Rice and Grealish kick off new England era with Nations League win in Ireland | Nations League

Perhaps Lee Carsley was simply obsessed with focusing on the opening minutes of his first game as England’s caretaker manager. Because when the manager came out to take his place for kick-off and, yes, the national anthems, he turned to his right instead of his left and sat down on the Republic of Ireland bench.

Old habits die hard for the former Irish midfielder and he looked bemused when the error was pointed out and he was ushered into his proper place. But if that seemed a bad omen, no one with any ties to England need have worried.

As advertised, Carsley kept his cool as God Save the King played, but what would have made him most happy as he began what is effectively a six-game audition for the permanent job was his team’s first-half performance.

It was bound to be a hot day for Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, the former Ireland internationals who later switched allegiances. Carsley was also booed by the home crowd. But it was Rice and Grealish who scored the goals that put England in control before the break, they were the standout performers during that impressive spell, and it allowed England to cruise to victory in a more mundane second half.

England were notoriously stiff under Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024, even though they reached the final and Carsley needed a performance more than a result here. He certainly got that in the first half. A new era has its foundations.

The first loud boos for Rice and Grealish came when the teams were read out around 40 minutes before kick-off, with only a handful of fans left in the stadium. “The snakes are back,” read a banner in the home seats. And then, of course, we had Carsley and anthem-gate.

Carsley, who would never sing, felt the burn of the TV cameras and there must have been moments during this very particular English storm when he reflected on how football is just one part of his new office. How does he feel about that?

The match was much bigger than it would have been before the handover of England managerial duties from Southgate, with Carsley the centre of much attention. “Lee, you are one result away from becoming an Irish legend,” read a billboard in the city from a gimmicky bookmaker.

The decibel levels rose sharply whenever either Rice or Grealish had possession, but neither flinched. From deep. Grealish, playing on the left of a central midfield three, claimed the ball from the first whistle, tried to carry it, provoke the challenges, the confrontations, and it simply had to be Rice with the breakthrough goal.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was prominent in the early stages, moving from right-back into midfield and calibrating his passing range. He had already set up Harry Kane for a free header – the captain headed high – when he sent Anthony Gordon clean through. Caoimhín Kelleher saved, but Gordon repeated the move and sent a low cross for Kane, who was stopped by Nathan Collins’ block tackle. As the ball broke, Rice struck high into the net.

Ireland had been in the early minutes. Jayson Molumby headed over from a corner; Sammie Szmodics played Jordan Pickford. They tried to push, but the difference in technical quality was quickly apparent. Carsley could be pleased with the way England manipulated the ball. They found spaces in front of the Irish defence and along the channels, Gordon was a threat from the left. The movements and rotations were fluid.

Carsley put Rice in a right-sided No 8 role, Kobbie Mainoo held in front of the back four, and Rice revelled in extending his stride. With 15 minutes on the clock, he led a box-to-box counter, feeding Gordon, who crossed ahead of Kane. It looked set to be a routine close finish for Kane, but Kelleher made an excellent block.

Rice’s celebrations after his goal were controlled, muted. Not so Grealish’s, who lapped up the applause of the England fans behind the goal. Rice was central to the build-up, playing with Mainoo and then Bukayo Saka, before crossing low to Grealish, who fired a right-footed shot into the far corner.

Gordon could have scored after half an hour thanks to another sharp England effort, but at half-time the Irish fans booed for a different reason: they were frustrated with their team.

The atmosphere was noticeably subdued as the second half resumed. It was hard to find any optimism for the game among the Irish fans and it seemed as if the realisation had sunk in that they were in for a long second period. Irish football is at an extremely low ebb; everyone feels defeated by the years of disappointment.

New manager Heimir Hallgrímsson needed a spark. He tweaked Szmodics’ position just before the hour mark, moving him from the wing to inside and closer to striker Adam Idah. Szmodics had a few moments, notably when he sent a shot wide after a pullback from Chiedozie Ogbene. He also set up Molumby, who fired wildly.

England’s intensity was dropping and it felt as though Carsley had to make substitutions. Oddly enough, he waited until the 76th minute when, as part of a triple substitution, he brought on Angel Gomes and Morgan Gibbs-White for their debuts. One of the players he withdrew was Grealish, who cheered on the England fans and departed at a slow pace. He had enjoyed it.

England could have scored again. Substitute Jarrod Bowen was twice pushed off the track by Kelleher, the second time from close range, while the goalkeeper also made a fine save from Saka. England and Carsley had had enough.