- Lee Carsley can return to the starting line-up during Bukayo Saka’s absence against Finland
- Carsley has the option to use Phil Foden or Cole Palmer out wide
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If you love football, you can’t help but love Bukayo Saka, no matter which team you support.
At 6ft 6in, Saka isn’t the biggest figure, but he has such great strength on the ball under pressure and the ability to roll defenders and win free-kicks.
One of his biggest weapons is his ability to go both ways: he likes to go out as much as he likes to go in. Left-footed players who are comfortable on their right foot, like Saka, are a collector’s item and it gives his opponent something extra to think about.
His discipline also impresses me. Saka isn’t tempted to look for the ball when he goes through a quiet period of the game where he no longer has serve.
He ignores the urge to move into midfield or into the number 10 role to get the ball, and sticks to his position. He knows he is most dangerous on the flanks and his incredible numbers in front of goal confirm that mentality. Saka is so reliable with his end product and his numbers when it comes to goals and assists are always among the best.
England winger Bukayo Saka is a great player but will be absent against Finland due to injury
It was a shame to see him hobble off the Wembley pitch on Thursday night clutching the back of his leg, but I’d be more concerned if I were Mikel Arteta and Arsenal than Lee Carsley and England.
It is well documented how Carsley is blessed with great options in attack. It’s a little trickier for Arsenal to fill that void, although I think Gabriel Jesus could be an ideal interim solution as some of his best performances in a Manchester City shirt have come on the right.
When it comes to England, Phil Foden or Cole Palmer would be more than capable of replacing Saka’s position on the right against Finland. Both have played with distinction for their clubs in that position.
Sunday is all about back to basics for England. What Carsley did on Thursday, by playing players in positions they don’t know, was a huge risk and one that ultimately backfired.
Many people had clamored for both him and Gareth Southgate to get Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Saka in the same team, but it just didn’t work. Instead, Carsley must return to the blueprint he used in his first two games in charge.
Lee Carsley’s experiment against Greece didn’t work, but he has a chance to put things right
With Saka out, Carsley could start Phil Foden or Cole Palmer on the right wing
The match against Finland is a great opportunity for Carsley and England to come back
Fitting Jude Bellingham, Saka, Foden and Palmer into the same team caused problems
Against Ireland, a left-footer played as a left back, two midfielders played in midfield, a number 10 played as a ten and a striker played as a striker. As ridiculous as that sounds, it gives you balance and that’s why I expect Carsley to go back to what he knows against the Finns. If that means upsetting one or two superstars because he can’t fit them all into the team, then so be it.
We shouldn’t be too hard on Carsley for being rude to Greece. He is still in the early stages of his career as a manager and sometimes you only know if something will work if you try it. But what you can criticize him for is not turning things around at half-time, when it was clear England were in trouble.
I don’t think Carsley helped himself after the game either, as he hit a dead end with comments about his return to Under-21 management. It can be difficult to face the media after defeat, but England fans are waiting to be convinced and those comments are raising doubts in people’s minds about whether he is the right man for the job.
Sunday is a great opportunity for England and Carsley to bounce back quickly. That’s a luxury you don’t always get in international football, where you can sometimes go months between matches. An energy-packed performance with England’s creative stars getting on the ball, running the show and scoring goals would be a good way to put the Greek nightmare to bed.
