- England travel to Athens where they will face Greece in the Nations League
- Thomas Tuchel will not take over from Lee Carsley until early next year
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No players, no Tuchel, no point. That would be an understandable way to characterize England’s trip to play Greece here in the Nations League on Thursday evening.
Why is Thomas Tuchel – the new England manager – not yet in position? Why doesn’t he travel to Athens to watch this match? And can we really be surprised that we’ve witnessed an unprecedented number of squad withdrawals following the weekend’s action?
Why bother turning up when all the subliminal messages from the FA’s strange Gareth Southgate succession plan suggest the new manager can’t be bothered to do just that?
It is in this atmosphere, and with these questions in the air, that interim boss Lee Carsley arrives here on Wednesday. It is difficult to remember such a meeting in England. Eight players invited by Carsley last week have declared themselves unavailable, making up almost a third of the squad.
The game matters, as it happens. All international matches matter to some degree, and this includes Carsley – who will be looking to get revenge for Greece’s humiliation of his team at Wembley last month – and Tuchel when it comes to how his opening games will look look like when he finally comes to power. January 1.
Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has been named England’s next permanent coach
Lee Carsley’s side travel to Athens to avenge their defeat to Greece earlier this year
If England recover from that dreadful night against Greece and finish top of the Nations League group, Tuchel’s first matches in March will be World Cup qualifiers or friendlies, depending on the size of the England group at the time of the qualifying round for USA 2026 takes place. on December 13.
If England finish second in this Nations League stage, their March dates will include a two-match play-off, offering a final chance to return to Pool A of this particular competition.
So yes, what happens here on Thursday and at Wembley when Carsley ends his spell in charge with a game against Ireland does indeed matter.
It’s just that it doesn’t feel remotely that way, and that’s on the FA and Tuchel.
The reasons for the German’s absence remain unclear. The FA were vague about it when Tuchel was unveiled last month, saying it only suited Tuchel and allowed them to fulfill their six-match deal with Carsley.
But honestly, who cares about that? Carsley is an FA employee and should pretty much do whatever he is asked. And he would anyway. He’s that kind of guy. If it suits England and the FA for him to quit two games earlier than planned, then that should happen without any doubt.
So why isn’t he? Suggestions continue to swirl in Germany that Tuchel cannot work until January under the terms agreed with Bayern Munich when he left the club last spring. But when asked in October if there were ‘reasons other than those’ why Tuchel could not return to work immediately, the FA said there were none. So make of it what you will.
As to why Tuchel won’t even be in Athens to watch on Sunday, or even at Wembley, heaven knows. Is he afraid of upsetting Carsley? Unlikely. Is he afraid of provoking Bayern’s lawyers? If so, he should buy a ticket and sit in the crowd.
England now travel to Athens after eight players did not make themselves available for the games
England’s performance against Greece at Wembley was so messy it was a headache
England can still finish top of the group by beating both Greece and Ireland
The coming matches are of great importance for Carsley, who wants to end his period as interim boss on a high note
None of that makes sense, and it makes England’s claim that winning the next World Cup is their top priority seem a little hollow.
So feel sorry for Carsley and the players who have to try to sort things out here at the Olympic Stadium. England lost to Greece thanks to Carsley’s muddled tactics, his only real misstep on the pitch since taking over from Southgate. That was Jude Bellingham’s night on false nine and a performance so messy it gives me a headache just thinking about it.
But Greece also showed with the victory that they are not sulks, despite their FIFA ranking of 42. They will also be very motivated. Winning this group would increase their self-esteem and promotion to Pool A would earn them money. The Greeks also have the advantage of knowing that the guy in the dugout is actually their manager.
Things like that often help.