This time last year Emma Hayes’s relationship with international football was very different. Her face adorned ITV’s posters promoting its commentary team for the broadcaster’s coverage of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The decorated Chelsea manager, celebrated for her astute technical analysis at both men’s and women’s major tournaments, was on a break from the day-to-day grind of club football management.
The dismal showing of the back-to-back world champions, the USA, was picked apart by Hayes on screen and in print. Youth development in the US was criticised, a lack of creative talent coming through pinpointed as a key issue, and the togetherness of the team was questioned.
