Hallgrimsson was also heartened by his substitutes with Jack Taylor coming closest to scoring on his international debut after replacing Evan Ferguson.

Taylor’s impact followed Festy Ebosele coming off the bench to set up Robbie Brady’s winner in Helsinki.

“Both this game and last game the guys who came in [off the bench] proved a point that they want to play and be in the team,” said Hallgrimsson.

“Again some positives to take away, maybe a lot of positives to take away from this game, but you never want to lose 2-0.”

The Icelander added: “It’s a good team, good players with maybe too little belief to go into games like this. At this level you need to have your chest forward when you play games.

“You have to be on the front foot, and it seems we need moments to get that, to concede in the last two games to start playing as we know we can.

“There is belief in this team for sure, I have belief in these guys, and I hope that people have seen that this team can be really, really good on their day.”

Georges St-Pierre is coming back to your screens.

On Friday, Netflix released a trailer for its upcoming MMA drama series, The Cage, which features UFC legend St-Pierre as well as current stars Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane.

See the video below.

The show stars Melvin Boomer as “Taylor,” a talented French fighter aiming to make it big in the world of cagefighting, with dreams of eventually competing for the UFC. He faces hard times on his way to the top, including having to deal with a dangerous rival.

In addition to a glimpse of the world-famous octagon, Poland’s KSW and France’s Ares FC promotions are also featured in the preview clip.

St-Pierre is seen having an inspirational run-in with Taylor, Gane breaks up a pre-fight brawl, and Jones provides voice-over while also holding pads for the protagonist.

The Cage premieres on Nov. 8 and airs exclusively on Netflix.

AFTER three months of uncertainty, it is now absolutely as clear as mud.

Does Lee Carsley want to be England’s permanent manager or not?

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And why is he so reluctant to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to such a simple question?

Following a team selection which brought a welcome return to common sense — and an England victory which restored a certain amount of pride — came another chaotic round of post-match interviews in which Carsley contradicted himself several times.

And given that communication is such an important part of the England job, it does not help his cause when you feel as if you are disappearing down a rabbit hole every time you speak to Carsley.

He is a likeable man and a gifted coach — but he simply doesn’t sound like an England manager.

There simply isn’t enough authority or clarity about him.

At the age of 50, Carsley has never been the full-time manager of any senior football team and it shows.

That is irrespective of the tactical car crash of Thursday’s 2-1 home defeat by Greece.

After goals from Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice had comfortably defeated a limited Finland side, came another round of riddles and muddle.

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First, the Three Lions’ interim boss told ITV the England job “deserves a world-class manager who has won trophies” and admitted that he was “still on the path to that”.

This sounded like confirmation of stories Carsley does not want the job.

England player ratings vs Finland

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ENGLAND secured a commanding 3-1 win over Finland following their horror show at home to Greece

Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay assessed the Three Lions’ stars performances.

Dean Henderson – 6

Only his second cap after long-time No1 Jordan Pickford was dropped. Not a lot to do, but pretty assured when he was called into action, including a smart, first-half stop to repel a Benjamin Kallman strike – even if the Finn was later flagged offside. Could do little to prevent Finland’s goal.

Kyle Walker – 6

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After the calamity against Greece, it was no surprise to see Lee Carsley turn to his most experienced defender. Now just nine caps shy of a century, Walker was solid. Could have had an assist late on but his cushioned down header was poor.

John Stones – 6

England’s more conventional system meant the defence was far less exposed – though Carsley’s attacking approach did still see the Finns create chances. Stones made a good early block to deny Kallman after Angel Gomes gave the ball away.

Marc Guehi – 6

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Our best defender in the Euros group stages, Guehi was back in here with Levi Colwill dropping out. Pretty assured for a player who by his own admission has not started the season particularly well for his club.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7

We saw him in midfield at the Euros, and here the Liverpool right-back was shunted to left-back. Looked vulnerable defensively at times but who cares when he produces such quality on the ball – epitomised by his terrific free-kick to kill off this game.

Angel Gomes – 8

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The big success story of the Carsley era, however long it lasts, has been bringing Gomes into the fold. He created Jack Grealish’s opener with a beautiful, flicked-pass round the corner and was excellent in possession – barring one sloppy early pass.

Declan Rice – 7

Looked far more comfortable with Gomes playing in behind him, as opposed to the one-man defensive operation he was forced to put up against the Greeks. Looked proud as punch after stroking home England’s third from Watkins’ cross.

Cole Palmer – 5

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Played in a more familiar wide right position compared to his central-midfield experiment against Greece. Yet it reduced him to a peripheral figure, adding more questions than answers as to where best to deploy him, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.

Jude Bellingham – 6

The Real Madrid superstar played off Harry Kane and had the occasional, exciting link-up with Grealish, but this was not one of his more memorable games overall.

Jack Grealish – 8

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No doubt will be hoping Carsley does get the job full-time as his fellow Brummie seems to appreciate his talents. His composed finish was his second goal in three games under Carsley – doubling his overall haul from 39 caps.

Harry Kane – 6

Cap 101 for the captain but not one he will remember particularly fondly. He offered the presence the team lacked against Greece when they played with no striker, but did not get much of a sniff in front of goal.

Subs

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Noni Madueke (for Palmer, 69) – 7
This game was made for him to make an impact off the bench and he almost teed up Watkins after one fine run but the Finns cleared.

Ollie Watkins (for Kane, 69) – 7

Low cross for Rice’s third was right on the money.

Rico Lewis (for Gomes, 80) – 6

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Slotted in at centre midfield when coming on and looked busy.

Phil Foden (for Bellingham, 80) – 5

Embraced the post ruefully after Madueke opted to shoot instead of crossing to him for a tap-in seconds after Finland’s goal. Was marking Arttu Hoskonen when the Finn headed home a consolatio.

Conor Gallagher (for Rice, 89) – 6

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His first appearance under Carsley but too late to make an impact.

Lee Carsley – 7

His tactical gamble backfired against Greece but he held his hands up and went more conventional here. It paid off as England were relatively comfortable – although his teams have looked defensively vulnerable at times in all four of his games and this was no different.

But the three best players, Gomes, Grealish and Alexander-Arnold, were all given starring roles by Carsley when used sparingly or not at all by predecessor Gareth Southgate – and for that, the interim boss should take credit.

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Given that there are literally no English world-class trophy-winning managers, did this mean Carsley was preparing us for the imminent arrival of Thomas Tuchel?

Apparently that isn’t the case either.

When asked if this comment meant he was ruling himself out of the running, he said that was not the case.

Asked why he won’t give a straight answer, Carsley said he had talked himself out of jobs when he had been a caretaker boss at clubs and didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

So if he does want the job, why not say that?

Curiouser and curiouser.

The FA’s decision to appoint Carsley for all six Nations League fixtures —  over three separate international breaks — always felt like an unnecessary stretch.

This is a long period of uncertainty to go through before the really serious business of World Cup qualification begins next year.

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Surely the FA would be better off making their long-term decision before next month’s matches against Greece in Athens and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley? Still, there have been some genuine positives from Carsley’s reign — all three of yesterday’s goalscorers in Helsinki having benefited from his management.

The hugely-popular Grealish, who became a father for the first time last week, was a shock omission from Southgate’s Euros squad but has netted twice in three starts under Carsley.

Alexander-Arnold has started all four matches under the current regime — this one as a makeshift left-back — and he conjured a gorgeous curling free-kick for the killer second goal here.

Rice, meanwhile, has enjoyed playing in his preferred No 8 role rather than the holding job he usually performed under Southgate.

Except, of course, for Thursday’s debacle against the Greeks, when the Arsenal man was horribly exposed by a gung-ho team selection.

This was England’s first journey to Helsinki’s historic Olympic Stadium since 2000 — and that also came on the back of a Wembley shambles.

Kevin Keegan had just quit in the toilets of the old national stadium with Howard Wilkinson taking charge of a goalless World Cup qualifying draw here in the Finnish capital.

After Thursday’s fiasco, Carsley selected a much more conventional team with Harry Kane fit enough to start up front after an ankle injury.

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The interim manager’s decision to drop Jordan Pickford — something Southgate barely did — made sense too after an extremely jittery display against Greece, with Dean Henderson handed a first England start.

Angel Gomes, one of Carsley’s Under-21 European champions, was polished again on his second full international start. And after turning two defenders, the little Lille anchor man provided a gorgeous outside-of-the-boot assist for Grealish to slot home the early opener.

It was only the Manchester City man’s fourth goal from 39 caps but his second under Carsley.

England were sloppy before and after half-time, Finland centre-forward Fredrik Jensen firing over from close range either side of the interval.

Alexander-Arnold and Rice both forced saves from Lukas Hradecky but England were hardly tearing it up. Midway through the second half, Carsley freshened it up by sending on Ollie Watkins for Kane and Noni Madueke for the largely anonymous Cole Palmer.

After England won a free-kick on the left, just over 26 yards out, Alexander-Arnold sized it up and curled his effort deftly into the postage stamp, Hradecky doing well even to get a hand to the ball.

Soon, Ollie Watkins darted down the left and centred low to the near post where Rice tapped in. Arttu Hoskinen then headed home a consolation from a corner, denying Henderson his clean sheet.

That mattered little, though.

Carsley’s team had played with common sense and clarity.

As for the interim manager’s post-match comments, that is an entirely different story.

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Ducati has decided to halt development of its 2024 MotoGP bike as the title battle between Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia enters the final phase.

With four events to go in the championship and 10 points separating Martin and Bagnaia in the standings, Ducati has halted the development of the GP24 so that the pair can fight for the title with the machinery they already know.

Bagnaia took his eighth win of the year and fourth double at Motegi last Sunday, completing a perfect weekend. After arriving in Japan with a 21-point deficit, the Italian recovered 11 points in a single event, confirming that the battle between him and the Spaniard is more open than ever.

Whether it is because of the equality between the two, contract commitments or a simple question of fair play, Ducati has decided to halt the development of the Desmosedici GP24.

Motorsport.com understands that the last new development came at Silverstone, two months ago, and that was a fairing on the lower sides of the bike.

Despite the fact that Martin will leave the Borgo Panigale brand at the end of the season to join Aprilia in 2025, the Bolognese manufacturer’s executives have continued to insist that the Spaniard will have exactly the same tools he had before his departure, to fight for what would be his first MotoGP title.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Dorna

Bagnaia’s and Martin’s agreements with Ducati are identical, regardless of their pay, and this can be extrapolated to Enea Bastianini and Franco Morbidelli, the other two GP24 riders. That means that any improvement that one of them receives must be available to the other three.

Precisely for this reason, the most relevant elements that Ducati tested in the collective test held last month at Misano will no longer be incorporated on the GP24, but directly on the GP25.

“At Misano, I tested a new chassis, which neither I nor Jorge will be able to use this year. Basically, because it’s an evolution that Ducati should be able to offer by contract to all the riders who ride the GP24, but unfortunately, there are not enough parts,” Bagnaia told Motorsport.com.

“Our bike [his and Martin’s] will stay as it is until the end of the season. And it’s a pity because it’s an important step forward, which could probably help to make a difference. But Ducati was always clear about that, and the two bikes will be the same until the end. This chassis will be the starting point for next year’s Ducati.”

Ducati claims to give equal treatment to the two main title contenders, but that is obviously limited to this season. Martin’s move to Aprilia meant that he did not test the chassis in question at the Marco Simoncelli circuit.

In fact, neither he nor any member of Pramac, which will switch to Yamaha bikes next season, was able to enter the Ducati’s garage, something that was customary in testing.

Asked directly about the confidence he has in Ducati to keep its promise until the finale in Valencia, Martin said: “Ducati is backing me 100%. My bike is perfect and I’m convinced that it will stay that way until the world championship is over.”

Lee Carsley said England deserve “a world-class coach” as their next manager and conceded he “is still on the path to that”.

But the interim boss insisted it was “definitely” wrong to say he has ruled himself out of the running for the permanent job and he is still keeping an “open mind”.

Carsley was placed in interim charge of the England senior team after Gareth Southgate stepped down in July, two days after England’s Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain.

The 50-year-old took on the role before England’s Nations League games “with a view to remaining in the position throughout autumn”, while the Football Association continued its recruitment process for a new head coach.

Carsley has not confirmed he is in line for the permanent position, but after Thursday’s loss to Greece at Wembley said he would “hopefully be going back to the U21s” – where he was head coach before moving up to cover the senior team.

After England’s 3-1 win over Finland, Carsley again distanced himself from the suggestion he hopes to stay with the senior squad permanently.

“I keep saying the same thing. My remit was six games and I’m happy with that,” he said.

“This is a privileged position. Really enjoying it but I didn’t enjoy the last two days. I’m not used to losing in an England team, I don’t take losing well.

“People are always going to try and put their chips on one side. I’m in the middle. My bosses have made it clear what they need from me.

“This job deserves a world-class coach that has won trophies and I am still on the path to that.”

Carsley was then asked in his post-match press conference about those comments and if they meant he was out of the running for the full-time job.

“Definitely not,” he said.

“The point I was trying to make is that it is one of the top jobs in the world. I’m not part of the process but it deserves a top coach. The players we have available, we’ve got a real chance of winning. That was the point I was making.

“It was the fact that this is a world-class job. This will be up there with the best jobs in football.

“Whoever gets it is going to be at a high level. It is a privilege to do this job and I feel really well trusted.

“That’s why it was so tough the other night to lose the game and have a defeat. The response has been good.”

Carsley said he speaks to FA technical director John McDermott – one of the people in charge of the recruitment process for the manager’s job – every day but does not ask for updates on the process to find a replacement for Southgate.

Carsley was previously caretaker manager at Brentford, Birmingham City and Coventry, and says the experience of those roles is why he doesn’t want to publicly say whether he wants the England job.

“I’m definitely reluctant because in the past when I have done this caretaker or interim role I have gone so far down the ‘I don’t want the job’, I’ve actually not done the job,” he said.

“It was one of the things I spoke about when I was asked to take temporary charge – it’s important that I keep an open mind because in that case, then I’m not being reckless with my decisions.

“I’m thinking thoroughly about how the team should play, the squad I should pick – which is a challenge.”