The Football Association have reached a crossroads in their search for the manager to lead England into the next World Cup and beyond, following their defeat to Greece on Thursday.

Their choice is an unenviable one. Granting the role to Lee Carsley was the obvious option at the end of the September international break, but a tactically negligent defeat against Greece - ranked 48th in the world - has dealt a hammer blow to his hopes. 

Despite leading England U21s to European glory in 2023, Carsley is unpolished, both tactically and in front of the media. 

Perhaps the biggest sign of his absence of readiness to lead one of the most prestigious footballing nations on the planet was his tactless response to questions about his future on Thursday night. 

When considering whether defeat to Greece rules him out of the running for the full-time job, Carsley responded: "I was quite surprised after the last camp in terms of ‘the job is mine’ and ‘it’s mine to lose’ and all the rest of it. My remit has been clear from the start – I’m doing three camps. There are three games left, and then, hopefully, I’ll be going back to the under-21. It has almost no impact."

Credit: PA

Naturally, Carsley's careless declaration evoked criticism surrounding his lack of ambition while portraying the sense that the full-time job does not interest him. However, following their 2-1 victory over Ukraine, interim under-21s boss Ben Futcher shared that Carsley's words were misconstrued. 

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"I've seen that interview. I think it's probably taken a little bit out of context, what he said, if I'm being honest.

Carsley's future not only has an impact on the seniors but the entire youth system, with managers promoted across the board at St George's Park. 

Futcher - who is unbeaten in three games as under-21s boss - admitted that he is not worried about his own future, whether that be with the U21s or another age bracket.

"My remit was to step in while Lee was with the seniors, to try and get qualification for the tournament.

"So that's my job. I'm just stepping in, trying to help out, trying to help a really talented group of players qualify and perform well. So that's where I'm at and I'll take it, you know, one camp at a time."

In his brief spell as U21s boss, Futcher has shown that he is ready to step up, he has all-but guided the Young Lions to Euros qualification, while producing attractive football. 

His future, however, could rely on Carsley's fate, which is unlikely to be with the senior team.

Currently, there is not a natural candidate to take the first-team role on a full-time basis, Eddie Howe is widely regarded as the FA's favoured candidate, but will they be able to lure him away from Newcastle? 

Elsewhere, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Pep Guardiola are potential candidates but there is not a standout favourite. 

The FA face a difficult decision and may wait for dominos to fall before employing a permanent senior boss. For now, that could mean an extension of interim periods - due to end after the November international break - across the national football centre. 

FA CEO Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott do have time on their side when it comes to deciding the future of English football, with the international break following the scheduled interim period over four months away. 

No matter the final decision involving the entire set-up, Futcher can be pleased with the job he has done with the U21s and should he be installed as the permanent Young Lions boss it would be a deserved appointment. 

On Friday night, after practically achieving the goal of Euros qualification, Futcher conveyed his joy: "I'm delighted, I don't think we've officially qualified, but that was the remit, tonight was about winning the game. We knew how difficult it was going to be.

"They'd won eight out of eight, so it was always going to be a tough night and it was. But the character the lad showed, do you know what? It was outstanding. They're absolutely buzzing in there, and rightly so." 

England U21s face Azerbaijan in their final qualifier at Ashton Gate on Tuesday night.