Advertisement

Lee Carsley’s England: Attackers everywhere, no midfield, bewildered players

kieran crichard
·40-min read
Bellingham at Wembley
Jude Bellingham’s late equaliser was made irrelevant by Greece’s injury-time winner - Getty Images/Ryan Pierse

Who would have predicted Lee Carsley as the architect of one of England’s weirdest-ever nights of humiliation? A Wembley fever dream comprising a team without a theme, a formation that felt like it had been borrowed from another sport and Jordan Pickford freelancing in midfield. There have been some shambles over the years but few quite so surreal.

Carsley’s task was very simple: six Nations League games handed to him by a Football Association hierarchy that seemed keen to ease him quietly into the job on a permanent basis. Nothing in a hitherto solid and unremarkable coaching career suggested he was about to malfunction like this. Attackers everywhere, no midfield, bewildered players pointing at spaces where a team-mate should have been.

Has he blown it? Does he even want it? That is a question the FA will have to answer over the weeks that follow and it beats now with some urgency. An England team have never lost on home soil to an opponent ranked as low as Greece, currently 48th in the Fifa standings. Surely defeat has never been quite so keenly self-inflicted as this and with a squad that reached the final of the European Championship less than three months earlier.

Lee Carsley looks downbeat
Lee Carsley’s adventurous approach led to calamity for England at Wembley - Getty Images/ Robin Jones

If the tactical approach confused the players, the post-match press conference confused everyone else. Carsley appeared to say that he hoped to be going back to the Under-21s job once he had completed these six games. Pressed on whether he wanted the England senior job on a permanent basis he vacillated.

One can sympathise with a man whose mind was evidently still spinning from a sobering night. Cutting through his attempts at diplomacy it would perhaps be fair to say he was just trying to be modest about his own chances. But, sadly, when it came to clarity there was none.

Whither Gareth Southgate? The deposed leader of this England team had earlier in the day proclaimed his desire for an extended period of self-isolation. It felt like Carsley had picked the team that many had demanded of Southgate and Steve Holland amid the bitterness that followed them all the way to the final of Euro 2024. Southgate had his bad nights with England, not least Molineux in 2022. But he would never have lost a game this way at Wembley.

Greece celebrated with Baldock’s shirt

Carsley said after the game that he had tried to be “courageous and creative” with this team. But the outcome was a muddle. He selected a formation that, on the basis of the first half map of average positions taken up, approximated to 2-3-5. He would later toggle, with substitutions, to 4-3-3 and finally to 4-4-2 – having begun the night with no recognised striker.

He started with no strikers but enough attacking talent for two England teams: Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Anthony Gordon. They had two shots on target all night. One from Bellingham in the third minute and another when he equalised in the 87th. The dramatic winner from Vangelis Pavlidis, arriving in the third minute of time added on, was his second of the game, and a memorable end to a great Greek performance.

They were borne along by the emotion at the death of George Baldock, the Buckingham-born, Greek-heritage Greece international. The Greece players celebrated with Baldock’s No 2 shirt, and in reality they might have scored many more before their hero Pavlidis, a 25-year-old striker from Benfica, finally buried his second of the game.

The first half unfolded in extraordinary fashion. Bellingham was a false nine. Dominic Solanke and Ollie Watkins, who would end the game as an old-fashioned striking pair, began on the bench. Declan Rice was left alone in midfield, until eventually Cole Palmer was persuaded to join him reluctantly, as if taking his turn in goal at Monday night five-aside. Palmer is a wonderful player but he does not feel like a natural holding midfielder, especially in a side in which Foden and Bellingham are both unused to those duties.

Greece might have scored three before the break. Levi Colwill dashed back under his crossbar to clear one off the line after Pickford was tackled outside his penalty box. The goalkeeper ended up chasing the ball around like the midfield partner Rice was missing.

Carsley said he had “thought long and hard” about the approach and the players appeared to be doing the same. As for Bellingham’s new role, no one seemed to have mentioned it to Palmer who wanted to play as a conventional No 10 in the same pocket of space. Foden, meanwhile, looked like a man who did not seem to be playing anywhere. He chased a few lost causes. He pressed independently. He often did not get the ball.

Down their right-side England looked vulnerable again and late in the first half, Saka would have to take a booking when the attacker Giorgos Masouras ran in behind him. He and Gordon would both come off in the second half.

He trundled through England’s purported midfield

A wild kind of team – often wide open, and there to be punished if only Greece could take their chances. There were different levels of England performance over the Southgate years but all had the usual robustness of shape and heavy possession count when they played an opponent of this level at Wembley. On this night it felt like England could concede at any moment.

Greece were a tidy side, with West Ham’s Dinos Mavropanos in defence, and the Cardiff City midfielder Manolis Siopis in midfield. Eventually Greece summoned the composure to take a chance.

Less than four minutes into the second half there was a bad clearance and a familiar sequence of errors. First Dinos Koulierakis, a centre-half, trundled through what purported to be the England midfield. Then Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold chose not to offer a challenge on Pavlidis who finished decisively.

Carsley went through three substitutions, including Noni Madueke and three big changes to the formation. But still Greece created chances. Pavlidis scored again, only to have it disallowed for offside on VAR review.

Watkins made Bellingham’s equaliser and there was even time for a winner. So it proved. The night belonged to Greece and Pavlidis – and they deserved it.

10:22 PM BST

Lee Carsley speaking in his press conference

“We never gave ourselves the chance to see if the formation would work. They played well. We were just second best too much tonight. With the players we have we have to be courageous with our systems at times and be creative. I could quite easily have gone with a recognised but it was worth trying. I thought it was time to do something different. I take the blame for that. It did not come off tonight but we should not rule out doing things differently in the future.

“Jude [Bellingham] has a lot of attributes of playing as a nine or ten. It gave us a chance as well of getting Phil [Foden] in as the number ten. It was a case of getting more creative.”

10:17 PM BST

Huge motivation for Greece

10:17 PM BST

Awful night for England

10:15 PM BST

Your reaction

  • Bonzo Dog: “Humiliation by Greece who deserved the win. Didn’t even look like a team. 2 shots on target vs Greece’s 3. Greece had 3 disallowed goals and 1 cleared off the line. Carsley isn’t the England manager in waiting, total dud.”

  • Paul H Wilson: “Surely Lee Carsley was never in contention in the first place. Anyone deluded enough to think that he was ,will surely be now confronting reality.”

  • Jonathan Karmi: “Good news for England as it reduces the likelihood of Carsley being appointed permanently. A good manager would have replaced Foden with Watkins at half time because it was clear that the ‘experiment’ had failed. Also, in my view, Gordon and Lewis aren’t international class. Bowen is a much more effective player who always busts a gut for England. And Lewis simply isn’t a full back. Maybe he’s what used to be known as a midfield utility player. England lacked the selfless movement off the ball and control that Angel Gomes gave them in their previous game.”

  • Chris Beasty: “If this makes Carsley untenable in the England set up then tonight is worth it. There are good coaches that England could go get. We don’t need to settle for another novice with no club pedigree.”

  • Broderick Harper: “Hilarious posts on here. I bet half of them, when Southgate was in charge, were telling us we’ve got attacking players just play em!! We’ve played “em” and the result shows what happened when you have no plan to win the ball back.”

10:11 PM BST

League B Group 2 table

  1. Greece: played three, won three, 9pts, GD +6

  2. England: played three, won two, 6pts, GD +3

  3. Republic of Ireland: played three, won one, 3pts, GD -3

  4. Finland: played three, lost three, 0pts, GD -6

10:04 PM BST

Vangelis Pavlidis talking to ITV

“It was a really special game and we did it for George [Baldock] and his family. More important is the emotion as we are humans. He has been in our thoughts a lot since we heard the news. It was a difficult moment as he was part of the team and a special guy. We have to play for him and the score did not matter.”

The Greece players hold up George Baldock's shirt
Fitting tribute to George Baldock - Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images

10:02 PM BST

The thoughts of Lee Carsley

“We were probably second best for a lot of tonight. It is disappointing. We are going to get setbacks but it is important that we respond well against Finland. We tried something different, overload the midfield. It is something we tried for 20 minutes yesterday and experimented with it today. It did not come off today but maybe it was unrealistic to expect too much. It is a case of trying again.

“It is an option [playing a false nine]. When you have someone of Harry Kane’s quality that rules it out because of the number of goals he gets for us. We tried something tonight and in the future we have to have the courage to try things.

“With the quality we have all of the goals we conceded were from mistakes which is disappointing. Even at 1-1 we were quite fortunate at that point.

“It does not change anything in terms of the permanent job. My remit is to do the three camps.”

Lee Carsley looks on
A damaging night for Carsley’s hopes of the permanent job? - Adam Davy/PA

09:57 PM BST

Doing it for Baldock

England may have been poor tonight but do not let that take away from Greece. They deserved that tonight and that was a fitting tribute to George Baldock.

09:54 PM BST

More of your reactions

  • E Bee: “Sack the manager. With the players he has available we should be very close to a world beating team... But beaten by Greece!!!!!!”

  • Aerial View: “Well deserved result for Greece.”

  • Mark Phillips: “That has to be the end of the Carsley experiment.”

  • Kevin Brettle: “Greece are good. England are garbage.”

  • Hel Han: “It’s the players who are responsible for their own poor performances. Massively overrated and overpaid but woefully outclassed by players who displayed skill, effort, teamwork and determination. The manager cannot be blamed for the inadequacies of young men who have too high an opinion of themselves.”

09:51 PM BST

John Stones speaking to ITV

“I think the best side won. On a personal note I am absolutely gutted; my first time with the armband and to have a result like this is hard to put into words. Yesterday I experienced every emotion, we prepared how we normally do and it did not come off. It is a shame it came on a night like this. We have to give credit to them; from the start they put us under pressure. We found it difficult to play out from the back and play our normal way. They were compact. We were disappointing.

“We worked on playing with a false nine. As Lee [Carsley] said we have to deliver as players. The onus is on us and we did not create enough chances. It is a difficult night. A lot was riding on tonight for me personally. We have to reflect on tonight and look forward.”

09:47 PM BST

Your views

  • Puzzles Subscriber: “An abysmal England performance from a side that is meant to be worth 1.25 billion. They were totally embarrassed by a side worth 10% of England. That is the problem, they are overpaid and useless.”

  • Kevan Gosnell: “England struggling from the beginning. Greece deserved the win because they were better organised, quicker, possession was better and they wanted it so much more. It’s going take a good manager to install some grit and a better defence. We had no back line, ran a fluid midfield but couldn’t do much with it. Blimey, no better than when in the euro final.”

  • Karen Tyler: “Greece were determined to pay a tribute and they did marvellously. Some things are more important than Football.”

  • Gary Moore: “Greece could have had 6! Deserved win! England were a joke.”

  • No Name: “Carsley just failed his job interview - and from the look of him he knows it.”

  • Arthur Pewty: “Correct result. Greece played direct football and deserved the win. England played like……. England.”

  • Ian Jones: “Carsley out.”

09:42 PM BST

Full-time

There is the the final whistle and England lose at home to Greece, who had never scored at Wembley before tonight. A terrible, terrible night for England and Lee Carsley. How damaging will tonight be for his chances of becoming the permanent manager?

The England fans who stayed behind have booed at the final whistle. That was a complete shambles for Lee Carsley, whose gamble on his team and formation backfired badly. England were a mess from start to finish and from back to front. It seems harsh to dismiss his chances of landing the permanent job on one game, but this will do his chances no favours at all. A lot to think about for the Football Association.

09:40 PM BST

90+4 mins: England 1 Greece 2

Madueke goes down wanting a penalty but those appeals are waved away. Looking at the replays that was definitely worth another look. VAR did clear it quite quickly but Rota got none of the ball. Just seconds remaining...

09:39 PM BST

GOAL! Pavlidis surely wins it

That will surely be the winner but was there a foul in there? It is a mad scramble inside the England box and the hosts cannot clear. Lewis goes down, feeling he was fouled. The referee waves play on and that allows Pavlidis to smash home what could be an historic goal. Watching the goal back probably not enough in there to give a foul, especially as nothing was given in live play. Goal stands and Greece are on the verge of a well-deserved victory.

FULLY DESERVED. Greece deserved to win this match. Wild scenes in the press box and in the away end. Can Lee Carsley still get the permanent manager’s job after this? A lot of people will think not.

09:36 PM BST

90+1 mins: England 1 Greece 1

England are calling for a back pass but the referee is having none of it, saying it was accidental.

09:35 PM BST

90 mins: England 1 Greece 1

Five added minutes.

09:35 PM BST

89 mins: England 1 Greece 1

Alexander-Arnold’s cross to the far post finds Madueke, who tries to play the ball across on the stretch but cannot get a good connection and it ends up hitting the side netting.

09:32 PM BST

GOAL! Bellingham equalises

England are level. Alexander-Arnold feeds it forward to Watkins, who pulls it back. It seemingly misses everyone but Bellingham runs onto it at the edge of the box. Vlachodimos gets to it but cannot deny the ball from ending up in the back of the net.

Just as England fans were making for the exits, Jude Bellingham has given those who stayed something to cheer about. That feels harsh on Greece, but it will not be enough to spare Carsley an awful lot of post-match scrutiny. That was Bellingham’s first goal for club or country this season and it came with him playing as a midfielder - not a false nine. Can England even nick it now?

09:30 PM BST

85 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Double Greece change:

OFF Tzolis, Bakasetas

ON Konstantelias, Vagiannidis

09:29 PM BST

NO GOAL! OFFSIDE!

Another Greece goal tonight is ruled out. Pavlidis was indeed offside as Tzolis played it across to him. Another let-off for England.

It really went off in the press box there for a moment. The visiting journalists were back on their feet and cheering loudly thinking Greece had won it. Now they look nervous after the VAR intervention.

09:27 PM BST

GOAL! Greece double up

What on earth is happening? It all stems from another mistake from Pickford. Greece win it and Tzolis then plays it across to Pavlidis, who slots home. But will it stand? Was Pavlidis offside?

09:25 PM BST

80 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Watkins’ cross from the right is controlled by Rota but he plays it behind for an England corner. Stones wins the flick-on at the near post from Alexander-Arnold’s delivery but Greece clear.

09:24 PM BST

79 mins: England 0 Greece 1

It is a scramble inside the Greece penalty area after a dangerous ball into the box by Alexander-Arnold. Solanke has an effort blocked but the whistle goes for a push by Watkins.

09:22 PM BST

77 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Alexander-Arnold dinks a cross in from the left and is calling for a corner but the referee awards a goal-kick. Looking at the replays Alexander-Arnold was 100% correct; it clearly took a significant deflection.

09:21 PM BST

76 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Madueke wins a corner on the left. He initially came on for Saka on the right but has switched sides. He has had a positive impact since coming on 20 minutes ago.

Alexander-Arnold sends it in but Greece clear and then counter. They have numbers on England and the ball is played forward to Tzolis. He should bury his effort but sends it wide. It would not have mattered anyway as the offside flag was up. Tzolis was clearly offside.

There have been a few groans, but I’ve got to say that the England fans have stayed remarkably patient during this game, given what a shambles it has been.

09:18 PM BST

73 mins: England 0 Greece 1

So England started with no recognised striker in the game, now they have two on the pitch. I know England are a goal behind but that seems to be muddled thinking.

Greece change:

OFF Kourbelis

ON Mantalos

09:17 PM BST

72 mins: England 0 Greece 1

The ball is played in behind and Bellingham is in a decent position on the edge of the box. He attempts a lob but gets it horribly wrong and the chance is gone. Plenty of groans after that effort. A player of Bellingham’s calibre should be doing so much better than that.

England change:

OFF Foden

ON Solanke

We started the evening with no recognised England strikers on the pitch and we’re going to finish it with two! Now Carsley is very much a traditional 4-4-2, with Watkins and Dominic Solanke up front. The England interim manager has gone full Mike Bassett with around 20 minutes to go.

09:15 PM BST

70 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Pelkas’ delivery is poor and Bellingham heads away at the near post. Moments later Kourbelis fouls Bellingham and goes into the book.

09:14 PM BST

69 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Pelkas goes towards the byline and the ball comes off the sliding Lewis last so Greece will have a corner. It is swung in but Bellingham heads away. The ball is sent back into the England box and the punch from Pickford is rather unconvincing. Greece have another corner coming up, this time from the other side.

09:11 PM BST

66 mins: England 0 Greece 1

There are definitely more and more audible groans inside Wembley. England have not responded particularly well to going a goal down.

09:10 PM BST

65 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Double Greece change:

OFF Masouras, Siopis

ON Pelkas, Zafeiris

09:06 PM BST

61 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Lee Carsley has decided now is the time for an out-and-out striker as Watkins replaces Gordon. Almost immediately Watkins has an opportunity as Palmer feeds it forward to him inside the box but he smashes over. He should be hitting the target there.

That was the third time Greece have had the ball in the net tonight. Two of their goals have been ruled out for offside, but this has not been good at all for Carsley. Watkins now on for Gordon and Bellingham is playing a lot deeper. Palmer has gone to the right and Noni Madueke is left. Watkins should have scored already.

Ollie Watkins takes a shot on
Chance for Watkins just after he came on - Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

09:05 PM BST

59 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Greece have the ball in the net for the third time tonight but the offside flag goes up for a second time. Pavlidis runs in behind and cuts it back to Masouras, who slots home past Pickford but the flag is up. Looking back at the replays Pavlidis was clearly offside and a bit bemusing why the flag was not raised earlier.

09:03 PM BST

58 mins: England 0 Greece 1

You can just sense some frustration from the home crowd is creeping in. With the attackers on the pitch for England they should be doing more and the fans are just beginning to express their disappointment.

09:01 PM BST

55 mins: England 0 Greece 1

England's average positions
England’s strange average positions in the first half (attacking from left to right)

A strange England team, this, like one picked at random – or by a child just trying to get all their favourite attacking players in one line-up. For a while it was hard to fathom the formation. In that first half, Declan Rice appeared to be the only midfielder for around 20 minutes until Cole Palmer was reluctantly persuaded to join him, as if taking his turn in goal at Monday night five-aside.

As for the attacking formation: who knows? Jude Bellingham appears to be operating as a false nine but if that is the case then no-one seems to have mentioned it to Palmer who wants to play as a conventional No 10 in the same pocket. Phil Foden, meanwhile, looks like a man who does not seem to be playing anywhere. In that first half he chased a few lost causes. He pressed. He often did not get the ball.

08:58 PM BST

53 mins: England 0 Greece 1

It has been a pretty terrible few minutes for England. Going 1-0 down, Saka going off injured and now Rice is booked for a late challenge on Siopis. The free-kick is sent in and Koulierakis has far too much space at the far post. Bellingham comes in with an important interception. England are not looking particularly comfortable here.

08:56 PM BST

51 mins: England 0 Greece 1

Immediately after that goal, England have been forced into a change. Saka is limping off and is replaced by Madueke, which will concern Mikel Arteta and Arsenal fans.

08:55 PM BST

GOAL! Greece take the lead

Their first ever goal at Wembley and the goalscorer Pavlidis takes off his black armband and attributes that goal to George Baldock. He is surrounded by England defenders but somehow he is allowed to cut onto his right and get a shot away. He beats Pickford and Greece have the lead. The travelling Greek fans are delirious!

There are Greek journalists celebrating in the press box. I repeat, there are Greek journalists up on their feet and celebrating in the press box. Such behaviour is usually frowned upon by the media, but we’ll give them this one.

Carol Law, my mum, has just sent me a message that says: “This is all a bit of a disaster.” Carol knows her football and she’s not wrong.

08:52 PM BST

46 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Alexander-Arnold plays it into the channel for Saka, who then returns the favour to the Liverpool right-back inside the box. He tries a neat backheel into the path of Foden but Greece clear.

08:50 PM BST

Second half

We are back under way at Wembley. No changes for either side at the break.

08:48 PM BST

“I owe you one, Levi!”

Jordan Pickford thanks Levi Colwill after the latter's clearance
Levi Colwill saved Jordan Pickford’s blushes - Toby Melville/Reuters

08:47 PM BST

What will this man be thinking at the break?

Might we see Ollie Watkins or Dominic Solanke on early in the second half to get an out-and-out striker on the pitch?

Lee Carsley on the bench
Goalless at half-time - Bradley Collyer/AP

08:36 PM BST

HT verdict

Half-time at Wembley. No goals, but plenty of chances. England seem to have employed a false attack and a false defence so far. Let’s see if Carsley sticks to his guns on this one.

08:35 PM BST

Your views on Pickford

Remember you can have your say on that first half in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.

08:33 PM BST

Half-time

There is the whistle and it remains goalless at the break at Wembley.

08:33 PM BST

45 mins: England 0 Greece 0

England take it short and the ball actually never gets sent into the box. Greece then counter and Saka is booked for a cynical foul.

One added minute at the end of this first half.

08:31 PM BST

44 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Greece give it away inside their own half and Gordon strides forward with it. He exchanges a one-two with Foden but it is poked behind for a corner. Alexander-Arnold sends it in and England will have another corner...

08:27 PM BST

40 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Alexander-Arnold whips it in and it looks like Stones will meet it at the far post but again Mavropanos is on hand with a crucial clearance. He has already done that a number of times tonight for the visitors.

Konstantinos Mavropanos clears the ball away
Crucial clearance from Mavropanos - Glyn Kirk/Getty Images

08:26 PM BST

38 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Kourbelis fouls Foden after a neat piece of skill from the latter and this is a good opportunity for England not far outside the Greece box on the right...

08:25 PM BST

37 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Saka shoots from the edge of the box and his effort is deflected behind for a corner on the right, which Saka will take. England take it short and Palmer sends it in but Mavropanos is on hand for the visitors with a good clearing header.

My eagle-eyed colleagues Sam Wallace and Jason Burt have just pointed out that Bellingham has given up the number 10 shirt that he wore in the Euros. Bellingham is number eight tonight, occupied by Alexander-Arnold in Germany, with Foden taking the 10. I would have claimed this spot as my own, but Jason is sitting next to me at Wembley.

08:23 PM BST

35 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Alexander-Arnold tries to find Gordon with a cross into the centre of the box but it is just slightly over his head and Greece head away.

Greece manager Ivan Jovanović is really giving me Rod Hull vibes. Not really a reference for our young readers, but ask your parents about Emu if you’re unsure…

The Euros may be a distant memory, but the England fans have not forgotten their Bruce Springsteen-inspired song in honour of Phil Foden. It’s been on repeat from one end of Wembley for a while now.

08:18 PM BST

30 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Another opportunity for England wasted. Alexander-Arnold plays a sublime cross into the path of Gordon, who had made a good run into the box unmarked. All he really needs to do is keep the header down but he does the opposite and it goes just over the bar.

08:16 PM BST

29 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Gordon runs at Rota and tries to play the ball across but the Greece right-back sticks to his task well and blocks it behind for a corner. Alexander-Arnold sends it in but Mavropanos does well to win the header ahead of Stones.

A penny for the thoughts of Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke sitting on the substitutes’ bench tonight. Chances for England strikers are rare enough with Harry Kane around, but to miss out when he’s injured must be gutting. Both men will be hoping to get on later in the game.

08:14 PM BST

26 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Despite 44 places separating these sides in the world rankings, Greece can be fairly satisfied with their start to this match. They have created chances and on another night could be ahead. Pavlidis is the latest to have a shot, which is blocked.

08:10 PM BST

22 mins: England 0 Greece 0

England should be ahead. Bellingham points where he wants it in the channel and Gordon provides the pass. Bellingham chops back onto his right and lays it into the onrushing Palmer. He should bury it and, in the form he is in, you expect him to but he blazes his effort high over the bar.

Cole Palmer blazes over a chance
Should have been buried - Toby Melville/Reuters

The paper planes from the stands have started early tonight, although not for a lack of entertainment. Greece could have had a couple of goals and Palmer has just missed a sitter.

Greece goalkeeper Odisseas Vlachodimos throws away a paper aeroplane
Paper planes already? Why? - Bradley Collyer/PA

08:08 PM BST

20 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Greece come close again. It is cut back to Bakasetas, whose shot is blocked by Stones. That looked like it was on target so an important block from England’s captain tonight to deny Greece’s captain.

08:05 PM BST

17 mins: England 0 Greece 0

That is a waste from Bellingham. Alexander-Arnold plays a delightful ball into the right-hand channel into the path of Bellingham, who shows patience to wait for teammates. But instead of trying to find one he attempts a shot from a tight angle and misses the target by quite some way.

07:59 PM BST

11 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Greece have it in the back of the net but the flag is up. The corner is sent in and Pickford does not clear it. The header comes back in and Mavropanos heads it into the net but Koulierakis was offside and attempted to head the ball so was interfering with play. Pickford is so lucky.

So it is almost like a very complicated 4-4-2 for England, with Cole Palmer and Phil Foden swapping positions. I’m going to go with: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Colwill, Lewis; Saka, Palmer, Rice, Gordon; Foden, Bellingham. And Palmer and Foden keep interchanging. Whatever it is or isn’t, it’s been a mess during the opening 10 minutes and Greece should be ahead.

07:58 PM BST

10 mins: England 0 Greece 0

What are you doing Pickford? That is moronic! He owes Colwill a beer after this one. He dithers on the ball outside the box and ends up giving the ball away. Greece captain Bakasetas then lobs it over Pickford and only a brilliant piece of defending to hook it away from Colwill denies Greece.

Levi Colwill hooks the ball off the line
England so, so fortunate

07:55 PM BST

7 mins: England 0 Greece 0

It is Palmer who takes and he cannot quite keep it down as it lands on the top of the net.

07:54 PM BST

6 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Koulierakis is the first man into the book tonight for a foul on Bellingham not far outside his own box after the visitors lost the ball in their own half. The Greek defender will be suspended for their next match against the Republic of Ireland. Alexander-Arnold and Palmer stand over it...

07:52 PM BST

4 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Chance for Greece. The visitors counter and it ends up with Pavlidis taking on a shot from just inside the box. He tries to curl one into the far corner but cannot hit the target.

44 places separate these sides in the world rankings but Greece actually start the night top of the group on goal difference.

Whatever the exact formation is, England were almost caught out. Greece broke and were quickly two against two, with the home side’s full-backs pushed into midfield. Fortunately, Vangelis Pavlidis curled his shot wide. That’s an early warning for Lee Carsley’s team.

Vangelis Pavlidis shoots towards goal
Early chance for Greece - Graham Hunt/Shutterstock

07:51 PM BST

3 mins: England 0 Greece 0

Nearly a stunner to give England the lead. Bellingham fires one towards the top corner from just outside the box, which forces Vlachodimos into a diving save to his left.

It’s not easy to work out England’s exact formation tonight. Jude Bellingham is playing furthest forwards and Cole Palmer is deeper than he is used to playing for Chelsea. But, otherwise, it’s very fluid…Bear with me and I’ll try to crack it.

07:47 PM BST

Kick-off

We are under way at Wembley.

Lots of empty seats here at Wembley tonight. Sometimes they fill up once the game kicks off, but it looks like it will be a far from full stadium for England’s game against Greece.

07:46 PM BST

Minute silence

Before we kick off at Wembley we will pay tribute to George Baldock, who tragically died in Greece last night.

07:43 PM BST

Kick-off fast approaching

Both sides have emerged from the tunnel at Wembley and it is time for the national anthems.

As was the case during the September international break, Lee Carsley does not sing the English anthem.

07:37 PM BST

Sad death of George Baldock

The Greek PFA have taken aim at Uefa for being unable to postpone tonight’s fixture against Wembley following George Baldock’s death, branding the football calendar “inhumane”.

Panhellenic Association of Paid Footballers (PAPF), who represent players, have claimed Greece wanted to push back the Nations League fixture less than 24 hours after it was announced Baldock had passed away.

Baldock, who was born in England and played for Greece, drowned in a swimming pool at his home in Glyfada, southern Athens, on Wednesday night.

“The game of our national team against England will be held normally despite the Greek federation’s attempt to postpone it, under the pretext of not finding a date,” said the PAPF, branding the calendar “inhumane”.

“Once again those who make the decisions would not have time to think about our internationals. To finally understand that man should always be above everything.”

George Baldock in action for Greece
Tributes will be paid tonight to George Baldock, who has tragically died aged just 31 - Joao Matos/AP

It has been confirmed England and Greece players will wear black armbands and hold a period of silence in tribute to Baldock before kick-off. Baldock, who joined Greek side Panathinaikos last summer after seven years with Sheffield United, was capped 12 times by Greece.

In a joint statement, the Greece players said: “It is impossible to believe that our dear friend and team-mate, George, is no longer with us. Our pain is indescribable.

“Tonight, we will try to reach the strength of his soul, which is a bright example for us all. Our thoughts are with his family. We will never forget you friend.”

07:36 PM BST

Reminder of the team new

England: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Colwill, Lewis, Rice, Bellingham, Saka, Foden, Palmer, Gordon.

Substitutes: Guehi, Walker, Henderson, Gallagher, Livramento, Jones, Watkins, Gomes, Solanke, Pope, Madueke.

Greece: Vlachodimos, Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Giannoulis, Koubelis, Bakasetas, Siopis, Masouras, Tzolis, Pavlidis.

Substitutes: Tzolakis, Mandas, Vagiannidis, Retsos, Douvikas, Pelkas, Chatzigiovanis, Chatzidiakos, Konstantelias, Zafeiris, Mantalos.

07:28 PM BST

A look inside the home dressing room

07:25 PM BST

The thoughts of Rico Lewis, who starts at left-back tonight

07:22 PM BST

Alexander-Arnold speaking to ITV

He was named man of the match in both games during the September international break.

07:18 PM BST

Your views on the team selection

What will the likes of Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke be thinking tonight? No Harry Kane yet neither out-and-out striker gets a go from the start. Should Lee Carsley have given a start to one of them? Do you line this very attacking line-up that Carsley has named? Remember you can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.

07:16 PM BST

Lee Carsley talking to ITV

07:12 PM BST

What of the old England manager?

You may well ask. Gareth Southgate has been speaking about his potential next move. Our northern football correspondent James Ducker has all the latest.

Gareth Southgate speaking on the phone for a charity event
Where will Gareth Southgate end up next? - Dave Benett/Getty Images

07:08 PM BST

Debuts to come?

With a few players withdrawing from the England squad at the start of the week, Curtis Jones and Tino Livramento received call-ups and are on the bench tonight.

The shirts of Tino Livramento and Curtis Jones in the England dressing room
Curtis Jones and Tino Livramento could make their England debuts tonight - Eddie Keogh/Getty Images

07:04 PM BST

Remember this one?

07:00 PM BST

Atmosphere building

06:56 PM BST

Solanke always retained belief

Dominic Solanke’s only England cap came back in 2017 but is on the bench tonight. He spoke the other day about the belief he had to return to the England squad:

“I’ve worked very hard to get back to this moment,” Solanke said on Tuesday. “It’s just part of football. Everything happens at the right time for you. Everyone’s journey is different.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I feel like this is the way it had to be for me and I feel like my game is clicking now. I always believed that I would get back here, so that was my mindset, and that’s one of the things I was working towards,” Solanke said.

“I’m thankful to be back here now, and hopefully I can stay here. That’s what the dream is, to represent your country, no matter how many times, it’s always the same.”

06:48 PM BST

Full team news

Lee Carsley makes four changes from England’s 2-0 win over Finland in September. Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill all come into the starting XI. Both Harry Kane and Jack Grealish were doubts going into tonight and neither are involved tonight. With no Kane, John Stones captains the side.

England: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Colwill, Lewis, Rice, Bellingham, Saka, Foden, Palmer, Gordon.

Substitutes: Guehi, Walker, Henderson, Gallagher, Livramento, Jones, Watkins, Gomes, Solanke, Pope, Madueke.

Liverpool left-back Kostas Tsimikas is not in the squad tonight for Greece. West Ham centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos starts at centre-back. Newcastle’s Odysseas Vlachodimos starts in goal whilst there are also starting berths for former Norwich duo Dimitris Giannoulis and Christos Tzolis.

Greece: Vlachodimos, Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Giannoulis, Koubelis, Bakasetas, Siopis, Masouras, Tzolis, Pavlidis.

Substitutes: Tzolakis, Mandas, Vagiannidis, Retsos, Douvikas, Pelkas, Chatzigiovanis, Chatzidiakos, Konstantelias, Zafeiris, Mantalos.

06:43 PM BST

Proud night for Stones

06:40 PM BST

Greece team news

06:38 PM BST

John Stones on Lee Carsley

“It’s been quite seamless, which is credit to Lee and his team. We’ve had a great foundation, I know Lee in the background has been a part of that.

“He’s put his own style on what he wants, which has been refreshing and good to work with. Now it’s about putting that into practice and to go out and deliver not only for ourselves but for Lee and his staff and the hard work we do on the training pitch.”

06:36 PM BST

England team news

06:34 PM BST

Hosts arriving

06:31 PM BST

League B Group 2 table

  1. Greece: played two, won two, 6pts, GD +5

  2. England: played two, won two, 6pts, GD +4

  3. Republic of Ireland: played two, lost two, 0pts, GD -4

  4. Finland: played two, lost two, 0pts, GD -5

06:14 PM BST

Match preview

Lee Carsley’s potential ‘audition’ for the permanent England job continues tonight as England play Greece at Wembley in the Nations League. Carsley won his first two games in interim charge during the September international break; winning 2-0 in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland before recording another 2-0 win over Finland at Wembley.

England’s preparations for tonight have been hampered by a number of players pulling out with injuries; Ezri Konsa, Kobbie Mainoo and Morgan Gibbs-White have all pulled out of the squad. Captain Harry Kane is not fit to start after picking up a knock for Bayern Munich at the weekend. In his absence, Lee Carsley has confirmed that John Stones will captain the side tonight.

“Harry [Kane] is nursing an injury, a small knock. Something we won’t take a chance with. It was a great conversation I was able to have with John [Stones] last night [Tuesday] to ask him to captain the team. It’s a brilliant achievement, something he deserves with the amount of caps he’s got, the experience he’s got, the level of professionalism he’s shown, the example he is to young players.”

Lee Carsley during England training
Will Lee Carsley get the England job full-time? - Carl Recine/Getty Images

Stones was alongside Carsley in the pre-match press conference and spoke of his honour of being named captain for tonight’s match.

“It’s everything I could have dreamed of as a kid. More for my family, to be able to see me walk out as England captain is a special moment. One I can’t thank Lee enough for. An incredible moment for me. To be walking out with the armband on is an absolute honour and a moment I’ll cherish forever.”

In light of the withdrawals, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones and Newcastle’s Tino Livramento have been added to the squad. Jones knows Carsley well, having been part of the England U-21 side under Carsley that won the 2023 European Under-21 Championship. Both Jones and Livramento are uncapped.

Earlier this week Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, who could be in line to start tonight, was named England men’s player of the year, beating Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka to the award. With Kane not fit to start, Bellingham could be deployed tonight as a false nine.

After tonight’s match, England travel to Helsinki to take on Finland on Sunday.

Team news to follow shortly.