Remembering the first defeats of the last five England managers | OneFootball

Interim head coach Lee Carsley tasted defeat for the first time in charge of the England national team on Thursday night as Greece ran out 2-1 victors at Wembley Stadium.

A Vangelis Pavlidis brace earned Greece a famous win in the English capital, a result which means they top the Nations League B group two.

With his hopes of becoming the permanent manager now in doubt, we’ve looked at the first defeats of the last five England managers.

The first defeat of the last five England managers

Lee Carsley: England 1-2 Greece, Nations League, 10th October 2024

In a big blow to Carsley’s bid to become permanent manager, England fell to a humbling defeat at the hands of Greece.

Under the Wembley arch, England looked bereft of ideas and were second best for the entirety of the match.

Carsley set up with an unorthodox formation and opted to play without a recognised striker despite having four players in advanced areas.

Benfica striker Vangelis Pavilids gave his country a deserved lead just after the interval, as the 25-year-old evaded several challenges before firing past Jordon Pickford.

Jude Bellingham thought he had salvaged a point for England with a thumping strike with three minutes to go drawing the hosts level.

But Greece and Pavlidis had other ideas in the fourth minute of stoppage time. A scrappy passage of play resulted in Rico Lewis’ attempted clearance falling to the striker, who ruthlessly dispatched past the England ‘keeper to send the Greek fans behind the goal into bedlam.

It was a memorable triumph for Ivan Jovanovic’s outfit, as they were inspired to their first-ever win over England by the passing of English-born Greek international George Baldock during the week.

Gareth Southgate: Germany 1-0 England, International Friendly, 22nd March 2017

Gareth Southgate’s first loss as England manager came at the Signal Iduna Park, as a rasping Lukas Podolski strike was the difference in Dortmund.

Experimentation was in full flow in Germany as the head coach opted to set-up with a back three that included debutant Michael Keane.

Despite the result, it was an encouraging display from the Three Lions, with Dele Alli and Adam Lallana in particular showing glimpses of flourishing in this system.

The former spurned a glorious opportunity to give England the lead as Marc-Andre ter Stegen was equal to the Tottenham midfielder’s close-range effort.

But it was to be a fitting end to Lukas Podolski’s international career as the former Arsenal man sealed his farewell from national duty with a trademark finish.

Sam Allardyce: N/A

‘Big Sam’ boasts an immaculate record as the only England manager in history to have a 100% win ratio.

Of course, he would only be at the helm for a single game, a narrow 1-0 success away to Slovakia.

However, that winning feeling would dissipate shortly after, as he mutually terminated his contract following a newspaper investigation claiming he had offered advice on breaching transfer rules.

Roy Hodgson: England 0-0 (2-4) Italy, European Championship quarter-finals, 24th June 2012

Unlike the rest of the managers on this list, Hodgson’s first loss in charge came in a competitive encounter.

The former Liverpool manager had very little time to implement his ideas and tactics before Euro 2012, with two friendlies the only preparation he had before the opening match against France in Donetsk.

The Three Lions progressed through the group stage after beating Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine, and met the Azzurri in the quarter-finals.

After 120 minutes of football, the game remained goalless and a place in the semi-final was decided by a penalty shootout.

Hodgson’s words of wisdom were not being enough to shake off England’s penalty hoodoo as Ashley Young and Ashley Cole failed to convert from 12 yards.

To add insult to injury, Andrea Pirlo netted his spot-kick in sumptuous fashion as he delicately performed the ‘Panenka’ style penalty to embarrass Joe Hart.

Fabio Capello: France 1-0 England, International Friendly, 26th March 2008

The Italian tactician fell to his first loss in charge of England in France, with a Franck Ribery penalty enough to triumph over Capello’s side.

Capello’s tenure was still very much in its infancy as the veteran coach attempted to get his ideas across.

37-year-old David James was preferred in between the sticks and it was his costly error that proved to be decisive.

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The Portsmouth stopper unfairly impeded Nicolas Anelka inside the box and the referee was left with no choice but to award a penalty.

Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery dispatched with aplomb and a lethargic England were unable to find a response.

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