![]() "The likes of Lauren James haven't got much international experience, but she's having a great season with Chelsea and she's got to go and prove it on the international stage now." Greenwood can be relied upon in defenceĪlex Greenwood came on as a substitute in five of England's six matches at Euro 2022 "There are a lot of young players that haven't had that much experience with England so this was a perfect chance for them," former England captain Steph Houghton told BBC Radio 5 Live. Robinson was particularly impressive, playing with "freedom" and picking up an assist, while Manchester United defender Maya le Tissier also started at right-back. James was undoubtedly England's best player but there were full debuts for Brighton's Katie Robinson, 20, and Manchester City's Jess Park, 21, on loan at Everton, in the 2-1 win over Italy. ![]() One of the biggest highlights of the tournament was seeing the impact of England's young players. "I'm not surprised, but it just confirmed that the competition is really going on." England future is brightīrighton winger Katie Robinson started the 2-1 victory over Italy "Laura Coombs came into midfield to see what that balance was like and I was pretty happy with that," said Wiegman, when asked about selection issues. With Kirby still to return and those three having all appeared at the Arnold Clark Cup, there is a decision to be made on who Wiegman takes to the World Cup in July. Meanwhile, Manchester United captain Katie Zelem, who just missed out on selection for Euro 2022, came off the bench against Italy and South Korea to play 45 minutes in each.Īnd there was a substitute appearance from Manchester City's Laura Coombs against South Korea - her first in an England shirt in eight years. Injury to Chelsea's Fran Kirby meant a late call-up for Aston Villa's Jordan Nobbs, but she made just one substitute appearance in the tournament. Wiegman did not change her midfield trio - or entire starting XI - during the Euros, but there may be a spot in the squad for several players to challenge for. ![]() Midfielder Jordan Nobbs joined Aston Villa from Arsenal in the January transfer windowĮngland's midfield remains highly competitive. It's fantastic that England don't just have one centre-forward, there's a few options." A midfield place is up for grabs "You can't discount Beth England to come back into the mix as well. She plays there week in, week out as a striker - she's scoring goals and she's creating a lot for her team," former England defender Gilly Flaherty told BBC Radio 5 Live. "You can't ignore Daly's form at Aston Villa. It means Wiegman has a selection headache up front, while Tottenham's Beth England, who has scored four in five matches since moving to north London, did not even make the cut for Arnold Clark Cup selection. She scored two crucial goals in a narrow 2-1 win over Italy when she started in attack, coming on as a substitute for regular number nine Alessia Russo in the other two matches, also making an impact. She was used as a left-back throughout England's Euro success and has played at full-back under Wiegman as well as former boss Phil Neville.īut after scoring 10 goals in 13 matches for Villa in the Women's Super League this season, calls for her to start up front were hard to ignore for Wiegman - and Daly did not disappoint. One of the big takeaways of the Arnold Clark Cup was the role of Aston Villa's Rachel Daly. Rachel Daly (left) and Alessia Russo (right) both scored during the tournament An impact player, who hasn't played 90 minutes in every game but has definitely made an impact and fully deserves the player of the tournament award." Who will play number nine? You don't see players like Lauren James come around very often," said former England striker Eniola Aluko on ITV. She scored in the opening victory over South Korea, picked up an assist from the bench against Italy and was named player of the tournament after tormenting Belgium in the final match.Ī year ago, James was struggling for minutes at Chelsea and was not even considered for selection at Euro 2022 - now she must go to the World Cup and is set for a starring role. Lauren James has made seven appearances for England's senior teamĬhelsea forward Lauren James, 21, was the standout performer at the Arnold Clark Cup. So what else did the Lionesses learn as they prepare for the World Cup in five months' time? James must start at World Cup Manager Sarina Wiegman has choices to make when selecting her starting XI, the youngsters have improved squad depth and the unbeaten run now stands at 29 matches.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |