Lee Carsley: FA did not tell me Thomas Tuchel had taken England job

The interim England manager Lee Carsley says he was not aware when he took charge of the team’s Nations League game against Greece at Wembley that Thomas Tuchel had already agreed his contract with the Football Association two days’ earlier.
The Nations League game ended in defeat for England, and embarrassment after the tactical plan failed, and within six days, Tuchel was at Wembley to be presented as the new manager. The FA claimed that day that it had concluded the deal with Tuchel on October 8, two days before the Greece game that finished in a 2-1 defeat for England, and a difficult press conference afterwards for Carsley.
Carsley also said there had been no conversation with Tuchel since the latter’s appointment and that the manager-in-waiting had no input into the latest squad. There had been a brief text message exchange between the pair when Tuchel was announced as the new England manager on October 16. Carsley also confirmed that Ashley Cole, his assistant at the Under-21s who also moved up to the seniors on an interim basis, would not be part of Tuchel’s staff.
In the aftermath of the defeat to Greece on October 10, Carsley had said that “hopefully” he would go back to the Under-21s after his six Nations League games were over. He was then non-committal when asked whether he wanted the job or not.
Asked on Thursday, when he named his final squad, whether he knew Tuchel had been appointed by the time of the Greece game on October 10, Carsley said “No”. As for the Finland game that followed in Helsinki three days later, Carsley said he could not recall whether he knew by that stage that Tuchel had been appointed. Tuchel will start work on January 1 with his first games in charge in March – which could be 2026 World Cup qualifiers or a Nations League play-off, depending on results.
Carsley said his position was “quite clear in terms of the starting date [for Tuchel].” “It was more of a text message to him which was ‘Congratulations’ and he said, ‘Good luck for the window and look forward to meeting up’. He is fully respectful that I am in charge at the moment. That is the priority. I do not feel hard done by or shunned. If anything I look forward to hopefully create a situation where we can hand over a healthy squad of players to the new coach and his squad.”
Carsley said he picked the squad, which includes the uncapped Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Lewis Hall and Curtis Jones, without any aim apart from winning the two games. “I am quite selfish in that respect. I picked the squad which I think can beat Greece and the Republic of Ireland. I definitely want to attack.”
“It was a really tough night after Greece, going back to the hotel. I wanted it to be [regarded as] my fault which it was in terms of responsibility. What I am wracking my brains [on] is, I am not sure what I would have changed. I know you are saying ‘Just play a centre-forward’. But I wanted to try something different and see if we could adapt and I have tried to pick players who I think have a future in terms of longevity as the World Cup is 18 months away.”
Carsley selected Jack Grealish despite the winger not having played in the last four games for Manchester City. Carsley said that Grealish has trained with City for the last two days. It is understood that the Nations League games are regarded by all concerned as a good chance for him to get some game-time. There are as many as five players who may have to withdraw with injury and Carsley said he had standby options in the Under-21s squad.
Carsley was asked whether he would be interested in the newly vacant Coventry City job, a club where he played at the end of his career and was twice caretaker manager. The bookmakers priced him as second favourite behind Frank Lampard. “I think it’s fair to say I’ve got enough on my plate,” he said. “I try not to take too much notice of these things. Especially in the current position. It’s a tough job. It’s a real challenge.”
Carsley said he was happy to go back to his Under-21s job, with the team now qualified next summer for the European Championships – the tournament they won in 2023. Asked whether he thought that the Under-21s manager should be someone whom the FA was preparing for the senior job, he countered that it had to be someone “with the capabilities to do this job.”
“I am not saying I have [got those capabilities for the Under-21s] but winning the Euros in the summer meant I got the trust. Managing the squad and winning a Euros really helped. The more British coaches, English coaches, we can get in the Premier League and Championship really helps that. Always the best person getting the [senior England] job with a track record of winning was definitely in the [senior England] job description.”
Could that be Carsley in 18 months’ time if Tuchel leaves after the 2026 World Cup. “I would not be focusing too much on that,” he said. “My priority after this camp will be to do a good job, gain a Nations League promotion and then transfer that to the Under-21s. I have been in football long enough to know not to look too far ahead as it is an environment which changes quickly.”
That’s all from Carsley’s presser. We’ll end our coverage with the post below from Lewis Hall’s brother. A proud moment for the Hall happy
Jesus Christ. So so so deserved unbelievably proud ❤️❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/NnxjWZ8Dsg
I think it’s made me and the staff a lot better. The experience we’ve had can only help. We speak about comfort zones and this has been right out of it.
It’s something we’re stronger for. It wasn’t a great experience losing against Greece. You doubt yourself after making a lot of changes, trying something different.
We’re moving in the right direction and we’ll be judged on results – hopefully we can finish on a high.
I found a real big challenge of this job is to pick the squad. There are four or five players that can be disappointed they didn’t make this squad because they are having good seasons.
We know a lot of the squad are managing injuries. Hopefully, we get a full set and pick the strongest team we can.
I tried to make it quite clear from the offset I would do the three camps and win promotion in the Nations League. I’ll take that confidence into the future.
My role will be back with the U21s – a role I’m privileged to do. With that, however, there’s total support for the senior team.
The job and the role is quite clear in terms of helping, producing and developing players to play in the senior team. I’m in a better position to do that now because I’ve seen the level that the seniors are operating out.
Curtis is an all-round player.
He plays in various positions and he’s a player I highly rate. He’s probably one of the best players I’ve worked with in terms of his ability.
He’s shown a real consistent level of performance, playing every week, now. Most weeks he’s at a really high level and he’s shown he can score goals. He’s a player we’ve had a lot of success with working in the past.
I’ve enjoyed it but it has been challenging, it really has. It’s a massive honour to have the trust I’ve got from my bosses at the FA.
We’ve shown we are capable of doing it and it will be a great achievement if we can get two positive results now to finish on a high.
Carsley says that Thomas Tuchel has not been in touch ahead of the squad selection which confirms Matt Law’s exclusive (see 1.42pm post). He says has messaged Tuchel to congratulate him.
First of all he hasn’t had any influence on the squad selection – he is highly respectful of the job myself and the staff are doing. He is highly respectful of the job, not only me but what the staff are doing, so I’ve been left to it like we always have.”
They are both players who have played a lot of minutes this season. They have shown they can consistently play in the Premier League at a high level.
They are players I know really well.
Full quotes to come…
Your #ThreeLions for their final camp of 2024! 🦁
Not long to go now… let me know in the comments, who you think should be included!
It is remarkable that after 1,066 England games over 152 years, one still has to point out that international football is about measuring one country’s resources against another. It is what makes it all so joyfully random. It reveals the strengths and weaknesses of a national team in a way that does not happen in the club game. Why Argentina can win a World Cup with a former West Ham occasional as manager, a full-back who will later fail at Nottingham Forest, and the greatest player in the world.
For that reason alone, and to preserve the sanctity of the international game, the manager should follow the same principle. The England manager should be English. Otherwise, it is simply not international football. To suggest so draws the ire of people who seem not to understand that international football is the small corner of our public life where nationality matters. Not in an unpleasant way. In a harmless, intriguing way. Nationality is literally the point of international football.
Which is, sad to say, why Thomas Tuchel, a talented, multilingual, shrewd coach – born in Bavaria – should not be England manager. It would be impolite to blame him. He simply accepted the job. The issue lies with the English Football Association. 
Thomas Tuchel has no intention of having any say on the squad or the teams Lee Carsley picks for his final games as England interim manager, against Greece and Ireland in the Nations League.
And Tuchel’s January 1 start date means he is not scheduled to attend next month’s qualifying draw for the 2026 World Cup that he has been tasked with winning for England.
England’s World Cup qualifying could be affected by this month’s games against Greece and Ireland, but Tuchel and the FA are sticking rigidly to his official start date which means he will have no influence on their outcome and is not expected to be in the stands for either of them.
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Hello and welcome to coverage of the England squad announcement for their upcoming matches against Greece and Ireland. 
With Thomas Tuchel appointed as England’s head coach last month, interim manager Lee Carsley will have his last two matches in charge. Carsley will speak to the media after 2pm and there’s bound to be lots of questions about how much he knew about Tuchel’s appointment and his thoughts on the process.
Defeat in Athens next Thursday would end England’s chances of automatic promotion from the second tier and mean Tuchel’s first camp in March would involve Nations League play-off fixtures. 
Carsley has a host of injury problems to contend with Arsenal’s Declan Rice is a doubt with a foot injury, Jack Grealish and John Stones have missed recent matches for Manchester City, while Cole Palmer has been unable to train with Chelsea.
Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw remain unavailable for Manchester United, while Crystal Palace pair Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton are also injured. Could that mean a recall for the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Marcus Rashford and James Maddison?
One player, who is set to be included is Dominic Solanke.
The Tottenham striker was called up to the October camp and on Sunday, scored a brace in the Spurs’ 4-1 win over Aston Villa.
“Since the last camp, we had the news that the new manager will be taking over. I’m not sure he’s going to be there, he’s going to be taking over from next year. That’s something to look forward to for the country,” Solanke said.
“On a personal note, I’d love to be there again (in the squad). I worked hard to get back there so it’s definitely an aim of mine to stay there.”
Stand by for all the build-up and latest news.