England interim boss Lee Carsley vowed his side will stay on the attack after his impressive debut when they face Finland in the Nations League on Tuesday.
Carsley’s team marked his first game in charge with an eye-catching display in its 2-0 win against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
Promoted from his role as England Under-21 coach on a temporary basis after Gareth Southgate resigned following the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain in July, Carsley is preparing for his first taste of managing the Three Lions at Wembley.
After goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish rewarded England for its imaginative performance last weekend, Carsley expects another enterprising display against the lowest ranked side in Group B2.
“I still want to see us playing with that control. I think it’s important that we’re exciting to watch,” he told reporters on Monday.
“I think when fans come to watch England play at home they expect attacking football, they expect chances to be created and to play with a tempo and us to be on the ball.
“So, yeah, I wouldn’t see that being any different (on Tuesday).”
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England’s bold game-plan against Ireland was a far cry from the staid unit that stumbled into the Euro 2024 final despite Southgate’s conversative tactics.
However, former Everton midfielder Carsley, who played 40 times for Ireland, caused controversy with his decision not to sing ‘God save the King’ in Dublin.
Although he risks alienating the more patriotic section of England’s fanbase with his anthem stance, another dynamic show against Finland will help smooth over the row.
“It was a really proud moment the other day to be on the sideline, and another great night hopefully for the players on Tuesday night,” he said.
“Really looking forward to the game. We’ve had another couple of good sessions since the last match, so I’m excited by it.
“We’ll make two or three changes, freshen the team up a little bit. But what I’ve noticed with this group is how motivated they are to do well.
“We should really look forward to playing at home, especially at Wembley, on a pitch like that, in a venue like that, so, yeah, looking forward to the game.”
Angel Gomes and Morgan Gibbs-White are pushing for their first England starts having made debuts as substitutes against Ireland, while uncapped Noni Madueke and Tino Livramento hope to make their first appearances.
“I think that they’ve all got a chance of playing,” Carsley said. “I think the level that the players have trained at puts everyone in with the chance of getting minutes or starting the game.
“We’ve been very fortunate this week that having lost the three lads (Ollie Watkins, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden) quite early, we were lucky to keep everyone else fit and ready for action.”
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