England manager Sarina Wiegman has pinpointed their final game of the year against Norway as a great opportunity for the squad’s younger players to show what they can do.
The Lionesses take on a Norway side ranked 12th in the FIFA rankings after easing past Japan 4-0, as they look to complete 2022 without losing a single game. The European champions do have some notable absentees with Beth Mead, Lucy Bronze, Lauren Hemp and Jordan Nobbs all having already withdrawn from the squad.
But some of the squad’s younger talent including Jess Park, who scored just over a minute into her senior debut, Lauren James, Ebony Salmon and Esme Morgan impressed in the win over Japan. And the England boss is hoping for more of the same against Norway.
“The younger players are doing good, I think it is a great opportunity for them,” said Wiegman. “We saw last Friday that with lots of changes and some younger players in that they were finding their way.
“It is good for them but also good for us to see where they are at.”
England thrashed Norway 8-0 in the last meeting between the two on their way to European Championship glory in the summer.
A Mead hat-trick, plus goals from Ellen White, Georgia Stanway, Hemp and Alessia Russo helped England soar into the last eight of the Euros. However, former England interim boss Hege Riise has since taken charge of the 1995 world champions and Wiegman is predicting a tougher test this time around.
“We expected a different Norway when we played them that day (the 8-0 win in the Euros),” she said. “I think we played really well and they didn’t have a good day at all.
“I think since then they have changed coaches and changed their style of play. They are a more defensive unit, with more emphasis on their defence so we expect a very different game.
“That last game (the 8-0) was a really nice game for us as it got us into the next round of the Euros.
“This is a totally different game, they have different players, it is a different situation and they have another coach.
“They have a different style of play and we expect they will come with a different shape, so it will be completely different.”
Wiegman also played down any issue with Mead who withdrew from the camp on Saturday due to family circumstances. Mead was the subject of plenty of pre-match discussion before the Japan game after she was quoted in a recent interview with The Guardian, that the lack of diversity in the England team was 'coincidental'. However, in a subsequent interview she stated this was not a 'true reflection' of her values.
“Beth I think was misinterpreted,” Wiegman added. “I know Beth and she is an incredible person.
“Her values are really, really good so I think we’ll just leave it now. We can leave her alone a little bit with the circumstances she is in.
“We all know she is a very good person.”
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