What is Lee Carsley’s current situation with England and who could replace Gareth Southgate permanently?

Gareth Southgate’s reign over England is over and Lee Carsley is set to begin his spell as caretaker boss of the Three Lions.

The former Everton player has been promoted from his role as Under-21 coach to take temporary charge of the senior team.

As Under-21 coach he won the European Championship and knows many of the players in that team.

Of course, he hopes to follow the same path as Southgate, from Under-21s manager to senior manager, but that is not certain.

He will need to impress the FA and the English public in the upcoming games, starting with the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League, live on talkSPORT this afternoon.

From here, the future is uncertain.

What is Lee Carsley’s current situation?

As things stand, Carsley is England’s caretaker manager.

He was appointed in August 2024 and will hold the position for an indefinite period.

In England’s official statement, they confirmed that Carsley would be in charge of two games against Ireland and Finland.

They have, however, indicated that he could potentially stay throughout the autumn for the international matches in October and November as well.

When it was announced that he was taking on the role, he said: “It’s an honour to take over and lead this England team on an interim basis.

“As I know the players and the international football cycle very well, it makes sense that I will guide the team while the FA continues the process of recruiting a new manager.

“My main priority is to ensure continuity and our objective is to achieve promotion to the UEFA Nations League.”

At no point did he or the FA mention the possibility of becoming permanent manager of the England senior team.

However, if he plays well and the FA decide to stick with continuity, he has a chance.

There are already reports that he has player support, which could be significant.

But he sparked controversy by announcing he would not sing the national anthem.

But as long as he allows England to play well, it shouldn’t matter.

Who could replace Southgate permanently?

We’ve already discussed Carsely’s chances, but let’s look at the other contenders…

Eddie Howe

If the England manager is to be English, then Eddie Howe is the ideal candidate.

Although he is yet to win a major trophy as a manager, he has proven at Bournemouth and Newcastle that he is a top-class coach.

With the Cherries, Howe took the club from near extinction in League Two to the Premier League in two spells.

Once in the First Division, Bournemouth remained there for five seasons before being demoted.

He then took a year off before getting the job at Newcastle, where he saved the Toons from relegation and helped them finish fourth within a season and a half.

Howe always builds strong relationships with his players, while tactically he has proven he is capable of beating the best.

The hardest part would be getting him to leave Newcastle as he has a long contract and the Magpies would not want to lose him, but after board changes and a disappointing transfer window, Howe’s future on Tyneside does not look as secure as it once did.

Graham Potter

If Howe is uncontactable or the FA decide not to pay compensation, Graham Potter is another good option.

The England manager is currently without a job after being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.

It was a difficult time in Potter’s career, but apart from that spell at Stamford Bridge he is largely impressed.

Tactically, the former Brighton boss is one of the best and managed to get the Seagulls playing some beautiful football during his time at the Amex.

Potter gradually built his reputation with Ostersunds in Sweden before taking the job at Swansea and then moving to Brighton.

Chelsea thought he could be the man to get them back to the top, but it wasn’t to be.

However, after turning down several opportunities, you would think he would jump at the chance to manage England.

Pep Guardiola

The FA want their manager to be English, but reports have also linked them with an audacious move for Pep Guardiola.

This could well be the Spaniard’s final season at Manchester City after what would be an incredible nine years.

He has won trophies and tournaments at every club he has played for and is the best manager in world football.

He has yet to get the chance to play at international level, but if England are to end their trophy drought there is literally no one better, and he has not ruled out the possibility.

Guardiola lives and breathes silverware, but this could be an incredibly difficult appointment to achieve.