England fans issue sincere apology to Gareth Southgate after shock Greece defeat

England supporters apologised to Gareth Southgate Sunday night after the Three Lions suffered a stunning loss against Greece.

Lee Carsley avoided queries about whether he wants the post permanently after the interim manager stated that he will ‘hopefully’ return to his duties with the Under-21s following next month’s matches.

The promising Nations League wins over the Republic of Ireland and Finland in September were met with boos from those remained at Wembley Stadium after Greece secured a late, but well-deserved, 2-1 victory.

Vangelis Pavlidis scored a stoppage-time victory, his second of the night, just after Jude Bellingham appeared to have spared the Euro 2024 runners-up from embarrassment after struggling against the world’s 48th-ranked team.

Carsley’s daring, attack-minded lineup was misguided, and the performance jeopardised the England Under-21s manager’s hopes of permanently succeeding Southgate as senior team manager.

After such a fragmented performance, many England supporters questioned whether Southgate was a case of better the devil you know, and whether a guy who took the national side to two major finals was truly deserving of all the criticism he received, particularly at the conclusion of his term.

“Thank god we got rid of Gareth Southgate,” exclaimed one fan, ironically on X. At halftime, the score was 0-0, then Greece scored. In case you missed it, it was sarcasm.

‘Be careful what you wish for, you miseries. “You hounded out the best manager England has ever had.”

Another said, ‘Gareth Southgate was England’s best manager, and you all hounded him because he lost two finals.’

‘I hope somewhere in Harrogate yesterday night, Gareth Southgate was seated appropriately unhappy that England were humbled, but equally smug that he wasn’t receiving dog abuse and was never the problem,’ observed another disgruntled fan. That’s funny. Grass is not always greener.

When asked if the Greece defeat will have a detrimental influence on his chances of becoming permanent manager, he said: ‘I was very startled after the previous camp in terms of like ‘the job’s mine’, like it’s’my to lose’ and all that.

No, my responsibilities have been clear from the outset. I’m doing three camps, three games remaining, and maybe I’ll be back in the 21s.’

Picking up on his eye-catching statement that he will ‘hopefully’ return to the Under-21s, Carsley added: ‘Well, I stated at the start that I wouldn’t rule myself in or out, and that’s still the case.

‘I’m really comfortable in my current position. The remit was clear. That makes me feel secure and confident.

‘After the first camp, I didn’t become overly enthused or believe too much.

‘I’m quite conscious that this job is one of the finest in the world in terms of having a possibility of winning – obviously after a defeat, but in terms of a significant competition – and that’s still true.’

Carsley’s response was as perplexing as his team’s performance as England lost to Greece for the first time, prompting more attempts to clarify his emotions regarding the permanent position.

When asked explicitly if he wanted the England position, he said, “Well, nothing has changed from what I said in the first press conference.”

I believe it’s an excellent job. I consider myself fortunate to have a solid career in the 21st century.

‘But, as I already stated, my aspirations remained unchanged after the first camp, during which we won two games and had two outstanding performances.

‘I believe it is critical that I offer everything I have for the next three games.

‘I’m really pleased and comfortable communicating with my supervisors, so nothing has changed in that regard.’