Sports
Lee Carsley lives for coaching – but anthem furore shows England job has another side to it
Lee Carsley was one of the first men out from the England dressing room, almost an hour before kick-off. He only had the England goalkeepers for company and he stood arms crossed in the middle of the pitch watching them work.
Eventually, the outfield players and the rest of the staff came out to join him. Carsley stood, arms behind his back, discussing the drills with Ashley Cole. But he wanted to get involved and so with just half an hour to go before his England tenure began, Carsley was there near a mountain of footballs, firing in passes to Kobbie Mainoo and Declan Rice so they could take the ball on the half-turn and drive forward.
Closer and closer to kick-off, Carsley was still out there working with his players. He would stand on the edge of the box, grappling with an attacking player who would then get past him and try to convert a cutback. Only with 20 minutes left before kick-off did Carsley run back into the England dressing room.
Carsley said on Friday, when explaining why he does not sing the national anthem, that in the period immediately before kick-off he is wary of his “mind wandering off” and that he is thinking obsessively about how the game will go and how the opposition will set up. Maybe that explains why he accidentally walked into the home rather than away dugout when he emerged from the tunnel.
Carsley initially sat in the Ireland seats (Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
But what is certainly clear is that Carsley lives for this stuff: the little details with players, the precise work of preparation, the tactical scenarios he might have to face. The characterisation of the old regime was that Gareth Southgate was the public-facing leader while Steve Holland oversaw the nuts and bolts of the football. Carsley, however, appears to relish the football minutiae more than anyone.
Even at half-time, you could see Carsley, before he went in to speak to his players, sat in the dugout with his iPad. He explained afterwards that this is where he keeps all of the notes he made during the long thinking time before the game. “If they change to a four, this is how we can build. If they change to a three, this is how we can build.” So he refreshed his memory on key tactical points before going in and giving his players a few key tactical messages, just two or three bullet points for them to take on board.
This is just one small aspect of what has been a fascinating first look at Carsley in his first game in the England job. This weekend has made clear that as much as Carsley might talk about how he wants to build on Southgate’s work — he was very keen to say this was not a “fresh start” — the reality is that he is his own man and will do things his own way.
There was a lot to like about the football England played in the first half, the small tweaks Carsley had made to his Southgate inheritance. Anthony Gordon played as a high and wide winger, running in behind, and his run led to England’s first goal. Declan Rice was released to go box-to-box thanks to Trent Alexander-Arnold shifting into midfield behind him. Rice scored the first goal and set up the second.
Goals from Rice and Grealish gave Carsley victory (Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Carsley denied that we were watching the launch of ‘Carsball’ and insisted that this was not his style, but rather that of the players, so they should receive the credit. And yet the fact is players did things today that they did not always do under Southgate — and Carsley is the man responsible for that.
This international window was always going to be a learning experience as Carsley stepped into the senior job for the first time. He looked as if he loved the occasion, saying it was the proudest day of his career. Just to see him crouched down in the technical area, you could see a man living every minute, trying to process every little detail in front of him on the pitch.
And if the England job was only about picking players, coaching, tactics and systems, then you might well say that Carsley was perfect for the job. Here is someone who understands the system, knows the players, and can now fine-tune the team into winners.
But the other lesson of this weekend is that there is another side to being England manager. It involves being the public face and voice of English football, expected to have a considered view on almost everything. It means being able to speak comfortably on endless non-football topics (you might remember the row about the amended St George’s cross on England’s collars) and at times having to choose your words very carefully under great pressure.
This was the side of the job Southgate was exceptional at, pitch-perfect on almost every topic, so much so that he swiftly became the spokesman for the soul of the national game. (No one expected Roy Hodgson or Fabio Capello to do this.) Carsley has only been in the job for one game but has already found himself at the centre of one big controversy over whether he will sing the national anthem.
He gave an honest, genuine and entirely justifiable answer to the question on Friday, but it was also the type of situation Southgate was so good at defusing. Instead, it made the front page of two national newspapers and the back of many others, with The Telegraph saying he “can’t expect to manage England” if he doesn’t sing the anthem and a columnist in fellow right-wing paper The Daily Mail calling for him to be sacked before kick-off. It feels as if this is the side of the job, being that public spokesman, with every word scrutinised, where Carsley will have to learn fast.
Carsley does seem to accept that this comes with the territory. He will also know there will be more issues like this down the line. “I think you’ve probably got to accept that with that (job) does come a bit of judgement,” he said when asked if the fuss was all worth it. “I don’t feel hard done by. We move forward.”
(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
NFL free agency is here!
Well, kind of.
The league’s so-called legal tampering period begins Monday at 9 a.m. PT, when teams are allowed to start negotiating with the agents for players who are about to become unrestricted free agents. No contracts can actually be signed, however, until the the start of the new NFL league year, which is Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT.
So, basically, fans will start finding out what moves their teams make and where various players will land starting Monday morning.
Hours before the legal tampering period started, the Miami Dolphins announced they will release longtime quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The 2023 All Star will count $99 million against the Dolphins’ salary cap, the biggest dead cap hit in NFL history. The money can be split over the next two seasons if Tagovailoa is designated a post-June 1 release.
In six years with the Dolphins, Tagovailoa went 44-32 as a starter, completing 68% of his passes for 18,166 yards with 120 touchdowns and 59 interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl in 2023.
“Wearing this jersey and representing this city has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” Tagovailoa wrote Monday on Instagram, adding: “I also carry deep regret that I couldn’t get the job done and bring a championship home to this city. Miami deserves that, and I’ll always wish I could have delivered it for you.”
Who are some of the other big names in the free agency market? As far as quarterbacks are concerned, Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis could be a hot commodity. Daniel Jones is a free agent after a strong season with Indianapolis, although the Colts placed the transition tag on him and can match any offer.
Veteran quarterback Kyler Murray was informed by the Arizona Cardinals last week that they will be letting him go at the start of the new league year. The Atlanta Falcons have made a similar announcement regarding Kirk Cousins. Other available veteran quarterbacks include Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson and Marcus Mariota.
Teams in need of a running back might be interested in the services of Kenneth Walker III, who will be a free agent just weeks after he was named Super Bowl LX MVP as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Travis Etienne of the Jacksonville Jaguars could also find a new home.
This also seems to be a big year for free agent edge rushers (including Trey Hendrickson, Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson and Boye Mafe) and wide receivers (including Alec Pierce, Mike Evans, Romeo Doubs, Rashid Shaheed and Jauan Jennings).
Check back here for updates as teams begin making moves.
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The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team may still make the NCAA Tournament, but Dick Vitale thinks this iconic program should be much better than their 19-12 record this season considering their whopping $22 million roster.
The legendary ESPN college basketball analyst didn’t hold back his feelings about the Wildcats as they played Florida during Saturday’s prime SEC matchup. After the Gators hit some free throws to extend their first-half lead to 26-19, Vitale started to lay into the Wildcats.
Head coach Mark Pope of the Kentucky Wildcats in a game between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats on March 7, 2026, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. (Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire)
“I’m going to say this right here, I’ve done several Kentucky games, win or lose, $22 million this team [which has been reported] in terms of the NIL for their players,” he said, per Awful Announcing. “I think in $22 million, they could have put together a better roster than they did. I really do.”
The Wildcats ended up losing by a score of 84-77, and Vitale continued about Kentucky near the end of their 12th loss of the season.
“I’ll tell you one thing, you don’t want to walk out of here thinking you got a moral victory,” Vitale said, referencing a hard-fought game against the No. 5-ranked Florida team. “Moral victories don’t count at this level of basketball. And you hear some of the people, ‘We played them close. We played them tough.’
“The bottom line is you’re Kentucky. You’re Kentucky. And you’ve got to leave here with a win, especially at home. There are no moral victories. Come on. I don’t want to hear that.”
Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate in the first half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on Jan. 24, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Wildcats were once the top program in the country under former Coach John Calipari, who left for Arkansas after being unable to make a long March Madness run in recent seasons, including a shocking first round upset to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats have been coached by Mark Pope since, and they made the Sweet 16 in last year’s tournament before losing to Tennessee.
Kentucky Jasper Johnson in action vs Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Nov. 18, 2025. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated )
But this year, Kentucky is 10-8 in SEC play, and now face the No. 9 seed in the upcoming tournament this week. The winner of each conference earns a tournament berth, but the Wildcats know good seeding in the NCAA Tournament requires a strong run heading into Selection Sunday this upcoming weekend.
The Wildcats will start their SEC Tournament play on Wednesday against No. 16 LSU.
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The Chargers bolstered their efforts to protect quarterback Justin Herbert all while diversifying their offense by agreeing to a multiyear deal with veteran fullback Alec Ingold on Sunday, the team announced.
Ingold’s deal with the Chargers reportedly is for two years and $7.5 million.
Ingold will be no stranger to the Chargers’ plans on offense. He played the past four seasons in Miami under coach Mike McDaniel, the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator. Last year he caught eight passes for 52 yards and ran the ball twice in 17 games.
Ingold caught 47 passes for 372 yards and rushed for 34 yards in 20 carries in four seasons with the Dolphins. He also had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.
Before his time in Miami, Ingold played three seasons with the Raiders.
The deal comes two days after the Chargers signed veteran center Tyler Biadasz to take over for the retiring Bradley Bozeman. They agreed to terms on a one-year deal with edge rusher Khalil Mack on Saturday.
With the free agency negotiation period set to begin Monday at 9 a.m. PDT, the Chargers remain in strong position to be significant players in the free-agent market. They rank among the top-five teams in salary cap space, per Overthecap.com.
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