An image that has clung to Lee Carsley, however cruelly, is of an overpromoted PE master parachuted into an office whose status and symbolism he neither understands nor reveres. In five weeks, he has made his six-game audition to become England’s next long-term manager look less like a chance to be embraced than an ordeal to be endured.

Thomas Tuchel, the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich head coach was installed as the 4/7 ON favourite with Ladbrokes and Coral to take the permanent position but he has drifted out to 13/8 with William Hill while Pep is 5/1 with Betfred and Carsley is as big as 8/1 with bet365.

Poor Lee Carsley. Whatever responsibilities he volunteered to undertake with the national team, he would not have anticipated a game of cat and mouse with the media. He would have been better prepared having done a season on Strictly Come Dancing, where quick feet and changes of direction are meat and drink to participants.

With interim head coach Lee Carsley not being drawn on the permanent England manager job, BBC Sport looks at what happens next.

Lee Carsley has appeared to rule himself out of becoming England’s next permanent manager following the Three Lions’ 3-1 win over Finland in the Nations League on Sunday night. The 50-year-old was appointed as Gareth Southgate ’s interim successor for England’s six Nations League games across September, October and November.

Carsley is determined to leave the Three Lions in ‘a better place’ and conceded he is not in his ‘comfort zone’ after rebounding from defeat to Greece with victory against Finland