The Republic of Ireland host England in Dublin on Matchday 1 of the 2024/25 Nations League.
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It was another summer of disappointment for England. For the second consecutive European Championship, the Three Lions reached the final. But that was where their run ended.
The score was tight, with Spain winning 2-1 in Berlin, but in truth England were second from start to finish.
Looking at the tournament as a whole, it would have been unfair for the Three Lions to lift the trophy over an excellent Spain side. England have barely managed to produce a good 90-minute performance throughout the summer, having been disappointing in the group stage before beating Slovakia, Switzerland and the Netherlands in the round of 16.
Despite all this, Gareth Southgate has decided to step down in a cruel way. The long-serving manager announced his decision to step down just days after the final, having been in charge for eight years.
In 2016, expectations were low, but Southgate has exceeded them and then some. A World Cup semi-final and two European Championship finals was more than anyone could have hoped for at the time.
However, England ultimately failed to win a trophy despite having a hugely talented group of players and relatively favourable draws.
The focus now turns to the future. England will be aiming to go all the way to the 2026 World Cup, but before that they will have to decide who will lead them all the way. Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and, more ambitiously, Pep Guardiola are among the contenders according to the bookmakers.
For now, Lee Carsley has been appointed on an interim basis. He will likely be in charge for the duration of the Nations League, which runs until November. Of course, if the FA start to run out of options, the former Under-21s coach could put himself in a position to qualify.
The problem for Carsley is that he will not face top-flight opposition after England’s relegation to League B of the Nations League. Finishing top of a group that includes the Republic of Ireland, Finland and Greece would not necessarily set hearts racing. England’s absence from League A also means they will not be able to lift the trophy.
1
England will look to start the post-Gareth Southgate era with victory against the Republic of Ireland.
The Republic of Ireland also have a new coach heading into this international break. After a long wait to choose a successor to Stephen Kenny, Heimir Hallgrimsson was presented in July.
Hallgrimsson was one of the co-coaches of his native Iceland when the small nation reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, beating England along the way.
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He has inherited a difficult position as Ireland manager after years of decline, and in this game at least Hallgrimsson will set his team up to avoid defeat above all else.
It will be difficult to keep England at bay for the duration of this competition given the players at Carsley’s disposal.
But England have not been particularly quick at the start of Euro 2024, so Ireland may well be able to stay with them until half-time.
⚽ Pick a half-time draw and an England win at full-time at 3/1 with Betfred ⚽
Ireland have used both a three-man and a four-man defence under the aforementioned Kenny, and it will be interesting to see which system Hallgrimsson opts for in this one.
The biggest problem for Ireland is at the other end of the pitch. Creativity has been sorely lacking for some time now, while attacking hopeful Evan Ferguson has not featured much for Brighton & Hove Albion in the last 12 months.
There is hope that Sammie Szmodics, who was prolific for Blackburn Rovers last season, can make an impact but all things considered England should keep a clean sheet on Saturday.
Defensive solidity was one of their strengths under Southgate and that should remain the case under Carsley.
Marc Guehi and John Stones have now formed a relationship in central defence, while Harry Maguire is back in the squad after injury.
⚽ Bet on a clean sheet England win at 23/20 with Betfred ⚽
Harry Kane is set to make his 100th England appearance next week against Finland. For now, his focus will be on the Ireland game.
Kane was far from living up to his own standards at the European Championship, but that was mainly because he was not fully fit.
Now that the Bayern Munich forward has regained his composure and recovered from a back problem, there is no question of leaving him out of the squad that will face Ireland.
Kane is a hugely reliable goalscorer for club and country, and we like his chances of scoring a record 67th goal for England in this game.
⚽ Predict Harry Kane to score anytime at 21/20 with Betfred ⚽
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist based in London. He mainly covers the Premier League and his articles have appeared in the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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