England are looking to round off their 2024 Nations League campaign in style as they take on the Republic of Ireland this weekend.
- Date: 17/11/2024
- Kick-off time: 17:00
- Location: Wembley Stadium, London
The Three Lions will be hoping their shamed stint in League B of the Nations League is about to be over as they enter this game knowing a win will secure promotion back to League A. England have probably got more than they bargained for from this group on the whole given their sole defeat to Greece at Wembley, and the lessons learned from that loss could prove to be important. However, they very much need to make sure they're back mixing it with the elite of Europe come the next edition of this competition, for the sake of their own development.
England are in a strange state of purgatory at the moment with interim manager Lee Carsley still at the helm, despite a successor to Gareth Southgate having already been found. Thomas Tuchel's decision to delay his start date as England manager has caused a lot of upheaval in the media this week with many speculating about the grounds of his decision and criticising the position he has left the team in. Regardless, if England make it two wins from two then all of that will be forgotten - after all, it doesn't take much to cause a stir in the English media in an international break.
England's performances have, barring their blip at Wembley last time out, been good under Carsley and another win here will only serve to enhance the former Ireland midfielder's reputation. Carsley is set to return to the U21s following this game and it remains to be seen whether or not he sees himself as a future contender for the senior role. In all honesty, it wouldn't be a surprise if some of the farcical discourse surrounding the national anthem, the media's reaction to the Greece defeat and their incessant pestering about whether or not he wants the job on a permanent basis have deterred him from the post in future.
This game certainly carries weight for England. It might not mean as much over here as it does in Ireland, but there'll be a huge Irish presence at Wembley and the atmosphere should be a stark improvement on what we're used to in Nations League games and qualifiers. A return to Nations League A was the minimum expectation from these three international breaks and England will now want to finish things off in style.
Ireland are currently 3rd in UEFA Nations League B, Group 2, with six points from five games. Ireland entered this Nations League campaign under the guidance of a new manager, Iceland's Heimir Hallgrímsson. Irish football has been well and truly in the doldrums in the last few years with The Boys in Green failing to qualify for a tournament since 2016, while falling to some very low points in the years since.
Ireland have found this Nations League campaign tough so far but they have, at least, secured a pair of wins against Finland, meaning they're guaranteed to avoid relegation from this group. As the games have worn on, Ireland have looked increasingly better under Hallgrímsson and while they've still not a long way to go, there are signs that the foundations are being laid for a successful period for Irish football.
Ireland cannot finish any higher or lower than 3rd in this group so they have nothing to play for materially here, but to say that this is a game of little meaning to Ireland would be laughable. England is, without doubt, the biggest game Ireland can face and it's the team they want to beat more than any. Ireland were outclassed when the two sides locked horns in Dublin but it's hard to imagine they won't put up a better showing here with national pride very much on the line.
A defeat here is likely but far from certain; after all, stranger things have happened. Irish fans will mostly want their side to give a good account of themselves, and above all else, they'll just be glad Declan Rice and Jack Grealish aren't playing.
Nations League - League B - Group 2 
