Knockout games sometimes call for bold decisions, and Carsley made four. He played Jay Stansfield up top from the start for his first start in Slovakia, whilst changing shape from a 4-2-4 to a more standard 4-3-3, looking to take control of the midfield possession battle.
He also left out Elliott Anderson in favour of Tyler Morton, whilst reinstating Tino Livramento to his natural right-back position.
All those fine details looked set to be blown up after a penalty was given to Spain following a Charlie Cresswell handball. That was overturned through VAR, and that settled the Young Lions.
They took charge of play after that, the interplay the best it has been in the tournament so far as Stansfield pressed with intensity and England’s shape held firm. The reward soon followed.
Before the tournament, James McAtee made the decision to come to the European Championship rather than join Manchester City at the Club World Cup. In truth, he had not found his level in the group stages, but all that melted away in the 10th minute.
An Alex Scott corner from the left fell kindly to the diminutive playmaker, and he made no mistake from six yards. The celebrations for the goal told their own story, one of exhilaration and relief.
Those were magnified five minutes later. Jarrel Quansah moved forward through the lines with purpose before taking a shot that was split by Alejandro Iturbe. Elliott was quickest to it and poked home to double England’s lead.
England looked renewed and revitalised after their barren run in front of goal in the group stage. Here, they were clinical and dynamic.
During that group stage, where they picked up four points from three games, their play felt predictable and easy to defend against. In Trnava, that had morphed into varied football, from short passing moves that saw Spain split open to long balls over the top to one of the forwards.
Carsley had adapted his system, and it was paying dividends as they had their best period in the tournament by some margin.
Spain, as the Young Lions found out two years ago in the final, are not to be underestimated. After Scott gave the ball away on the edge of his box, Alberto Moleiro fell over the leg of Quansah, giving the referee an easy decision to point to the spot - VAR didn’t need to intervene this time.
Two years ago, James Trafford saved that pivotal penalty in the final; however, history didn’t repeat itself as Javi Guerra sent James Beadle the wrong way to halve the deficit.
The introduction of Raul Moro, a target for Ajax, gave the Spanish a new lease of life. It’s easy to see why clubs are circling the winger as he continually burst past a rather helpless Hinshelwood before beating him on his inside.
It was Spain’s game with 20 minutes to go, as England looked to hold on to what they had, removing Elliott and McAtee for more defensively minded players only reinforced that.
With time running out and Spain throwing numbers forward, England had two chances to shoot, but both were unable to find the target.
At the other end, England’s most experienced player at this level, Charlie Cresswell, was a titan at the back, heading away cross after cross. He wore the captain’s armband after McAtee’s substitution, and he wore it with pride.
Anderson, another change in the second half, added the gloss to a challenging but rewarding night for England. He slotted home the penalty, well won by Jonathan Rowe, to send his side to Bratislava and a date with the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
A post-whistle brawl broke out with Elliott grabbed by the neck and Cresswell having to be pulled away as both sides piled in.
That will be of little consequence to Carsley, and he will have some more bold decisions to make before then, but this will give him and his side the confidence they can go all the way once more.
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