England avoided fresh embarrassment after their Greek tragedy as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb free-kick inspired a 3-1 win against Finland in the Nations League on Sunday.
Four days after Greece earned their first ever win over England at Wembley, Lee Carsley’s side were again far from convincing for long periods in Helsinki.
But they mustered just enough quality in the final third to spare their interim manager more misery.
Jack Grealish’s composed finish put England ahead in the first half, but Finland wasted several chances before Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice sealed the win in the second half.
Although Finland’s Arttu Hoskonen netted in the closing stages, England’s third victory in four games since Carsley replaced Gareth Southgate kept them in contention for promotion from Nations League Group B2.
However, in the ‘land of a thousand lakes’, it was far from plain sailing for Carsley, who is in the spotlight as the Football Association ponder who should succeed Southgate on a permanent basis.
After winning his first two games against Ireland and Finland in September, Carsley’s tactical gamble – changing his formation to play with five attacking midfielders and no recognised striker – backfired badly in the Greece defeat and raised doubts about his suitability for the role.
Reports on Sunday claimed former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is in talks with the Football Association, who have also been linked with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe.