After an unconvincing win against Haiti, Sarina Wiegman has a few problems to address before Friday’s match with DenmarkThere is a Fran Kirby-shaped hole in the No 10 position that Ella Toone is struggling to fill. To be fair to Toone, few could replace the ingenuity and guile of Kirby. Toone is a different style of player, a very, very good one with bags of potential, but more box-to-box. Against Haiti, Toone had most success shifted to the left and struggled to make things happen down the middle. If Sarina Wiegman is not going to change the shape to make the midfield work most effectively with the sum of its parts, then Lauren James is the more natural successor to...
Haiti give the Lionesses a scare in their World Cup opener and progress is required before the sterner test of DenmarkAfter months of buildup, England took to the World Cup stage in Brisbane with a frail defensive display that posed more questions than it provided answers. For a side whose success last summer depended so heavily on their ability in defence, they were made to look fragile, and at times chaotic, by a fast and tenacious Haiti side who took the game to the European champions.The Lionesses’ backline was always going to be a focal point when Millie Bright was declared fit by Sarina Wiegman a little over 24 hours before kick-off. The England captain played her first 90 minutes...
Lack of settled lineup could also cause problems for opposition, while talents such as Lauren James have a huge opportunityThe key to England’s success under Sarina Wiegman has been consistency but injuries are causing uncertainty, an unfamiliar feeling for the Lionesses. Entering the World Cup without some key players is a problem but they have plenty who know how to be successful to counteract the losses.One player who has excelled under Wiegman is Keira Walsh. She is in Australia after a Champions League-winning campaign with Barcelona, so will be confident. As a deep-lying playmaker, she is crucial to England’s style and opponents know that. Walsh is a highly intelligent player who reads the game superbly and has been targeted recently...
The manager used all of her attacking riches in a bid to break down Portugal before their World Cup adventure beginsWhen it comes to foreign travel there are two types of people. The first leaves things late, hits the check-in desk just before closing, takes foreign currency from the airport cash point and forgets to print out the car hire voucher. The second, well, suffice to say that this group would include Sarina Wiegman.A friendly stalemate in the benign surrounds of Milton Keynes is unlikely to offer much in the way of insight as to how the Women’s World Cup will pan out when it kicks off this month. But it did show the England head coach placing an emphasis...
Beyond Borders’ Inspiring a Generation? report hopes to help more young people form a connection with England’s playersI’ll be honest. I don’t think the Lionesses matter that much to my friends. I’m not sure that women’s football matters that much to them, either.Most of my friends are people I’ve known since school. A lot are boys. We are all from London. We are all tapped into the cultural mix of music, motives, fashion and food that makes our city one of the coolest places to live in the world. Continue reading...