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A European champions badge was sewn onto the sleeve of each England player’s jersey for their opening 2025 European Championship qualifier against Sweden on Friday, a match which ended in a 1-1 draw. 1. It is a reminder, which will remain throughout the qualifying campaign, of their greatest achievement.
However, that is now a thing of the past and, with the under-23 team looking on at Wembley in a nod to the future, the truth is that at present the senior women’s team d England is in something of a rut.
Before the World Cup final in August, England had lost just once in 38 matches under Sarina Wiegman. However, in their last 10 matches they have won six, drawn one and been beaten in three, including that 1-0 defeat to Spain in Sydney.
The performance against Sweden was disappointing and the goal conceded was “unnecessary”, according to Wiegman. England struggled to put pressure on Sweden and struggled to escape when pressed themselves. They were undone by simple long balls and Lucy Bronze, who was exposed against Barcelona scorer and team-mate Fridolina Rolfo, said England “lost the ball too easily”.
Wiegman called for more precise decision-making, keeping the ball longer and moving it faster. These are words we have heard before.
💬 “The goal we conceded was really unnecessary”
🗣️ Sarina Wiegman spoke with @KatieShanahan3 after England’s draw against Sweden#ENGSWE pic.twitter.com/dPRp0JPQzV
– ITV Football (@itvfootball) April 5, 2024
Only four of Friday’s 10 first-choice outfielders – Bronze, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp – have started Euro 2022. It doesn’t appear there has been a major overhaul, but Wiegman, in his calm approach and thoughtful, introduced new faces, tinkering with the team. It has not yet reached the level of performance now expected.
“We’ve had a lot of changes in terms of new faces since the Euros,” said Bronze, 32, who will equal former England captain Steph Houghton in terms of international caps (121) if she starts the next qualifier against the Republic of England. Ireland in Dublin tomorrow (Tuesday). “We have a very young team, excluding myself, Alex (Greenwood, central defense) and Mary (Earps, goalkeeper). In this regard, we have a lot to learn. But we have plenty of time to continue improving.
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That said, the average age of this England team is only slightly younger (25.8) compared to that of Euro 2022 (26.4) and on par with the group that traveled at last year’s World Cup (25.6). As for the number of selections, Wiegman’s current team is more experienced than during this World Cup (40.4 against 31.8) and just as experienced as during the previous Euro (40.4 against 40.1 ).
Despite the new personnel, the basic structure of the team under Wiegman remains the same: 4-3-3 in possession with a single pivot, Walsh, and two other attacking midfielders. “We have a DNA and we want to stick to it,” Hemp said. “It’s like one person comes in, leaves, and then another person comes in and kind of does the same thing.”
But the opponents understood Wiegman’s England.
A key part of their DNA is Walsh pulling the strings in midfield. Sweden, like many teams, watched like a hawk, preventing England’s build-up play, forcing them out wide. Finding alternative threats when Walsh is targeted is not a new problem and one Wiegman said they have to solve every game.
Within their form, there are different elements in this England team compared to the Euros.
Of the six new starters, Greenwood and Lotte Wubben-Moy formed Wiegman’s centre-back pairing in place of captain Leah Williamson, who Wiegman said was available, and Millie Bright, who returns to full fitness after a long spell. absence due to injury. Niamh Charles is a more natural fit at left-back than Rachel Daly. Midfield disruptor and very similar player to Stanway, Grace Clinton, won her third cap and first outing at Wembley. She was preferred to Fran Kirby and Ella Toone in the number 10 role, while Wiegman opted for Lauren James over Beth Mead and Chloe Kelly on the wing and Alessia Russo in England’s number 9 role.
🅰️James
⚽️ RussianEngland score first goal on route to Euro 2025#ENGSWE pic.twitter.com/K4xGAMWG4h
– ITV Football (@itvfootball) April 5, 2024
James has panache, as demonstrated by her assist, but if she is to be pushed aside she needs dynamic runs to allow her space to move or to thread a pass into the box. Wiegman said she “wanted more energy in the team” and “more tempo,” hence her decision to release James.
It also appears that the question of who should play at number 9 has not gone away.
Russo is a different player than the retired Ellen White, who led the line two years ago. Her hold-up game is better and she tends to go deeper to connect the play more often. But, despite playing her first match on Friday and winning player of the match, she is yet to score a goal for England or Arsenal, scoring just six in the match. Women’s Super League (WSL) for her new club this season. Interestingly, when Russo came out against Sweden, Wiegman opted to put Hemp, who said after the match that “his main priority was the wing”, at center forward, reminiscent of the second half of the World Cup final.
In the past, Wiegman’s message has focused on cruelty, but England did not put the match to bed on Friday.
We haven’t seen smooth attacking football from them against top opposition for some time now. Against Sweden, England recorded their fourth lowest expected goals (xG) total (1.11) since the start of the World Cup. When we see Spain beat Belgium 7-0 away (the Belgians beat the English visitors 3-2 last year), it puts their performances into perspective.
Wiegman and his team are passionate about helping their players develop and the way they do it is respected within the team. Wiegman’s assistant Arjan Veurink visits players such as Clinton during their WSL matches.
“Throughout my time with England, Sarina has spoken to me about what I need to work on, what I do well,” said Wubben-Moy, a member of the squad who has only played no minutes either at the Euro or the World Cup. Cup. “Delayed gratification brings a lot of joy.”
“My relationship (with the manager) is exactly the same now as it was then,” added Greenwood, who did not start a match at the Euros. “It was obviously frustrating, of course, but I was a great team player. Playing now, I’m in good shape, I love playing in this team. Nothing changes for me and Sarina.
This English team is not there yet. There is no need for radical changes, but there are concerns about recurring issues. Taking Wubben-Moy and Greenwood’s development over the years as examples, there must be improvements and there could be further changes ahead of Euro 2025, if they qualify, in Switzerland next summer .
(Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)