would be strange to see anyone else other than Bukayo Saka on the right-wing but Madueke’s strong start to the season for Chelsea could change that. Up front, captain Harry Kane will win his 99th cap for his country.
