3.7 million people watched England defeat Germany to defend the UEFA U21 EURO title on Saturday night. This marked England’s first consecutive victories in the tournament since 1984.
After a somewhat disappointing group, Lee Carsley’s side were electric in the knockout stage of the tournament. He, along with his coaching staff and all the players, has received widespread praise from pundits, fans, and former players.
This era for the Young Lions has been acknowledged as the “start of a new wave” of English talent. Emotionally intelligent, technically refined, and mentally resilient. The side has been praised for its self-expression, adaptability and resilience. It seems that, like their predecessors, this group of players will go on to be very successful in the Premier League and beyond.
Carsley is not satisfied with his incredible achievement. In a press conference shortly after the match, he suggested that he was aiming for a historic third title: “To be European champions for the second time is a fantastic achievement, and the challenge now is to do it again in two years.”
Tactical Turnaround
The manager was criticised in the group stage for his tactical decision-making. They looked disjointed and lacking creativity, playing a formation without a recognised centre forward. Players were often being asked to play out of position, and it seemed that the immense amount of quality on his side was not being utilised effectively.
However, you would be hard pressed to find someone who questions his leadership after the performance of his team in the knockout stage. They looked unrecognisable, shifting formation from a 4-2-2-2 system where attacking midfielders were asked to play up front in lieu of a recognised striker to a more balanced 4-2-3-1. This helped unlock the team’s fluidity.
His substitutions also paid off in the final. The clearest example is Rowe and Tyler Morton combining for the winning goal in extra time. Carley’s man management has also been exceptional throughout, but crucial in the later stages of the tournament. Known for cultivating mental toughness and expression. His support allows the side to “Play without inhibitions.”
Building Mental Strength
Jonathan Rowe praised Carsley and Ashley Cole for helping build resilience and belief:
“It’s more the mental side, how they make us feel as players… creating a resilient mindset… whatever life throws at you, just keep going.”
As mentioned by Rowe, the rest of Carsley’s coaching staff were Instrumental in player confidence, mentality, and tactical flexibility. Ashley Cole is specifically credited for building emotional and psychological resilience in players. Tino Livramento especially flourished under the tutelage of one of England’s greatest fullbacks.
Mark Bullingham, the CEO of the FA, called Carsley’s back-to-back title win a “special achievement.” He also commended the FA’s coaching structure for producing a winning generation.
Future Stars Shine
A few key players from this “winning generation” should be highlighted for their contributions. However, it is essential to acknowledge that every player in England’s 23-man squad deserves recognition.
Harvey Elliot was the tournament standout, scoring five goals, including a composed opener against Germany. That goal marked his 14th at this level, overtaking Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers to move into 2nd place on the England U21 all-time scorer list. As one of only two players remaining from the squad that won in Georgia two years prior, Elliot is considered a veteran. His experience showed here as he led his side with maturity and grew in influence after the group stage, scoring in every knockout game.
A teammate of Elliot’s at club level and another player who led the side is Jarell Quansah. He played every minute (570 minutes) of the tournament in Slovakia. His defensive resilience was vital throughout the competition. In the final, aided by Charlie Cresswell and England’s midfield, he was able to neutralise Stuttgart striker and U21 EURO top scorer Woltemade effectively.
When asked about this, he said, “With the way I’ve been brought up through Liverpool, I’ve always been against top strikers… You are always against a tough opponent, and [Woltemade] is a very good player. We knew we had to stop the ball getting into him, and it’s a credit to the whole team… everyone worked hard and rattled around him to keep him as quiet as possible.”
What Next?
James McAtee, Amari Hutchinson, Elliot Anderson, Alex Scott and Tino Livramento are some of the other England names that impressed massively. With the World Cup on the horizon, these players will be hoping they did enough to capture the attention of senior team manager Thomas Tuchel, who was in attendance for the final.
In the early stages of the tournament, it looked like defending their title would be a near-impossible task. However, this team has proven why it is such an exciting time to watch English football. The amount of talent emerging from the youth ranks is unlike anything we have seen in many generations. England’s first back-to-back UEFA U21 EURO title since 1984 is a clear indication of that.
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