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      England’s Marc Guehi admits he’s still suffering from Euro 2024 hangover after Crystal Palace’s dismal start to season

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      MARC GUEHI admits he is suffering from a hangover after a summer of ‘oh so nears’.The Crystal Palace defender was a mainstay of Gareth Southgate’s England team who were defeated by Spain in the Euros final before a proposed mega-money move to Newcastle failed to materialise.Marc Guehi believes England can go on to win the World CupCredit: EPAThe Palace star has struggled this season domesticallyCredit: RexNow Palace, who finished last season on a massive high with six wins and a draw from their final seven Premier League games, are without a victory in seven matches and stuck in the relegation zone.And Guehi has struggled through not having had a proper summer break or a pre-season.Here in the Finnish capital tonight, he will attempt to lift his battered national side after Thursday’s shock home defeat by Greece.Guehi is set to reprise his central-defensive partnership with John Stones, 30, for the first time since the Euros.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWSHe said: “I’d have to say it’s been quite tough not having a pre-season, not having much of a break and going straight back into it. I’ve handled it as best as I can.“The Euros was such an amazing experience.“Since then, I just tried to get my head down and get to work.“It’s been a tough start for us at Palace but everyone’s pulling in the right direction to try to get ourselves back to where we want to be.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS“And then for myself to be called up again. England’s amazing. It’s always a privilege to play for my country.”Despite the Wembley debacle, when interim boss Lee Carsley suffered a tactical brain freeze, Guehi, 24, claims England have the talent and winning mentality required to lift a first major trophy since 1966.Lee Carsley appears to admit staggeringly short amount of time England practised bold new tactic before Greece shockerAsked about the Three Lions’ wealth of attacking players, Guehi added: “It’s really tough to play against these boys.“We’re talking about world-class players. For myself and the rest of the defenders I can proudly say that it is a really tough ask to come up against them.“Their quality shines through, their intelligence of the game.“Our goal is to win a trophy. So when you do come that close in the summer, it’s important you find ways to improve.“The manager coming in has definitely seen something and we, as players, want to be as receptive as possible.“We want to  close the gap, to have that final push to get a trophy.”Like many of England’s emerging players, Guehi has enjoyed international success at age-group level — lifting the Under-17s World Cup seven years ago.And he said: “I think that sort of experience is massive. It’s a really big thing for so many of the players on the team.“It’s such a valuable experience to have won something with your country and try to bring that into senior football.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Even the players here that haven’t done it at international level at the younger ages but have in the Premier League, in the Champions League.“It’s massive to have a group that have won things before and can continue to win.”England player ratings vs GreeceBy Tom BarclayLEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.Jordan Pickford: 4Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.John Stones: 5Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.Levi Colwill: 7Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.Rico Lewis: 6Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.Declan Rice: 6Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.Phil Foden: 4Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective. Cole Palmer: 6Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season. Bukayo Saka: 5Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MANPlayed in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.Anthony Gordon: 5Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.SUBS: Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7Manager Lee Carsley: 4Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again. More

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      Lee Carsley reveals how England can win World Cup as he warns ‘we can’t just do the same and expect something different’

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      LEE CARSLEY believes England can win the 2026 World Cup — but only if the Three Lions embrace change.Interim boss Carsley saw his gamble to play without a recognised No 9 backfire in the shock 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday.England interim boss Lee Carsley claims the national team can win the 2026 World CupCredit: GettyEngland can only end their trophy drought if they embrace change, claims CarsleyCredit: AlamyEngland’s men have not won a major tournament since 1966. But after two Euro final defeats, Carsley is on a mission to find the magic formula that will see Harry Kane and Co finally end 60 years of hurt.Carsley said: “I’m really wary of the fact that the last time we won something was 1966, so we have to have that ability to try something different. We’re not that far away. We have been close twice.“It was important that I put my own stamp on the team and the squad and tried something different because the understanding is that, unless it changes, it won’t change.”Predecessor Gareth Southgate took England to the last two Euros finals, losing to Italy on penalties in 2021 and 2-1 against Spain in the summer.Read More on FootballHe also oversaw World Cup campaigns that ended at the semi-final stage in 2018 and last eight two years ago.But Southgate was often criticised for being too cautious tactically.Now Carsley, who takes charge for the fourth time as caretaker on Sunday’s Nations League clash with Finland, added: “Your human instinct is to be safe, to go with things that you’re comfortable with.“But I felt it was important to be out of my comfort zone.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS“I have to try something because we’ve got to put ourselves in a position where we can win.“To think that we can just do the same again and expect something different is naive.Lee Carsley appears to admit staggeringly short amount of time England practised bold new tactic before Greece shocker“I don’t want to sit back in a month’s time with regrets that I was safe. This is a great opportunity, not only for myself but for the rest of the staff and players to try something different.“We’re also looking bigger picture in terms of World Cup qualification and then hopefully the World Cup — that we’ve got a good understanding of the player capabilities.”Some reports claim Carsley has doubts over taking the job long-term but he refuses to rule himself out completely.He said: “I don’t see this as an audition. I don’t see it as the biggest chance I have ever had.“I see it as a privilege. I see it as an unbelievable responsibility.“I have got three more games left and I want to try to make sure that the squad are in a really good position.The youth paves the way“That we have seen players play in different positions and we are in a healthy position.”Carsley, 50, wants to adopt a more attacking brand of football, having triumphed at last year’s Under-21 Euros playing that way.It was the latest in a number of youth competitions won by England in the last decade.And Carsley believes it will pave the way to senior success — just like it has for Germany and Spain in recent decades.Asked if he really felt England can win the next World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico, the former Everton midfielder replied: “Yeah.“The past is a good indicator of the future and we’ve got quite a few players now that have won a lot with England. They’ve felt that before.England stars ‘used to winning’“They come to St George’s, they come on England camps, and they’re used to winning.“They’re used to being in the latter stages of competitions and being successful. That can only be a good thing for us.“If you think back to that Germany team, and the Spain team, that were really successful at the younger age groups that came through.“I think potentially we could be coming into a period of that ilk.READ MORE SUN STORIES“We’ve been so close in the past and with a bit more luck, or belief, on our side it could have been different.“But as we stand at the minute it’s not, so I believe that we could be coming into a phase of that kind of success.” More

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      Bullish Lee Carsley happy to take the flak for England meltdown so players don’t suffer

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      DEFIANT and selfless, Lee Carsley finally went on the front foot yesterday.The England interim boss saw his team, without a recognised striker, crash to Greece at Wembley — before delivering his own muddled performance in front of the media after the embarrassing 2-1 defeat.Lee Carsley is prepared to make changes so he doesn’t have ‘regrets’Credit: EPAEngland stars like Cole Palmer, centre, failed to gel against GreeceCredit: SplashYet here in Finland, Carsley spoke positively and insisted he was happy for the s**t to be flying in his direction rather than at the players.It is clear he will put the team before himself and that’s why nobody should rule him out of replacing Gareth Southgate on a permanent basis.Carsley was upset by the shock result and a dreadful defensive show against the  Greeks.But the Brummie  is able to put it  in perspective.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWSThe 50-year-old’s son Connor has Down’s syndrome and, while he is happy to take criticism on board, he is not going to let it  turn him off.Carsley, who takes charge of England for the fourth time in ­Helsinki on Sunday, said: “I definitely have to accept the criticism.“I am glad it was directed towards me, not the players, and we move on.“The last thing that is  important to me in this whole process is me.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS“The reason I believe I have done so well in coaching is because people know that it’s not about me.“It’s about the players, it’s about the environment, it’s about the culture.Lee Carsley’s slip of the tongue after Greece nightmare hints he wants England U21s job back and not replace Southgate“It is something that I’m totally accepting of in terms of the changes I made the other night and trying something different. I’m not put off by that.“I understand the interest and the criticism, which is fine.“I wouldn’t describe it as a setback . . . Connor made a big difference to our lives in terms of having a child born with Down’s Syndrome, so that puts things into perspective.“After the other night, I felt bad for a couple of days — of course I did.“But it’s a game of football, I’m realistic about the understanding that it is a game. I have tried my best, it didn’t come off, I am here to fight again.“Having watched the game back two or three times, as you can imagine, it’s never as bad or as good as you think.“I would change the result. But it’s not put me off. “I don’t want to sit back in a month’s time with regrets that I was safe. This is a great opportunity, not only for myself . . . for the rest of the staff and the players to try something different.”Dominic Solanke and Ollie Watkins only came on as subs vs GreeceCredit: RexCarsley did not help himself after the defeat by claiming he would “hopefully” be back with the Under-21s.What he meant, as he said when being unveiled as interim manager, was he would look to get his old job back if he did not get this one permanently.When pressed on his comment again, he said last night: “Hopefully is a word and a phrase I use quite a bit. There are no guarantees in life.“It’s a job, the Under-21s, that I’m really proud of and massively invested in.“The plan is to give this job for three camps the best I can do along with the rest of the staff and, hopefully, we can be in a good position.”He must make sure he does not get flustered quite so quickly in future. Equally, we should not forget that even in the caretaker days of Southgate, not everything went to plan.In his second game, England scraped a 0-0 with Slovenia — Joe Hart making a brilliant late save to prevent a defeat.Southgate suffered fierce criticism afterwards and was always prepared to take the flak.Carsley left Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke out of his starting line-up even though star striker Harry Kane was injured and fielded a glut of attacking midfielders with Jude Bellingham as a false nine.I have tried to remove myself from the emotion of, ‘It’s my job to lose or get’.Lee CarsleyCarsley added: “I spoke with Ollie after I had named the team. I didn’t speak to Dom but I have spoken to Dom. I have got a good relationship with Dom. He can understand we were trying something different.“They all could see that. With the personalities they have got, they are very much team orientated, as opposed to selfish.“If I try something different, they can see I’m trying to get the best out of the team or the individual rather than myself.”On whether he feared defeats to average opposition could impact his chances of the job, Carsley replied: “I wouldn’t say that. That would be reckless.“There’s probably a reason why I have not got into senior football, managing at club level, because I enjoy the player development and the journey they go on.“I have tried to remove myself from the emotion of, ‘It’s my job to lose or get’. It was totally clear when I came in, the remit.READ MORE SUN STORIES“That’s what I have tried to do to the best of my ability, with the understanding I want to try something different at times.“It is good I have the trust of the staff we have got.”England player ratings vs GreeceBy Tom BarclayLEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.Jordan Pickford: 4Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.John Stones: 5Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.Levi Colwill: 7Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.Rico Lewis: 6Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.Declan Rice: 6Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.Phil Foden: 4Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective. Cole Palmer: 6Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season. Bukayo Saka: 5Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MANPlayed in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.Anthony Gordon: 5Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.SUBS: Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7Manager Lee Carsley: 4Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again. More

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      Harry Kane fit to face Finland after Jude Bellingham false nine plan leads to England horror show against Greece

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      HARRY KANE is fit to face the Finns as England try to get back on track.The Three Lions captain, 31, missed the 2-1 defeat to Greece with groin and ankle issues.Harry Kane is fit to return for England against Finland on SundayCredit: ReutersInterim boss Lee Carsley is hoping to bounce back from Thursday’s defeat to GreeceCredit: ReutersBut the Bayern Munich striker looks set to earn his 101st cap, while Jack Grealish, 29, is also available after suffering a knock.Interim boss Lee Carsley said: “It was important to give Harry and Jack plenty of time to recover.“They trained, so in terms of their fitness, everything’s fine.”Kane has a record 68 goals for England and Carsley added: “He leads by example, is a really good captain and is a great positive person to have around.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWS“When we’ve got something really good in front of us, we’re always looking for the next big thing.“We should appreciate what we’ve got in front of us with Harry.“He’s still got a lot of games and goals in him, hopefully.”Carsley admitted it is vital Jude Bellingham, 21, gets plenty of love.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHe said: “Jude’s totally different in the way he plays to everyone else.“We have to embrace that and make sure we support him.”Lee Carsley’s slip of the tongue after Greece nightmare hints he wants England U21s job back and not replace SouthgateWinger Bukayo Saka has stayed at Arsenal for treatment on the right leg injury he picked up against Greece.Fellow 23-year-old, Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, has withdrawn due to  a personal commitment.Jack Grealish has also recovered from a knock in time for the match in HelsinkiCredit: PAEngland player ratings vs GreeceBy Tom BarclayLEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.Jordan Pickford: 4Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.John Stones: 5Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.Levi Colwill: 7Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.Rico Lewis: 6Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.Declan Rice: 6Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.Phil Foden: 4Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective. Cole Palmer: 6Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season. Bukayo Saka: 5Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MANPlayed in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.Anthony Gordon: 5Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.SUBS: Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7Manager Lee Carsley: 4Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again. More

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      Lee Carsley confirms that he did NOT apply for England manager’s job following bombshell ‘hopefully’ comments

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      LEE CARSLEY has confirmed that he did not apply for the England job.The interim coach has overseen three games for the Three Lions since Gareth Southgate stepped down after Euro 2024.Lee Carsley did not apply for the England jobCredit: EPACarsley has taken charge of England since Gareth Southgate stepped downCredit: AlamyThe FA closed applications for the role on August 2 as they searched for Southgate’s successor.Carsley, 50, was appointed as the interim coach seven days later.However, he had revealed that he did not send a formal application for the role.He said: “I didn’t apply for it.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWS”Because hopefully… I have been doing the Under-21s and I am really happy with my job.”I am an employee of the FA and I was asked to take the senior team which is a privilege, it was the proudest moment of my career.”I am really honoured with the chance to manage the senior team.”I am in a really fortunate position in that I am on the inside and I can see how much potential this team’s got.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”It is one of the best jobs in world football. There aren’t many jobs where you’ve got a chance of winning.”I believe the coach that comes in has got a really good chance of winning and we deserve the best one that’s out there.”Lee Carsley appears to admit staggeringly short amount of time England practised bold new tactic before Greece shockerHe will lead the team against FinlandCredit: GettyEngland’s shocking stats against GreeceHere are the shocking stats that were set in England’s defeat to Greece…- Lowest ranked side to beat England in a competitive match in 19 years.- The lowest-ranked side ever beat England on home soil.- Greece had never beaten England in their history.- Greece had never scored a goal at Wembley before.- Pavlidis’ strikes were his first since June 2022 vs Cyprus.- Bellingham’s 87th-minute equaliser was England’s first shot on target since the third minute (also Bellingham)Carsley also claimed that he is not treating his interim job as an audition with a view to taking the job full time.He added: “Definitely not. I don’t see this as an audition at all.”I see it as simple as I was asked to take the team for three camps, it wasn’t with a view to anything, it was literally do your best try as hard as you can and look after the players and that is what I am doing.”When asked if he would take the job if it was offered to him, Carsley insisted he is just trying to do his best for the team.He said: “It’s hypothetical. I think it’s important that we are in a position where, hopefully, we have had a brilliant campaign.”That will be in a good position going into World Cup qualifying and I would see that as a success.”The revelation follows his comments in which he suggested he was “hopefully” returning to his role with the Under 21s.Carsley has since clarified his statement and suggested that he and his team are aiming to be in a “good position” after their three camps with the senior team.He will be in charge of the team for the Nations League clash against Finland on Sunday.So far, he has won two of his three games, with the only defeat coming against Greece on Thursday.READ MORE SUN STORIESFormer Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has reportedly held talks with the FA over the job.If the German was to land the job with the Three Lions, then he could hand a shock return to the team to at least one player.Thomas Tuchel is believed to have had negotiations over the England jobCredit: GettyEngland player ratings vs GreeceBy Tom BarclayLEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.Jordan Pickford: 4Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.John Stones: 5Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.Levi Colwill: 7Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.Rico Lewis: 6Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.Declan Rice: 6Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.Phil Foden: 4Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective. Cole Palmer: 6Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season. Bukayo Saka: 5Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MANPlayed in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.Anthony Gordon: 5Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.SUBS: Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7Manager Lee Carsley: 4Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again. More

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      Wales promise review after farcical admin blunder sees SIX players ruled out of Euro U21 qualifier

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      MATTY JONES promised a review into the admin blunder that saw SIX Wales Under-21 players ruled out of their Euro qualifier with the Czech Republic.A paperwork error meant only those registered to face Iceland last month could take to the field.Coach Matty Jones spoke about his side’s chances going forwardCredit: AlamyThat meant the likes of Owen Beck and Rubin Colwill were made unavailable just hours before Friday’s costly 2-1 defeat.Wales now need the Czechs to fail to beat Lithuania on Tuesday to secure a play-off place for next summer’s finals.Under-21s boss Jones said: “There will be a review to get to the bottom of it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.“It has caused disruption and unnecessary noise.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS“I think I managed it the best I could but ultimately it’s at the back of your mind and at the back of players’ minds as well.“We know we have the strength in the squad to cater for players when they’ve been missed, when they’ve been good enough to go up to the first team.“Of course everyone wants a Rubin Colwill and Owen Beck in the team but we’ve shown before we can manage without them.“It wasn’t a major concern, but how it came about was disappointing.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS“We will stick together and take the responsibility as a whole.“It’s a ‘we’ problem rather than about pointing fingers.”Top 10 highest-paid Premier League starsWales’ Euros qualiying group Here is the state of play in Group I…1. Germany U-21 – 18pts2. Belgium U-21 – 13pts3. Bosnia and Herzegovina U-21 – 11pts4. Wales U-21 – 9pts5. Moldova U-21 – 7ptsJones also revealed that he was feeling emotional and “really fragile” at the possibility of their Euros campaign ending.The last time the Under-21s last reached the finals was with the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen in 2008.A victory against the Czechs would give them a chance of qualifying.Jones did admit his emotions were “really fragile” at the prospect of the end of a campaign that had impressed and threatened to create history.He said: “My emotions are really fragile because it’s been a lot of hard work for two years, and to see it come to an end like that – even though we’re hanging onto a string – is tough.“We know these teams qualify for major tournaments and do it consistently, we know what it looks like, but we need to know how it feels.“They know how to find a way to qualify and we need to get there.” More

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      Lee Carsley explains surprising ‘hopefully’ comment over England U21s job and answers striker question for Finland clash

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      LEE CARSLEY has explained his surprising “hopefully” comment that suggested he wanted to return to the England U21s.The interim boss of the senior side suffered his first defeat on Thursday when the Three Lions lost to Greece.Lee Carsley has explained his ‘hopefully’ commentCredit: GettyHe made the comment after England’s defeat to GreeceCredit: GettyAfter the loss, Carsley put doubt on his ambition to land the job on a full-time basis.He suggested that he would be “hopefully” returning to the youth side once a permanent boss is appointed.However, the 50-year-old has now explained his use of the word and claimed he and his team are aiming to be in a “good position” at the end of their three camps.He said: “Hopefully is a word and a phrase I use quite a bit.READ MORE ON FOOTBALL”There’s obviously no guarantees in life, including tomorrow.”It’s a job, the under-21s, that I’m really proud of and massively invested in. But I know there are no guarantees.”But the plan is to give this job for three camps the best I can do along with the rest of the staff, and hopefully, we can be in a good position.”The loss to Greece came as Carlsey set his team up to play a tactic that they had only spent 20 MINUTES practising.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSThe visitors became the lowest-ranked side ever to beat England on home soil.Carsley will once again lead the team in the Nations League as they face Finland on Sunday.Lee Carsley appears to admit staggeringly short amount of time England practised bold new tactic before Greece shockerEngland’s shocking stats against GreeceHere are the shocking that stats that were set in England’s defeat to Greece…- Lowest ranked side to beat England in a competitive match in 19 years.- The lowest-ranked side ever beat England on home soil.- Greece had never beaten England in their history.- Greece had never scored a goal at Wembley before.- Pavlidis’ strikes were his first since June 2022 vs Cyprus.- Bellingham’s 87th-minute equaliser was England’s first shot on target since the third minute (also Bellingham).He has demanded a reaction in order to get back support and trust from supporters.He added: “I’m not sure, to be honest. I think it’s important that I’ve got support and trust from the team.”The amount of praise the team and myself got from the first two games was very good, very positive.”We fell below those standards the other night that the players have set for themselves.”The most important thing is a reaction.”You want the public to trust and love the team because the impact that the national team has on the public is very inspiring.”Carsley will be hoping Harry Kane can make his return after missing the loss to Greece.The captain’s absence meant that the team lined up without a recognised striker, as Jude Bellingham played as a false nine.Carsley has admitted that he will revert to a more traditional side against Finland.He said: “It’s something that I’ll look back on in two-three months and be better for it.”I wanted to give this job my best shot for the three camps. I didn’t want to have any regrets.READ MORE SUN STORIES”I think it’s important that we do try something different at times and I think I’ll be a better coach for that.”But I think we’ll be a bit more conventional tomorrow night.”England player ratings vs GreeceBy Tom BarclayLEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.Jordan Pickford: 4Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.John Stones: 5Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.Levi Colwill: 7Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.Rico Lewis: 6Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.Declan Rice: 6Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.Phil Foden: 4Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective. Cole Palmer: 6Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season. Bukayo Saka: 5Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MANPlayed in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.Anthony Gordon: 5Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.SUBS: Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7Manager Lee Carsley: 4Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again. More

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      How England could line up under Thomas Tuchel with brand new formation and return for forgotten man

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      ENGLAND could be set for a new look team should Thomas Tuchel be appointed as manager.The German is reportedly in negotiations with the FA over the role vacated by Gareth Southgate earlier this year.Thomas Tuchel is reportedly in talks to become the next England managerCredit: GettyHe could offer a recall to Mason Mount should he be appointedCredit: GettyRuben Loftus-Cheek could be given another chance in a England shirtCredit: GettyThe Three Lions are currently under the charge of interim boss Lee Carsley, who has won two of his three games.Last time out, though, England were uninspiring and humbled by Greece 2-1 at Wembley.Carsley experimented with his team due to Harry Kane’s absence but could not get a tune out of his attacking line-up, whch included Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, with Cole Palmer behind them.Tuchel, however, could opt for a very different style to the interim boss should he be appointed.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager usually uses a 3-4-3 formation, which could provide an opportunity for one forgotten star.Mason Mount has not been involved in the England set-up since the World Cup in 2022.However, he enjoyed his most successful spell under Tuchel while the pair were at Stamford Bridge.While playing under Tuchel, Mount scored 19 goals in 87 appearances in all competitions and won the Champions League in 2021.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSShould Tuchel land the England job, then he could get the best out of Mount for the national team.However, the midfielder would need to bounce back and improve his form at Manchester United, having missed a lot of football due to injury since joining the club.Lee Carsley’s slip of the tongue after Greece nightmare hints he wants England U21s job back and not replace SouthgateBen Chilwell could return to the England teamCredit: AlamyTuchel could reinstate Eric Dier to the Three Lions’ backlineCredit: GettyMount’s reintroduction could be the first of former England players to get another crack at the whip on the international stage.Although if Mount returns then it could be in the place of Phil Foden or Cole Palmer.Tuchel could also offer lifelines to other previously capped players such as Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Eric Dier.Luke Shaw is considered the nation’s best left-back, but due to his injury struggles Tuchel could opt for Chilwell in his place.The full-back starred for the German during his time at Stamford Bridge and has already earned 21 caps for England.Loftus-Cheek could come back into the team to partner Declan Rice in the midfield.The midfielder has excelled since his move to AC Milan, scoring ten goals in his 48 appearances.The Three Lions have struggled to find a partner for Rice, with Kobbie Mainoo, Adam Wharton and Angel Gomes all being given chances.Dier played for Tuchel at Bayern Munich as part of a back-three last season.The defender did enough to convince the club to make his loan move permanent after he had fallen out of favour at Tottenham.Reece James could also be a beneficiary of Tuchel’s potential appointment.Should the Chelsea star regain his fitness, then he would certainly be a shoo-in over Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold in the right-wing-back role.Tuchel has also often used a 4-2-3-1 formation during his time as a manager.READ MORE SUN STORIESThis could see the likes of Mount, Dier, Chilwell and James keep their spots in the team but in more traditional roles.Dier could be used in the pivot alongside Rice, while James and Chilwell could line up a back four.Reece James excelled under TuchelCredit: APEngland player ratings vs GreeceBy Tom BarclayLEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.Jordan Pickford: 4Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.John Stones: 5Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.Levi Colwill: 7Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.Rico Lewis: 6Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.Declan Rice: 6Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.Phil Foden: 4Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective. Cole Palmer: 6Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season. Bukayo Saka: 5Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MANPlayed in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.Anthony Gordon: 5Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.SUBS: Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7Manager Lee Carsley: 4Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again. More