The next full-time England coach remains unknown, but (temporary) incumbent Lee Carsley ended a mixed international break with a 3-1 away win over Finland in the Nations League in October.

After assembling a line-up full of attacking players but lacking structure for Thursday’s 2-1 home defeat to Greece, Carsley returned the fit-again Harry Kane to the top spot in Helsinki alongside a series of substitutions at Wembley back. Angel Gomes impressed in midfield and played a crucial role in Jack Grealish’s opener, while Trent Alexander-Arnold was deployed at left-back and ended up scoring a lovely free-kick.

Phil Foden’s absence was notable. What does this mean for his future role in the team? And those of Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham and Grealish, who all started the game?

Jack Pitt-Brooke and Tim Spiers explain what this result and performance means.

How important is Gomes in two games?

It was worth remembering that this was only Gomes’ second appearance for the England senior team, as over the course of Carsley’s short tenure the 24-year-old midfielder has become an integral part of the interim manager’s style of play.

They missed him sorely against Greece as no one supported Declan Rice in defense and no one helped keep the ball. Carsley admitted before this game that England needed to do the latter better in higher areas of the pitch, and who better to help with that than Gomes?

Everything England did here flowed through the Manchester United academy graduate, now playing for Lille in France’s top flight, who constantly pointed for the ball, received it on the half-turn and played deft passes to his teammates.

Gomes scored Grealish’s opener in his best moment ever (see below).

He takes a ball from Alexander-Arnold, turns and hits a perfect little pass to the Manchester City man in space to score.

Most importantly, Gomes made the whole idea work.

If you want to play structured, possession-based football, you need someone who can hold the ball, if only to help his teammates get into position, and provide the organization they need with and without the ball. Gomes offers this better than anyone.

Jack Pitt Brooke

What does Grealish’s selection mean for Foden?

Based on Carsley’s computerized approach to Thursday’s game – he threw all of his best attackers onto the field and hoped for the best – this was far more structurally orthodox.

Foden was left out/rested – a decision that was hard to argue with, considering whether he was ahead of Palmer, the best player in English football, on the right, or ahead of Bellingham, who plays Kane in the middle anyone should be selected on the left given Foden’s completely disappointing performances there at the European Championships in the summer.

Grealish was given this spot and took advantage of it as he slipped in and scored the first goal of the night (see above).

(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

It was a very City performance from Grealish, who completed all 29 passes in the first half, not crossing the ball once and not picking up a single player. City manager Pep Guardiola’s influence on this England team is huge – the FA might as well give him the job.

As for Foden, the man who has never made himself indispensable to England, you would still be hard-pressed to see where he fits in the eleven given England’s plethora of options at right-wing forward, even if Palmer had an anonymous evening here had.

Tim Spiers

Where is the best place to play Alexander-Arnold?

Alexander-Arnold’s performance summed up the good and the bad for England in this game.

Last year, then head coach Gareth Southgate experimented with Alexander-Arnold in central midfield for the first time against weaker opponents. Against Malta and North Macedonia it worked as you would expect from a player with his technical ability, but not later at the European Championships.

Here the Liverpool player was used as an inverted left-back for the first time in his professional career (according to position data from Transfermarkt). How did he fare? Well, pretty much as you would expect; He was useful going forward, he combined well with his good mate Bellingham, he helped set up the opening goal with a positive move and pass to Gomes and in the second half he scored a great free-kick to double the lead (see below). .

But defensively, as one would have expected from Alexander-Arnold – not least because he played a foreign role – he was poor. He gave the ball away, it was blocked while clearing in his own penalty area or he was hit over the head by diagonal shots. Finland targeted him and were rewarded with some good chances.

England were better defensively than against Greece, but, as in the short period after Southgate, missed far too many chances against below-average opponents. Carsley is more aggressive than his predecessor, but this problem seems to stem more from individual errors than a cocky approach.

Trent secures the bag :moneybag::joy:#FINENG pic.twitter.com/FCdWB4pS4U

– Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 13, 2024

As for Alexander-Arnold at left-back, it’s not something that would work long-term; either he or Kyle Walker must play on the right.

The experiment once again highlighted England’s alarming lack of left-back options: Luke Shaw was unfit, Ben Chilwell did not play for Chelsea, Levi Colwill was better at centre-back and Rico Lewis was a promising but unsuitable option.

Tyrick Mitchell or Rico Henry, anyone? Can England’s left-backs please get in touch?

Tim Spiers

Lack of Saka, lack of pace

Although this team felt more balanced than the team that played Greece, it wasn’t quite there yet. There was more control, but less speed.

Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon were eliminated and England now had three No. 10s behind Kane. Despite having excellent possession in the Finnish half, they struggled to advance the ball quickly.

It wasn’t until midway through the second half that Ollie Watkins and Noni Madueke arrived to add some dynamism to England’s attacking game. From that point on they improved: Madueke should have scored twice and Watkins set up England’s third goal for Rice after bursting down the left. But it made you think that the balance isn’t quite right here – yet.

If Saka is fit, he will be back in action for the second leg against Greece next month. But Carsley will be wondering whether he needs even more pace to stop his team getting stuck in the middle of the pitch.

Jack Pitt Brooke

What’s next for England?

Thursday, November 14th: Greece (A), Nations League, 7:45 p.m. GMT, 2:45 p.m. ET

Recommended reading

(Top photo: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)