Lee Carsley stitched up and hung out to dry during final England matches in charge

The FA have left Lee Carsley hanging out to dry this international break. A raft of top stars withdrew from the squad - and who can blame them?

They no longer need to impress the interim boss given he's going to be replaced by Thomas Tuchel.

They gain nothing from overworking and risking injury for somebody who is not going to have any impact on the rest of their international career.

To be completely honest, most football fans are not even bothered about these Nations League ties.

Three breaks from domestic football in as many months is tiresome and killing the momentum of the Premier League.

If this was Tuchel's first two matches in charge the tone would be completely different and there would be a long queue of players eager to feature.

But Carsley has been stitched up with players given an easy excuse to take a break.

Borthwick deserves shot

Steve Borthwick deserves a chance to coach at the 2027 World Cup because England matches are no longer snoozefests.

Losing by just two points to the World Cup finalists New Zealand is not something to be ashamed of.

And how exciting was the finish to the Australia clash! Yes, England lost, but it was edge-of-your-seat stuff that justified the ticket price.