Carsley and England Shift Focus from Pre-season as They Prepare to Face the Netherlands in the Semi-Finals

Lee Carsley is brimming with confidence as his England side gears up for their vital semi-final showdown against the Netherlands in the Under-21 European Championship this Wednesday in Bratislava.

After a rocky start during the group stage, the Young Lions truly showcased their potential with a 3-1 victory over Spain in the quarter-finals.

Goals from James McAtee, Harvey Elliott, and Elliot Anderson paved the way for their success on Saturday, and Carsley is eager for more of the same as he feels his team is just beginning to find its rhythm.

Addressing the media at the National Football Stadium in Slovakia’s capital, the manager remarked: “I’ve mentioned before that the longer we remain in the tournament, the more fluid our players will become.”

“We’ve been together for 22 days now, so when you consider that from a club perspective, it’s akin to being just past pre-season, ready to tackle the opening matches of the season.”

He added: “The match against Spain was a reflection of our team spirit and unity.”

The Young Lions will be taking on a Netherlands team that displayed remarkable defensive skills against Portugal on Saturday, managing to secure a 1-0 victory even after being reduced to 10 men for the majority of the game.

The Dutch will be missing three key players in the semi-final – midfielder Kenneth Taylor, captain Devyne Rensch, and winger Ruben van Bommel – while England will need to do without Tyler Morton, who received a second yellow card against Spain.

Nevertheless, Carsley anticipates a fiercely contested match regardless of the personnel changes.

He continued: “The Netherlands is a team we’ve been monitoring closely. They play an attacking and expansive brand of football, and they are technically proficient. I admire their system, which is quite similar to the Spanish style. We expect a tough battle and are fully prepared.”

The match is set to take place at 18:00 CET in Bratislava, with temperatures expected to soar to around 32°C. The warmth has been a constant throughout the tournament, and although the players struggled to adapt during their 0-0 draw against Slovenia in Nitra, Carsley insists that his squad won’t seek excuses for the heat.

The 51-year-old stated: “We’ve been quite lucky during our time here in that it’s been hot.”

“We’ve trained during some of the hottest parts of the day—not by design, but just due to our training schedule. We haven’t avoided the heat; we’ve fully exposed the players to it.”

“We’re ready for it. We’ve acclimatised to the heat. We have hydration strategies in place to ensure the players cool down and rehydrate quickly.

“Our substitution strategy has been effective, as we’ve perhaps made changes a bit earlier than usual given the heat. Everyone is capable and ready to step in, which has been a significant advantage for us.”