FA 'upset at controversy surrounding Lee Carsley' as details emerge following England wins
England news: The FA are reportedly upset at the national anthem controversy surrounding Lee Carsley
PA
Senior figures within the FA were reportedly 'upset' at the national anthem controversy that surrounded Lee Carsley during his first two matches as England manager.
The 50-year-old is currently in charge of the team on an interim basis, having replaced Gareth Southgate earlier this summer.
Carsley has made a stunning start to life as England boss, with the Three Lions beating the Republic of Ireland and Finland so far.
There has been controversy, however, with some fans, pundits and former professionals unhappy at his refusal to sing 'God Save the King'.
England news: The FA are reportedly upset at the national anthem controversy surrounding Lee Carsley
PA
As a player, Carsley didn't sing the Irish national anthem despite making 40 appearances for them.
And the Daily Mail say 'senior figures' at the FA 'were so upset at the fuss about the anthem simply because they are so fond of him'.
A source is quoted as saying: "He is essentially helping us out at the moment.
"So when he gets criticised like this, we feel that."
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England players, according to the publication, were 'barely aware' of the row that surrounded their new boss.
Carsely himself was unfazed, with the former Everton midfielder not even mentioning it once prior to the 2-0 win over Ireland on Saturday.
While relatively new to management, the 50-year-old has already staked his claim to be Southgate's permanent replacement.
He isn't the only name in the frame - Frank Lampard is believed to be a legitimate candidate - while Pep Guardiola is a dream target for the FA.
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With England playing well and winning, however, there's more and more of a sense that Carsley could be given the keys to Wembley full time.
As things stand, he has four matches left before the FA make their final decision.
England are due to face Greece and Finland in the Nations League on October 10 and October 13.
They'll then do battle with Greece and Ireland on November 14 and November 17.
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England news: Lee Carsley has refused to sing the national anthem twice so far
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Meanwhile, speaking over the weekend, Harry Redknapp opined that it is a 'must' for any manager of England to sing the national anthem.
He did, however, admit that Carsley had been put in a difficult position given his first match was against the country he played his international football for.
“As a proud Englishman and a patriot, I do think singing the national anthem is important," the 77-year-old told The Sun.
"I always love to see players and managers belting it out, whatever the sport.
England news: Lee Carsley has won both of his matches in charge of the side
PA
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, for me if you’re in charge of an English team, you should sing it. In 99 per cent of circumstances, at least.”
He continued: “I accept that on this occasion Lee did have a problem and was maybe stuck in the middle of things.
“Not just as a former Republic of Ireland player, but because there was maybe even more emotion than usual on this one after the trouble there’s been in the past.
"But while that made it understandable this time, when it comes to a ‘regular’ game, against, say, Spain, France or whoever, it’s a must."
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