Rachel Daly has expressed her frustration over starting as a substitute for England’s 1-0 defeat of Haiti in their opening game of the World Cup, saying: “No one is happy to sit on the bench.”
Who would lead the line for the Lionesses had been a hot topic of conversation before Saturday’s contest, with Alessia Russo ultimately preferred by the head coach, Sarina Wiegman. The position is hugely competitive, with Daly having finished the Women’s Super League season as top scorer and Bethany England having scored 12 goals in 12 league games after moving from Chelsea to Tottenham in January in search of regular game time. Daly was many people’s pick to get a starting place but that did not prove the case.
“No one is happy to sit on the bench,” said Daly, who started at left-back during last year’s European Championship before moving to Aston Villa to play up front and stake a claim for her favoured No 9 position. “If you are [happy to sit on the bench], then you are not in the right place, not in the right career. It’s a tough place for Sarina to be, to pick the team. I respect her decisions and I will support Alessia all the way and obviously I know Beth will do the same.”
“That’s the beauty of having a competitive squad,” Daly said. “Everybody is digging out for a position. It’s a headache Sarina has to have in multiple positions. I wouldn’t like to be in her shoes making such big decisions coming into tournaments. But she’s a fantastic manager, we respect all of her decisions. It proved tonight that it works, so we are happy.”
England looked rusty against a very good Haiti side, struggling to find a way through the middle, with Keira Walsh particularly well-marked. Instead, they looked to the wide players to make the difference.
“I wouldn’t say [we were rusty],” Daly said. “Obviously, we are coming off the back of some time off after the season, but no I wouldn’t say that. I think Haiti were a fantastic side and they are a force to be reckoned with. I think they will do some damage. I think you have got give credit to the opposition as well, they were brilliant.”
“It’s nice to have the first game done,” Russo said. “Ultimately, the three points is the most important thing but lots to reflect on, lots to build on and all preparations heading towards Denmark now.
“We’ll be back to training this week and training hard to push on now but tournaments are always about winning and that’s the most important thing tonight.”
Daly managed to get on against Haiti, for Russo, in the 76th minute and the 31-year-old’s movement, coupled with tiring Haitian legs, opened up the game. “I think movement is probably one of my strengths,” she said. “I just tried to come on and make a nuisance of myself for the defenders, stepping in off the back of Alessia’s big shift. She did brilliantly tonight again, and I am just ready when I am called upon.”
England were in a similar position at last year’s successful Euros campaign, looking far from their fluid and clinical best in a 1-0 defeat of Austria at Old Trafford. “The girls were just saying that then, actually. It’s a bit of deja vu,” said Daly. “But, look, 1-0, three points on the board, we will take that. That’s all that matters coming out of games in the group and for the foreseeable.”
Is there any concern over the lack of goals, with England not having scored a goal from open play since the Finalissima in April? “No, I don’t think I ever worry about goals and winning with this team,” Russo said. “I think we’ve got a very special talented squad and I know that people show up at the right times.”
Daly added: “I mean you could put it down to a number of things, but I think we are quite a new side, a relatively new side. We have lost a lot of players through injury, retiring. We are still building, but I don’t think it’s a worry and a concern at the minute. Hopefully, more will come.”
