The most important asset for a national team coach is time.

With only a few days to coach players for each international match, there is little time to learn about their motivations, how they want to play or which players might work best together.

There are a number of reasons why some English fans are not thrilled at the prospect of Lee Carsley becoming the next permanent England manager.

He is not a big name with a lot of trophies and experience, he has not coached in a big tournament or at a big club.

But the one superpower he has that none of the other candidates have is that he spends time getting to know British players.

Carsley coached half of the squad that went to Germany as both head coach and assistant coach.

These include Phil Foden, whom he coached at Manchester City Under-18s, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, who he coached as assistant to Aidy Boothroyd at England Under-21s, as well as Cole Palmer and Antony Gordon, who were in Carsley’s squad that won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2023. Gordon even described Carsley as the “best manager” he has ever managed.

Perhaps more importantly, he has coached almost all of the young players who did not qualify for Euro 2024.

Many of the players in the England squad, from defenders Jarrad Branthwaite, Levi Colwill and Rico Lewis to attacking talents Jadon Sancho and Dominic Solanke, have trained with Carsley in the past.

These are the players most likely to replace the veterans on the roster in the coming years, and Carsley will understand better than most what these players can bring to the roster.

Carsley’s Euro Under-21 winning side played fluid attacking football with players switching positions regularly. Gareth Southgate was determined to play two holding midfielders at Euro 2024, experimenting with Conor Gallagher and Trent Alexander-Arnold before settling for Kobbie Mainoo. Carsley, meanwhile, used Cole Palmer as one of two holding midfielders in a match against Germany’s Under-21s, suggesting he wouldn’t be averse to playing someone like Jude Bellingham in a deeper role for the first team.

The transition from under-21 football to full international football is a big step not just for the players but also for the managers. While England’s youth teams have played some fantastic football in recent years and won tournaments, this has yet to be fully reflected in the national team.

Several other countries, such as Argentina and Spain, have recently experienced success after promoting a youth-level head coach to the senior team. Lionel Scaloni was inexperienced when he took over as Argentina manager, having led them to victory at the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America trophies. Luis de la Fuente from Spain coached many of the Euro 2024-winning squad at youth level and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

England’s previous manager, Gareth Southgate, had previously coached the under-21 team and was England’s most successful manager since 1966 based on tournament results.

But as well as knowing the players, experience in major tournaments can also be a huge advantage for a head coach. For example, Gareth Southgate’s experience with penalty kicks has helped England better prepare mentally for the dreaded penalty shoot-out.

Former England midfielder Paul Merson believes Carsley should not have been appointed for this reason and that someone with experience in big games, such as Frank Lampard, would be better placed to help players cope with the pressure of major tournaments.

It is worth noting that Carsley has experience of playing in a major tournament, but not in an England jersey.

He was included in the Ireland squad for the 2002 World Cup, but played only a few minutes of the tournament following the 3–0 win against Saudi Arabia.

Carsley’s first match in charge will be against the country he once represented as a player.

The pressure of the away game against Ireland will be a good first test to see if he can transfer his free-flowing attacking football from his England Under-21s to the senior team.

Although he is currently an interim manager, many see the upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Ireland and the home game against Finland as an indication of whether he should be appointed on a permanent basis.