Two new managerial reigns commence at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium today evening when Lee Carsley’s England @ 1.54 ODDS pit their wits against Heimir Hallgrimsson’s Republic of Ireland @ 7.71 ODDS in the UEFA Nations League.
The two near neighbors clash in League B Group 2, where Finland and Greece are also vying for promotion to the top tier of the continental competition
Unable to get the senior men to follow in the footsteps of the 2022 women’s luminaries and 2023 Under-21s heroes – led by none other than Carsley himself – Gareth Southgate’s unforgettable England reign came to its natural end after another excruciating silver-medal placement at Euro 2024.
Many were perplexed at England reaching the showpiece match in the first place, having witnessed Southgate’s lethargic and lackadaisical side flatter to deceive throughout the tournament, but another shot at international supremacy ultimately went begging at the hands of Luis de la Fuente’s irrepressible Spain.
Handing the reins over to a temporary or permanent successor following almost eight years at the FA helm, Southgate kept the manager’s chair warm for Carsley, who has been appointed on an initial interim basis as the governing body scope out potential long-term options; Pep Guardiola’s name has been mentioned a few times.
Of course, Southgate was appointed on a stop-gap basis before convincing the FA that he merited a permanent contract, and Carsley was inevitably flooded with questions about whether he wanted the job beyond the autumn term after naming his first youthful squad.
Storming back into the first tier of the Nations League – which England were embarrassingly relegated from in 2022-23 – would be the perfect start to such a mission, as the Three Lions also prepare to welcome Finland to Wembley three days after Tuesday’s Dublin duel.
Carsley’s imminent inauguration has certainly overshadowed a second managerial baptism taking place at the Aviva Stadium, as hosts Ireland have turned to former Iceland and Jamaica manager Heimir Hallgrimsson to restore a sense of national pride.
The 57-year-old takes the reins as a permanent successor to Stephen Kenny, who failed miserably in his efforts to end Ireland’s post-Euro 2016 major tournament exile, only winning 11 of his 40 matches while in charge of the Boys in Green.
Following John O’Shea’s mixed interim spell earlier in the year, where Ireland beat Hungary and impressively drew with Belgium while losing to Switzerland and Portugal, Hallgrimsson was sworn in after his brief spell at the Jamaica helm, where he oversaw the Reggae Boyz’s underwhelming Copa America campaign.
Part of Lars Lagerback’s Iceland coaching team at Euro 2016, where the Nordic nation inflicted one of England’s most humiliating defeats ever upon them, Hallgrimsson takes over an Ireland crop who boast just two wins from their last 10 contests, while failing to score in three of their last four.
The 57-year-old will at least enjoy a Dublin double-header for his Ireland baptism – Greece arrives at the Aviva Stadium on September 10 – but the Boys in Green have not prevailed over England since the 1988 Euros, drawing their next six battles before the Three Lions put three past them in a 2020 friendly.
Republic of Ireland form (all competitions):
LDDLWL
England form (all competitions):
DDWWWL
We say: Republic of Ireland 0-3 England
Under previous management, Ireland and England loved a stalemate against one another, until the Three Lions broke that streak with a victory they may very well replicate at the Aviva Stadium.
Even with the likes of Bellingham, Foden, and Palmer missing, England have enough attacking nous to breach the Ireland backline more than once, and the hosts do not pack much of a punch up front themselves, so it is Carsley’s reign that should get off to the best possible start.