On Saturday evening, England U21s secured successive Euros glory when they overcame Germany 3-2 in Bratislava, having beaten Spain 1-0 in Batumi back in the summer of 2023.
Only two players that were part of the successful squad in 2023 were also a part of this squad – Charlie Cresswell of Toulouse and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott. The latter won player of the tournament this time round, for his key goals and general performances.
Aside from one mistake against the Netherlands that was ruthlessly punished, Cresswell had a superb tournament of his own, heading away anything that came his way and scoring against Czechia in the group stage.
What makes this triumph even better is how Carsley managed to adapt without some key players. Jarrad Branthwaite and Adam Wharton were not available, whilst the likes of Jobe Bellingham, Jamie Gittens, and Liam Delap were all at the Club World Cup.
Unlike in 2023, where England won all six games and did not concede a single goal, this tournament was a bit of a slow burner. England only picked up four points in the group stages – being held to a 0-0 draw with Slovenia and losing to a heavily rotated Germany side.
However, the performances in the knockout stages were much improved. Any mistakes made in the groups by Carsley were soon learned from, and used to the benefit of the team. Some of the football played against Spain, the Netherlands and Germany was breath taking at times.
In a rematch of the 2023 final, England found themselves 2-0 up after 15 minutes against Spain in the quarter-final. La Roja got one back from the spot not long before half time but England’s game management was very impressive in the second half, and a late penalty of their own from substitute Elliot Anderson secured the win.
Although you can’t argue with Elliott winning the player of the tournament, Anderson himself probably had a good case to win the award. His performances both on and off the ball during the tournament set the standard, impressing many people.
Hopefully another person who will be impressed is Thomas Tuchel, whom was in attendance for the final on Saturday evening. We recently mentioned that it cannot be long before Anderson gets a call up to the senior side, so hopefully Tuchel liked what he saw.
On the left hand side, Omari Hutchinson had a very impressive tournament. He provided serious width and dynamism to a side that perhaps lack it otherwise. The Ipswich Town man scored a well taken drilled effort in the final, and his directness caused issues throughout the tournament. It would be good to see him get a move to the top five leagues next season.
Another player who deserves a mention is Jack Hinshelwood of Brighton, whom filled in brilliantly at left-back, despite being a midfielder by trade. Another example of a player sacrificing himself for the team and for the cause. You can see it all over the pitch. Carsley has installed a brilliant camaraderie.
You would hope that a number of these players will be involved in the first team sooner or later. Nine players from the 2023 squad have gone onto make their senior debuts – including Cole Palmer.
At this moment in time, it feels like Tino Livramento – who has already been capped by the senior team – and Anderson are the players most likely to break in regularly. That is, if Tuchel holds back on his love for Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson.
To finish off – many people have said the senior job should have been given to Carsley. If he wanted the job, he probably would have got it. He made it fairly clear that he didn’t. The U21s seems to suit him well – getting on with his job without the media scrutiny. The senior side will also hugely benefit from him continuing to develop the young players in the coming years.
