DEFIANT and selfless, Lee Carsley finally went on the front foot yesterday.

The England interim boss saw his team, without a recognised striker, crash to Greece at Wembley — before delivering his own muddled performance in front of the media after the embarrassing 2-1 defeat.

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Yet here in Finland, Carsley spoke positively and insisted he was happy for the s**t to be flying in his direction rather than at the players.

It is clear he will put the team before himself and that’s why nobody should rule him out of replacing Gareth Southgate on a permanent basis.

Carsley was upset by the shock result and a dreadful defensive show against the  Greeks.

But the Brummie  is able to put it  in perspective.

The 50-year-old’s son Connor has Down’s syndrome and, while he is happy to take criticism on board, he is not going to let it  turn him off.

Carsley, who takes charge of England for the fourth time in ­Helsinki on Sunday, said: “I definitely have to accept the criticism.

“I am glad it was directed towards me, not the players, and we move on.

“The last thing that is  important to me in this whole process is me.

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“The reason I believe I have done so well in coaching is because people know that it’s not about me.

“It’s about the players, it’s about the environment, it’s about the culture.

“It is something that I’m totally accepting of in terms of the changes I made the other night and trying something different. I’m not put off by that.

“I understand the interest and the criticism, which is fine.

“I wouldn’t describe it as a setback . . . Connor made a big difference to our lives in terms of having a child born with Down’s Syndrome, so that puts things into perspective.

“After the other night, I felt bad for a couple of days — of course I did.

“But it’s a game of football, I’m realistic about the understanding that it is a game. I have tried my best, it didn’t come off, I am here to fight again.

“Having watched the game back two or three times, as you can imagine, it’s never as bad or as good as you think.

“I would change the result. But it’s not put me off.

“I don’t want to sit back in a month’s time with regrets that I was safe. This is a great opportunity, not only for myself . . . for the rest of the staff and the players to try something different.”

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Carsley did not help himself after the defeat by claiming he would “hopefully” be back with the Under-21s.

What he meant, as he said when being unveiled as interim manager, was he would look to get his old job back if he did not get this one permanently.

When pressed on his comment again, he said last night: “Hopefully is a word and a phrase I use quite a bit. There are no guarantees in life.

“It’s a job, the Under-21s, that I’m really proud of and massively invested in.

“The plan is to give this job for three camps the best I can do along with the rest of the staff and, hopefully, we can be in a good position.”

He must make sure he does not get flustered quite so quickly in future. Equally, we should not forget that even in the caretaker days of Southgate, not everything went to plan.

In his second game, England scraped a 0-0 with Slovenia — Joe Hart making a brilliant late save to prevent a defeat.

Southgate suffered fierce criticism afterwards and was always prepared to take the flak.

Carsley left Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke out of his starting line-up even though star striker Harry Kane was injured and fielded a glut of attacking midfielders with Jude Bellingham as a false nine.

I have tried to remove myself from the emotion of, ‘It’s my job to lose or get’.

Lee Carsley

Carsley added: “I spoke with Ollie after I had named the team. I didn’t speak to Dom but I have spoken to Dom. I have got a good relationship with Dom. He can understand we were trying something different.

“They all could see that. With the personalities they have got, they are very much team orientated, as opposed to selfish.

“If I try something different, they can see I’m trying to get the best out of the team or the individual rather than myself.”

On whether he feared defeats to average opposition could impact his chances of the job, Carsley replied: “I wouldn’t say that. That would be reckless.

“There’s probably a reason why I have not got into senior football, managing at club level, because I enjoy the player development and the journey they go on.

“I have tried to remove myself from the emotion of, ‘It’s my job to lose or get’. It was totally clear when I came in, the remit.

“That’s what I have tried to do to the best of my ability, with the understanding I want to try something different at times.

“It is good I have the trust of the staff we have got.”

Pat Sabatini caught Jonathan Pearce in a compromising position in the opening round of their UFC Fight Night 244 bout and didn’t relent until he got the finish.

Sabatini (19-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) displayed his grappling prowess when he got the back of Pearce (14-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC) from a standing position early in their featherweight bout at the UFC Apex. He methodically worked away at a rear-naked choke until he finally got the arm under the neck and forced. his opponent to tap at the 4:06 mark of Round 1.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):

WELCOME BACK TO THE WIN COLUMN 🚨@PatSabatini145 gets the first round SUB! #UFCVegas98 pic.twitter.com/HDtTjBCb0j

— UFC (@ufc) October 12, 2024

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With the win, Sabatini rebounds from a 90-second knockout defeat to Diego Lopes in November. Pearce, meanwhile, is suddenly on a three-fight losing skid after he was named MMA Junkie’s “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” in 2022.

“I think I have an edge over everybody in this division on the ground,” Sabatini said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “(I want to fight again) sooner rather than later.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 244 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

Ulster: Ethan McIlroy; Werner Kok, Stewart Moore, Jude Postlethwaite, Jacob Stockdale; Aidan Morgan, John Cooney; Andrew Warwick, John Andrew, Tom O’Toole; Iain Henderson (capt), Kieran Treadwell; David McCann, Sean Reffell, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: James McCormick, Callum Reid, Corrie Barrett, Alan O’Connor, Marcus Rea, Nathan Doak, Ben Carson, Mike Lowry.

Connacht: Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Piers O’Conor, Bundee Aki, Shayne Bolton; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Joe Joyce, Josh Murphy; Cian Prendergast (capt) Sean O’Brien, Paul Boyle.

Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Temi Lasisi, Oisin Dowling, David O’Connor, Caolin Blade, Cathal Forde, Conor Oliver.

Don’t mess with the flyweights.

The lightest men’s division in the UFC stole the spotlight at UFC Vegas 98 on Saturday, with headliners Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira, and prelim competitors Ramazan Temirov and Clayton Carpenter all earning an extra $50,000 for some incredible work inside the octagon.

Royval and Taira were justly given the Fight of the Night award following a five-round performance that wowed their fellow fighters and fans. It was Royval who emerged victorious via a close split decision, but both men are likely to be mentioned for Fight of the Year when 2024 comes to a close.

Performance of the Night bonuses went to Temirov and Carpenter.

Temirov made the most of his UFC debut, needing less than three minutes to show off his precision striking and finish off CJ Vergara. It was the 10th straight win for Temirov, who immediately positions himself as a player in the flyweight division.

Carpenter also kept a streak going as he improved his pro record to 8-0 with a two-round drubbing of Lucas Rocha. The 28-year-old defused Rocha’s offense with powerful wrestling before finishing him with a rear-naked choke. This is Carpenter’s first Performance of the Night bonus.

No matter where you live in the US, there’s a high likelihood F1 Arcade is eyeing available properties in your area. The immersive racing experience, which opened its second American location in Washington, DC this week, is poised for rapid expansion with plans to launch 30 venues across the country over the next five years.

Much like how Topgolf revolutionized the way Americans interact with the sport of golf, F1 Arcade is aiming to translate the high-octane world of Formula 1 into an accessible, social experience for everyone — not just for die-hard motorsport fans or hobby sim racers.

“We market to a wide audience,” says Jon Gardner, US president of F1 Arcade, who oversaw the opening of the first location in Boston earlier this year (there are also venues in London and in Birmingham, UK).

“Our customers are split 50/50 male and female. We do see gamers come in but it’s not just for them. We’re seeing that Americans aren’t just here for the racing simulators, they want a full night-out with food, drinks, and entertainment. All signs point to people wanting this kind of social, immersive experience … it really is for everyone.”

F1 Arcade is not only targeting die-hard fans, but other markets, too

Photo by: Farrah Skeiky

F1 Arcade founder and CEO Adam Breeden, who co-founded Puttshack — an upscale version of mini-golf — with Topgolf creators Steven and Dave Jolliffe, is no stranger to the world of sports entertainment. Gardner, who also worked at Puttshack before joining F1 Arcade, says they’ve brought learnings from these golf-centric concepts into Formula 1. “We’re asking, how do you take the magic of F1 — an experience that only 20 people in the world get to have — and bring it to the masses?”

At the core of the approach is curating an experience that’s equally enjoyable for F1 fanatics and those who have never heard of the name Max Verstappen. Only 1% of F1 viewers will ever attend a race in-person, and unlike sports like football or baseball, racing isn’t something fans can easily do in their spare time.

F1 Arcade bridges that gap between the sport and its fans, offering some of the world’s most realistic racing simulators paired with premium food and beverage options, reminiscent of F1’s ultra-exclusive Paddock Club. The result is an ideal space for fans looking to connect with one another, whether on a casual night out or during an early morning race watch party. 

Along with state-of-the-art simulators, customers can enjoy premium food and beverage options

Photo by: Farrah Skeiky

Community-building is central to the business’s strategy, with Gardner pointing to the number of return customers attending the Boston location’s successful watch parties. “They’re a true party,” he says of the DJ-hosted events. “People come in at 6 or 7 a.m. to watch the races – before we’re even allowed to serve alcohol. That’s how passionate they are.” He also stresses the importance of integrating into the fabric within each market they’re entering: “We want to make sure that wherever we’re going, we’re a part of the community.”

The decision to open in Washington DC — a secondary market compared to F1 hubs like Miami, Austin or Las Vegas — was strategic. “DC is such an international city, with ambassadors from all over the world, a thriving sports culture, and a sophisticated food and drink scene,” Gardner says. “There’s also a lot of F1 fans here: Union Market [where the new venue is located] has been showing races for years, and it’s always packed.” 

The Boston location has already seen success by hosting race watch parties for locals

Photo by: Farrah Skeiky

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It’s a formula the business plans to replicate in 28 other American cities while on its pursuit to become a household name in the sports entertainment landscape. “There’s so much runway ahead of us,” Gardner says, noting new locations are slated to open in Philadelphia and Vegas in 2025. The timing is ideal, as the sport continues gaining mainstream popularity, thanks in part to next summer’s ‘F1’ movie starring Brad Pitt and growing celebrity endorsements (even presidential nominee Kamala Harris declared her love for the sport earlier this week).

And Gardner is confident the hype won’t be dying down anytime soon. “I don’t think this moment is going anywhere,” he says confidently.

LEE CARSLEY believes England can win the 2026 World Cup — but only if the Three Lions embrace change.

Interim boss Carsley saw his gamble to play without a recognised No 9 backfire in the shock 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday.

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England’s men have not won a major tournament since 1966. But after two Euro final defeats, Carsley is on a mission to find the magic formula that will see Harry Kane and Co finally end 60 years of hurt.

Carsley said: “I’m really wary of the fact that the last time we won something was 1966, so we have to have that ability to try something different. We’re not that far away. We have been close twice.

“It was important that I put my own stamp on the team and the squad and tried something different because the understanding is that, unless it changes, it won’t change.”

Predecessor Gareth Southgate took England to the last two Euros finals, losing to Italy on penalties in 2021 and 2-1 against Spain in the summer.

He also oversaw World Cup campaigns that ended at the semi-final stage in 2018 and last eight two years ago.

But Southgate was often criticised for being too cautious tactically.

Now Carsley, who takes charge for the fourth time as caretaker on Sunday’s Nations League clash with Finland, added: “Your human instinct is to be safe, to go with things that you’re comfortable with.

“But I felt it was important to be out of my comfort zone.

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“I have to try something because we’ve got to put ourselves in a position where we can win.

“To think that we can just do the same again and expect something different is naive.

“I don’t want to sit back in a month’s time with regrets that I was safe. This is a great opportunity, not only for myself but for the rest of the staff and players to try something different.

“We’re also looking bigger picture in terms of World Cup qualification and then hopefully the World Cup — that we’ve got a good understanding of the player capabilities.”

Some reports claim Carsley has doubts over taking the job long-term but he refuses to rule himself out completely.

He said: “I don’t see this as an audition. I don’t see it as the biggest chance I have ever had.

“I see it as a privilege. I see it as an unbelievable responsibility.

“I have got three more games left and I want to try to make sure that the squad are in a really good position.

The youth paves the way

“That we have seen players play in different positions and we are in a healthy position.”

Carsley, 50, wants to adopt a more attacking brand of football, having triumphed at last year’s Under-21 Euros playing that way.

It was the latest in a number of youth competitions won by England in the last decade.

And Carsley believes it will pave the way to senior success — just like it has for Germany and Spain in recent decades.

Asked if he really felt England can win the next World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico, the former Everton midfielder replied: “Yeah.

“The past is a good indicator of the future and we’ve got quite a few players now that have won a lot with England. They’ve felt that before.

England stars ‘used to winning’

“They come to St George’s, they come on England camps, and they’re used to winning.

“They’re used to being in the latter stages of competitions and being successful. That can only be a good thing for us.

“If you think back to that Germany team, and the Spain team, that were really successful at the younger age groups that came through.

“I think potentially we could be coming into a period of that ilk.

“We’ve been so close in the past and with a bit more luck, or belief, on our side it could have been different.

“But as we stand at the minute it’s not, so I believe that we could be coming into a phase of that kind of success.”