Lee Carsley’s tinkering against Greece worked much better the second time around as his ‘huge call’ was vindicated and Thomas Tuchel had a headache…

A characteristic of Lee Carsley‘s interim stint as England manager is that he fearlessly made bold changes and training decisions.

This was to his detriment during last month’s international break, as his use of a fluid five-man attacking frontline backfired. England’s 2-1 home defeat to a pumped-up GreeceWHO should won more comfortably.

Sure he is about to return to his little job with the U21s, Carsley experimented again EnglandThe match to win against Greece, at the top of the ranking, on Thursday evening.

This time around, his hand was largely forced when he named an inexperienced starting XI after there was a wave of withdrawals – which Thomas Tuchel was NOT responsible for – with a host of his key players ‘injured’.

England’s new XI against Greece was rightly thought to include Harry Kane, but Carsley – his friends call him Mr Tinkerer – named the Bayern Munich striker on the bench and started Ollie Watkins in a “huge call” unnecessarily judged “extraordinary” by Aerial sports journalist Rob Dorsett.

The timing of this change was confusing, especially after Kane’s “strange” decision – as Roy Keane called him – to » calls his teammates who withdrew from Carsley’s final team.

It was a change demanded at Euro 2024 as England carried an ineffective Kane, which seemed to deal some sort of blow.

But in Kane’s defense, former boss Gareth Southgate – who clearly remains on the striker’s Christmas card list – failed to exploit the leggy 31-year-old’s strengths as England were lacking cruelly in pace and width at Euro 2024.

This problem has been changed by Carsley, who has given Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon plenty of playing time during recent international breaks.

The Chelsea and Newcastle United pair started in a hostile Athenian environment and had plenty of joy down the flanks whilst being found all too easily by Jude Bellingham, who was having great fun dictating play in the middle of the park.

Madueke and Gordon were immediately beaten by their opposition full-backs and with Kane being rested, it was Watkins who took advantage.

READ: England player ratings: Bellingham returns to his best in 3-0 win over Greece

From the kick-off England were more balanced than in their last match against Greece and the front four, Watkins, Bellingham, Madueke and Gordon, combined well.

It took England just seven minutes to break Greece open and break the deadlock. A sublime reverse pass from Bellingham allowed Madueke to silence the jeers of the home crowd by advancing in the penalty period to cut the ball back to Watkins, who held his position well in the penalty area and converted past Odysseas Vlachodimos.

This silenced a typically whiny Lee Dixon, who had spent the first few minutes jointly commenting on the importance of Kane warming up the bench.

While Sam Matterface delivered his usual idiotic take after Watkins found the net, saying: “That’s why he’s in the team.” Yes, because this particularly Kane goal would certainly not have been scored by the Bayern man. ITV really backed the bad lead commentator.

READ: A step-by-step guide to showing Harry Kane scored zero goals for England

Greece would probably have been licking their lips at the sight of England’s starting XI, but – apart from a 15-minute period when they were under pressure – the visitors performed well in the first half. time and showed another side of their game in the latter stages by maintaining their possession to eliminate the advantage of the match.

However, the longer the scoreline remained uncomfortably 1-0, England risked further pressure from the growing enthusiasm and decibels in the stands.

This proved to be the case as Greece pushed England deep into their own half and forced Pickford to save his side on a couple of occasions.

As is usually the case with early season international breaks, there has been very little enthusiasm in the run-up to England’s matches, as most football fans would prefer to concentrate on the game. appropriate football in the Premier League.

The Nations League isn’t the most coveted competition, but it’s a great compromise for inconsequential friendlies and the legitimate risk of this match made it more entertaining than it had any right to be.

This site is far from Dixon’s biggest fan and as mentioned, he wasn’t perfect tonight. But he was right to point out that at 1-0, each team needed a goal and not to concede to take control of the group.

This was evident in the development of an increasingly nervy match, but England withstood the pressure and struck on the counter-attack to take the match from Greece.

In the 78th minute, an English breakaway led by Jude Bellingham allowed the Real Madrid player to hit the post from the edge of the area. Fortunately for the Three Lions and unfortunately for Vlachodimos, the ball bounced off the helpless goalkeeper and into the net.

Their third goal of the evening was much more enjoyable to watch. Carsley’s use of his U21 stars was vindicated by a superb assist from substitute Morgan Gibbs-White. Liverpool’s Curtis Jones – who had been one of England’s weakest players that evening – audaciously backheeled the ball into the bottom corner.

In the context of the group, the third English could be vital. The new league leaders are level on points with Greece but have a goal difference of three goals ahead of their home final against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.

Did the 3-0 flatter England? Somewhat. But it was a much improved performance from their last outing against Greece in a system with more matches than the failed 4-2-4 at Wembley.

The England team will once again be significantly changed for Thomas Tuchel’s first match, but Carsley’s replacements have largely given a good account of themselves.

Madueke gave the new boss something to think about on the right, Bellingham was back to his best in action, true left-footed left-back Lewis Hall impressed off the bench and is a shoo-in to go forward and Watkins produced a Kane style. finish showing “why he’s on the team”, apparently.