England interim manager, Lee Carsleyattended a press conference today in front of journalists present in Athens following the trip to Greece for today’s match (8.45pm) of the UEFA Nations League. The Three Lions team landed in Athens earlier in the day, following a training session at St. George’s Park.
On the number of players who didn’t show up for training camp: “Throughout the training camp we have been focusing on the players who are here and it is important to make the most of this situation. With the number of players who have retired, we have given other players the opportunity to be here. We are looking forward to to play, it will be a tough test for us and we have focused exclusively on the players who are here.”
Continuing: “With the amount of withdrawals we’ve had in the transfer window, historically that’s been the case in the past – November has always been a difficult window – but the culture that Gareth, Steve and the rest of the guys have created has made the environment really positive and the players who are here fully deserve to be here and are ready for tomorrow’s game.”
How to face Greece in Athens: “We expect a difficult match, which we have to win. But we can’t wait, we’ve had a good week of training, the players are in good spirits and there will be a full house and a great atmosphere. We had to wait four or five weeks for this, but the next window is so important for us, not just for tomorrow but for the Republic of Ireland, so it’s a big challenge for us.”
What he learned from the defeat against Greece at Wembley: “Many things! First of all the pace with which we have to play and the chances we create that we have to exploit. They are the basics, but it’s a good reminder. We tried something different that night, so probably tomorrow you will see something more conventional in terms of way of playing, but I expect us to play with a good attacking style and I hope we can get a good result.”
What do you think of the Greek team and its development: “We certainly prepared the match well, they are very well organized and are a strong team with a great history. We didn’t underestimate them (in October, ed.) and we expect a difficult match tomorrow. We discovered that they are very good especially on the counterattack , so it will be a difficult match.”