Gary Lineker highlights three things Lee Carsley has accomplished that England fans were hoping for under Gareth Southgate

The Three Lions secured a dominant 2-0 victory over Ireland on Saturday, with goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, both former Ireland players.

Despite pre-match conversation being dominated by Carsley’s decision not to sign the national anthem, England impressed on the pitch in their first outing since the departure of Southgate.

Many had often criticised Southgate’s England for lacking dynamism and creativity, but Carsley was keen to put his own spin on the side with a several changes made to the starting lineup.

And Lineker was keen to highlight three tweaks that may have England fans particularly excited going forward.

‘It’s interesting as well, isn’t it, that perhaps some of the things fans were most disappointed about in the Euros, well, probably three things maybe more,’ the former England striker said on the Rest is Football podcast. 

‘But everyone wanted Anthony Gordon to play on the left because we all saw a weakness and an unbalance on that side.

‘And also that he can run behind players because Kane likes to come short and you’ve got to have a threat behind so he did that.

’The other thing was he [Southgate] left Jack Grealish out of the squad which a lot of people were bemused by and he’s come in and performed really well. 

‘And obviously, he never really trusted Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the first game Carsley has come up with all these things and a lot of us are going ‘you see? We told you”.’

Carsley is now the heavy favourite to get the England job on a full-time basis and will have another chance to impress against Finland on Tuesday.

‘In the back of your mind you always think… you know, it’s easy to be the England manager, isn’t it, when you’re sat in the house,’ he reflected after the Ireland victory.

‘There have been times where I’ve thought I’m not sure if I could do it.

‘But it [the Dublin win] has done my confidence good, and the rest of the staff as well, that actually we’re OK, we’ll be all right. I think it’s natural to have doubts.’

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