John Stones taken by Lee Carsley's style with England
John Stones praised the changes to England's playing style made by interim head coach Lee Carsley after the team recorded back-to-back wins in their first matches since the departure of Gareth Southgate.
The Republic of Ireland and Finland were each dispatched 2-0 in the Nations League to leave former under-21 boss Carsley with a perfect record during what is considered by many to be an audition to land the job on a permanent basis.
Tuesday’s win over Finland at Wembley, in which Harry Kane marked his 100th England appearance with two goals, saw England turn in a particularly impressive second-half attacking display having looked equally sharp going forward in the first period during Saturday’s victory in Dublin.
Defender Stones, who was substituted in the 79th minute on Tuesday, said there had been tweaks under Carsley, with the team: "building up from the back, trying to get the lads to show their qualities on the ball and have that patience and belief that they show at their clubs and bring it all together as a collective.
"Everyone has seen a familiar face [Carsley] when we’re at St George’s Park. We’ve always been crossing paths and getting to work with him, for me personally and the lads feel the same, we’re trying to make the most of it. Lee and his staff have as well, and we’ve got two great results out of it."
England were frequently accused of failing to make the most of the attacking talent available to Southgate during his tenure despite reaching the final of the last two European Championships and the 2018 World Cup semi-final.
His departure after eight years in the job following the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain opened the door for Carsley to stake his claim as successor, as well as raising the broader question