Lee Carsley (50) will make his debut on the bench of “proud Albion” against Ireland’s great rival. He took over England after leaving Garetha Southgatea who played in two finals of the European Championship with the national team, but did not win a gold medal.
The game against Ireland will be the first of six in which the new manager will try to prove himself as the true successor to Southgate. However, Carsley is moreć before his debut caused the anger of the fansč. Namely, the new coach confirmed that he will not sing the anthem “God Save the King” before the match in Dublin.
He cited focus on the match as the reason. Carsley was born in Birmingham, a city in central England, but represented the Republic of Ireland at national level.
“Singing the national anthem was always a challenge for me when I was playing for Ireland,” he said.
– The gap between the warm-up, going on the field and the delay with the anthems. It’s something I’ve never done. I was always very focused on the game and my first actions in the match. I really tried to stay composed during that period so my mind wouldn’t wander. I fully respect both anthems and understand how much they mean to both countries – he added.
As reported by the English media, such an excuse did not sit well with the fans, who already they call for his departure from the bench.
“Shame! It’s about the tradition he’s trampling”, “He didn’t even lead the team, and he’s even worse than Southgate”, “He’ll destroy his career before it’s actually started”, are just a few from the comments of angry fansča.
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