Sarina Wiegman says she has wanted England’s players to feel uncomfortable so they can learn new things before Euro 2025.
With seven months to go until the tournament, the defending champions welcome its hosts, Switzerland, to Sheffield’s Bramall Lane on Tuesday for their fourth and final friendly of a block of home games this autumn. The Lionesses have lost to Germany, beaten South Africa and drawn with the USA, the Olympic champions.
Wiegman says she will “rotate a lot” with her team selection. “That [feeling uncomfortable] is what you need at moments,” she said. “Before we go into the tournament, you want clarity and everyone knowing their role. But now you’re trying out things, now you want everyone to compete at the highest level, to compete against opponents but also compete with each other. That’s what you need to become better, and that’s uncomfortable. And also trying out things, those are new things, and of course we’re not going to get everything right but we’re learning and it gives us information.
“We play four friendlies – it gives opportunities for us to try out things, to play many players … we want to get as much information as possible and develop our style of play, and experience where we’re at at the moment.”
The Manchester City playmaker Jess Park, speaking before a game for which about 27,000 tickets have been sold, said she was glad to be tested in different ways: “I enjoy it. It’s the only way that you learn. It’s the only way that you find out what you need to work on.”
After England conceded sloppy goals against Germany and South Africa, they were much sharper defensively on Saturday at Wembley and deployed their wingers in a notably deeper role. Wiegman implied that fans can expect that to change against a side ranked 25th in the world, 23 places below England, but warned against underestimating Switzerland.
This is England’s final friendly before six Nations League fixtures from February until June. The Lionesses will be without the forwards Chloe Kelly and Fran Kirby after they sustained concussion and a calf injury respectively as substitutes in the goalless draw with the USA. Wiegman said it was “very disappointing, first of all for them, and for us too, and of course, for the clubs, that they are not available next weekend”. The forwards Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone were already ruled out by injury.
Youngsters including the Leicester holding midfielder Ruby Mace and the Manchester City attacking midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown could get their debuts. “I think they’re ready,” Wiegman said. “They are coming through the environment, they’ve done well in training sessions, they are working really hard. They have also done well in the under-23s. They don’t just come here to be a training player.”
Wiegman was asked whether she had been impressed by Manchester United’s Grace Clinton, who starred against South Africa in October but was not selected against the USA. “Yes, I’m excited [about Clinton],” she said. “We have many talented players. What we want is consistency and what I talk with Grace about a lot is she needs to stay switched on at all times.
“She’s tight on the ball but she also shows she can come into the box. I think defensively her understanding needs to be improved and the consistency and what I said about being switched on and to just know what the bigger picture is than only her own task.”
