As Sarina Wiegman admitted she is willing to twist rather than stick, England are still in a position where they are needing more than that. The Lionesses go into their second match of the Women’s World Cup against Denmark looking to rediscover their goalscoring form and lift the mood that was left rather flat by the opening 1-0 win against Haiti on Saturday.
There are lots of reasons not to panic. It is true to say that the opening games in tournaments are rarely easy, and that the Lionesses also laboured to a 1-0 win over Austria to kick off the Euros last summer. Wiegman’s teams are typically slow starters, with her Netherlands sides winning 1-0 in their first matches at both the 2017 Euros, which they won, and the 2019 World Cup, where they reached the final.
While Denmark are considered to be England’s toughest test of Group D, Haiti, led by their 18-year-old star Melchie Dumornay, were also stronger opposition than anyone was expecting, playing a high-tempo match that the Lionesses did not seem ready for at this stage of the tournament. But England won, and should Haiti go on to trouble China and Denmark, that result will undoubtedly be viewed in a very different context.
Yet England’s form must also be viewed within the context of how they arrived at the World Cup. With Georgia Stanway firing England’s winner against Haiti from the penalty spot, the Lionesses have now not scored from open play in their last three games – or a span of 367 minutes going back to Ella Toone’s opener against Brazil in the Finalissima at Wembley. For a team blessed with attacking options, and who scored 80 goals in 10 games in qualifying, there has been an alarming drop-off in their creative output.
There had been a general acceptance that the goals would come should England continue to get into the right positions, but against Haiti, the chances dried up as the Lionesses struggled to find control. To some, changes are not just an option, they are required. Wiegman said afterwards that they needed more “ruthlessness” in their attack. Now, the manager is being asked if she will bring the same approach to her team selection.
“That I’m more likely to make changes doesn’t have to do with that,” Wiegman said. "I want to make changes. What we do is approach every game, and then when we get ready for that game we see who is fit and available, and then we make decisions [as] to what we need to start with. And then we decide whether we are going to start with the same 11 or maybe make some changes."
Wiegman and England ahead of facing Denmark in Sydney— (The FA via Getty)
For England, it’s a chance to reset and start again. For a manager who famously named the same starting line-up in every game at the Euros last summer, it would almost be an admission from Wiegman that England aren’t where she would want them to be. There was an expectation that the side named against Haiti would be the strongest the Lionesses could put out, but that still left Lauren James and Rachel Daly on the bench and England’s performance suggested that both were missed.
It would not be a surprise to see James start, and if Wiegman was to shake things up then starting the Chelsea forward in the No 10 role teased against Portugal in England’s send-off game could solve some of their creative issues. Against Haiti, the Lionesses struggled at times to move the ball through Kiera Walsh and out to Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly on the wings. James, with her ability to turn and drive on the ball, providing an easy option, is able to bypass that.
The 21-year-old’s relaxed style and confidence can also settle England in a match where they will expect to dominate possession. Toone, who started alongside Stanway and Walsh in midfield, has looked lost in the role she has been asked to carry out. Bringing in James in midfield and asking Stanway to sit closer to Walsh is also likely to bring a greater sense of control, after Walsh was at times marked out of the Haiti game by Dumornay, taking away England’s tempo and rhythm.
It would not be a surprise to see James start against Denmark— (The FA via Getty)
There could also be a change up front, with Alessia Russo unable to do enough to nail down her place ahead of Daly, who was another surprise omission from the opener after finishing last season’s WSL with the golden boot. If “ruthlessness” is what Wiegman wants, then Daly carries a clinical ability and an instinct to meet the service from Hemp and Kelly. Russo appears a more natural fit for the impact role off the bench; neither Daly nor James offered the same improvement as substitutes that Russo and Toone managed at the Euros last year.
The threat of Denmark captain Pernille Harder will be a familiar one for centre-backs Millie Bright and Jess Carter, as well as the rest of the Lionesses side, after the forward’s three successful years with Chelsea. Denmark will sit deep and look to frustrate England, leaving Harder as a lone raider up front. It should be a serious examination of Bright after the captain looked rusty in what was her first appearance since March.
Wiegman doesn’t want to compare the World Cup to the Euros, her team has changed since then and this is a different challenge, but after last summer’s 1-0 win against Austria came the 8-0 annihilation of Norway, and the moment their campaign really found its spark. How England would want something similar now. Victory would take them to the verge of qualifying for the knockout stages and while the Lionesses insist that it’s results over performances that matter, England could really do with a lot more.
