Interim head coach of the England national football team, Lee Carsley, has expressed disappointment following his team’s 2-1 loss to Greece on Thursday. The defeat came during a UEFA Nations League match at Wembley Stadium in London.
Carsley, who took charge after the resignation of former coach Gareth Southgate, admitted that England struggled throughout the game. He acknowledged that Greece was the better team on the night.
The match saw Greece take the lead with a goal from Vangelis Pavlidis. Though Jude Bellingham equalized for England, Pavlidis scored a late winner, securing all three points for Greece.
Speaking to ITV after the match, Carsley reflected on England’s performance, saying, “I think we were probably second best for much of the game… it’s disappointing.” He also pointed out that both goals conceded were due to mistakes.
He continued, “You’re going to face setbacks… it’s important we respond well against Finland. We tried a new strategy by overloading the midfield, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”
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Carsley also emphasized the need for England to take risks and learn from this experience, adding, “Even at 1-1, we were quite fortunate. When you have someone like Harry Kane, you tend to rely on his quality, but in the future, we need the courage to try different things.”
On the other side, Greece’s head coach, Ivan Jovanovic, attributed their victory to the emotional inspiration the team drew from the recent passing of former Greek defender George Baldock. Baldock tragically passed away in Greece just a day before the match.
Jovanovic said, “At moments like these, football takes a back seat. George Baldock left a lasting impact on the team, and that was reflected in the way the players performed today.”
Baldock, born in the United Kingdom, made 12 international appearances for Greece before his sudden death. His influence on the team was clear, and Jovanovic stressed that his memory played a role in their determined performance.
England will look to bounce back in their next Nations League match against Finland, while Greece celebrates an emotional and hard-fought win.
