England at the 2023 World Cup: A Tactical Preview
When the Covid-19 pandemic halted all professional football in the Spring of 2020, a set of readjustments to the footballing calendar had to be made that would have long-term repercussion's on both the men's and women's game. The completion of the 2019/20 Premier League season in the summer of 2020, aka project restart, meant that the men's Euro 2020 was moved to the summer of 2021, and with England due to host the women's version of the competition that summer, Women's Euro 2021 became Women's Euro 2022 (incidentally, the men's competition was still called Euro 2020, don't ask me why).
This all means that England will be in the unusual position of kicking off their 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign in Brisbane less than year after clinching the Euros on home soil. Despite the short turnaround, you could be forgiven for thinking that England were still on a two-year tournament cycle given the amount of turnover in the squad since last July.
Enforced Instability
One of the key principles of Sarina Wiegman's management is consistency, she named an unchanged lineup with the Netherlands for every game of their victorious Euro 2017 campaign, and repeated the trick in last summer with the Lionesses. In every game at last summer's championships, England's starting XI was as follows:
Earps, Bronze, Bright, Williamson, Daly; Walsh, Stanway, Kirby; Mead, White, Hemp
Even the subs functioned like clockwork. An attacking trio of Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and Chole Kelly came on in every game to add offensive impetus. Wiegman meticulously planned every detail, even down to the timing of the subs, with all three players introduced before the 70th minute in all but one of England's six matches. When England used all the subs available to them, it would be Alex Greenwood (who came on in five out six matches) and Jill Scott (four out of six matches) to complete the quintet. In both matches that went to extra time – the quarter final against Spain and the final against Germany, Nikita Parris was given a late cameo.
Of the players listed, only Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Kiera Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp are nailed-on starters in the same positions to the ones they played in at the Euros. A combination of retirement, injury and positional change means that England's squad has been decimated like that of a club side punching above their weight only to have their best players poached after tasting success.
White and Scott have retired, captain Leah Williamson and Euro '22 top scorer and player of the tournament Beth Mead both suffered devastating acl injuries while playing for Arsenal. Chelsea's Fran Kirby was also ruled out of the trip Down Under. Mille Bright hasn't played since April, but is in the squad and got some much-needed minutes in her legs in a recent training ground friendly against Canada. Another of England's heroes of '22, Rachel Daly, is likely to start Saturday's opener against Haiti, but will do so as a striker as opposed to a left-back, having netted 22 times this season for Aston Vila to top the WSL's goalscoring charts. This all means that stability Sarina has had to adapt her role ahead of the biggest show in women's football – to that of the tinkerer.
In the six[1] starting lineups named by Wiegman in England's matches this calendar year, no player has been an ever-present in the starting XI, with only four players (Lauren James, Daly, Jess Carter and Russo) featuring in every Lionesses game in 2023.
The table below, showing appearances made this year by each member of the 23 player squad for the World Cup creates a basic framework as to what Wiegman's preferred lineup could look like, with a number of players 'locked in' for a starting spot.
Earps, Bronze, Greenwood, Walsh, Stanway, Lauren James and Hemp – all of whom have started at least five of England's games this year - look to be nailed-on starters, as does Daly, who has been given the nod up front ahead of Russo in each of the European Champions' last two friendlies before jetting out to Oz.
Defensive Headscratchers
This leaves three spots up for grabs ahead of Saturday's opener against Haiti. The biggest headache for the Dutch manager is who starts in the centre of defence. Bright has been given the captaincy in Williamson's absence, but hasn't played a competitive game since March. Opening their campaign against the minnows of the group could be a stroke of good fortune for the Lionesses, as this may provide the experienced Chelsea centre-back with the opportunity to ease her way back into action. Given Wiegman's reticence to change her lineup, will she take a chance on starting a not match-fit Bright and use the group stages to bring her up to speed, rather than chopping and changing for a potentially daunting looking knockout phase? With England in need of players who can progress the ball from the back in Williamson's absence, Bright's expert ability to play pinpointed long passes from the centre of defence could force her manager’s hand.
Should Wiegman take a more cautious approach in light of her stand-in captain's fitness, Esme Morgan would be favourite to get the nod. The versatile Manchester City defender, typically deployed as a right-back for her club, has deputised for Bright at right-centre-back in each of the Lionesses last two official friendlies. Like Williamson, she is comfortable bringing the ball out of defence and this could even put her in contention for a starting spot alongside Bright should the Yorkshire-born defender prove her fitness.
Another option is Jess Carter, whose versatility has been a welcome resource to Wiegman in light of defensive injuries. Despite initially struggling for minutes this season, making just one league start before February, the defender went on to re-establish herself in the Chelsea lineup as the Blues clinched a domestic double which included a fourth consecutive WSL title. Capable of playing anywhere across the back four, Carter has acknowledged that her versatility can leave a lot to be demanded of her. "It's so tough going from centre-back to full-back, left/right. I don't think many people realise how tough it is to do until you do it."
Wiegman has certainly made the most of her Swiss army-knife-like qualities; she has played more minutes than any other Lioness this year. Peerless in the defensive side of her game, she slotted into left-centre-back against Portugal in Williamson's absence, though a lack of comfort on the ball when playing as a centre-back in a back four is something of a deficiency in her game.
One player who didn't start a game at the Euros (but regularly featured off the bench) that is all but guaranteed to start this time around is Alex Greenwood. Formerly a left-back, Greenwood has played as centre back for Manchester City in the last couple of seasons, however, she has often deputised in her old position for the Lionesses. Curiously, Wiegman opted for Carter at centre back with Greenwood at full back in the friendly against Portugal, despite the two players arguably being better suited to each other's given roles.
A Bolt from the Blues
No player has enjoyed a greater ascent in the last year than Lauren James. While Mead's acl injury has allowed the Chelsea winger to make the right-wing spot her own, her performances this season have been so irresistible at times that it is likely that she would have found a way into the starting XI regardless of who was and wasn't available. It is quite the development for the player whose raw talent has never been in doubt, but has taken some time to unlock. Having struggled to establish herself in the starting XI in her first season at Kingsmeadow after joining from Manchester United for a then record fee between WSL clubs, she has thrived on the right for Emma Hayes' side this season.
A striking player to watch, her game is unapologetically uncomplicated but brutally effective. She attempted the most take-ons per-game in the WSL last season; her direct running with the ball at her feet is a staple of her game. She is at her most effective in transitional situations when she has space to run into. For her national team, she has struck up a telepathic-like understanding with right back Bronze. Both players possess a sophisticated appreciation of when to occupy the interior and exterior channels – if Bronze holds the width, James will narrow her position and drive into space on the inside channel playing the ball to Bronze if players are dragged towards the centre of the pitch; opening up space out wide. If James finds herself out on the flank, Bronze will underlap.
While it had been anticipated that James would be granted a starting berth on the right, the second half of the send-off friendly against Portugal provided an intriguing tactical switch, with James moved to the number 10 position and Hemp switching to the right wing and the hero of Wembley Chole Kelly deputising on the left. Up until that moment, it had looked like Wiegman had settled on the decision to replace the injured Kirby with last summer's super-sub Toone, to the extent that Toone was even handed the number 10 shirt this time around.
A lively cameo in a central position from James on that early July afternoon in Milton Keynes may have inadvertently given Wiegman another selection headache on the eve of the tournament. England tend to play more of a 433, with Stanway and Toone as left and right '8's, as opposed to a 4231 with a traditional number 10, but James, whose major shortcoming is a reluctance to track back, is more suited to a role that requires as little defensive work as possible. If James starts in a central role, it will likely have the knock-on effect of Georgia Stanway forming a double pivot with Keira Walsh and limiting the Bayern Munich midfielder's license to get forward.
England's central ball progression may also be effected, one of Toone's best qualities is her ability to find pockets of space and move the ball on quickly. As more of a dribbler, James does not provide this and may find it difficult to put on the afterburners when the centre of the pitch is so congested. Another potential issue is the way this would impact England's bench. While it is true that Toone excelled as an impact player at the Euros, losing the option to bring on a direct attacking threat like Kelly could be damaging to a squad where those who finish the game are as crucial to the gameplan as those who are selected to start.
On the other hand, there are advantages to redeploying James in a central role. In a group in which England will be expected to take the game to all three of their opponents, (Haiti, Denmark and China) shoehorning another forward into the team could be too tempting for Wiegman to resist, even if it potentially means making changes further down the line.
England's recent woes in front of goal could further temp Wiegman to play her wildcard. If you count the recent friendly against Canada, the Lionesses have now failed to score in their last 337 minutes of football. It is worth remembering that Wiegman is not averse to shuffling her pack before a tournament gets underway. Last summer, ahead of the Euros, Williamson was earmarked for a midfield role and was even expected to wear the number 8 shirt, only for Wiegman to take a late decision to revert her captain to centre-back.
Starters and Finishers
As mentioned, the role of substitutes was key in England's Euro victory, but the decimation of England's starting XI has had the knock-on effect of also weakening the bench. One area where England certainly don't lack depth is in the forward line.
England's all-time record goalscorer may have retired, but it is worth mentioning that White was hardly prolific at the Euros, failing to score in five of England's six matches. In the wake of White's retirement it was anticipated that the Russo would fill the void, in much the same way that Kendall Roy was expected to succeed his father Logan in taking over Waystar Royco in the tv series Succession. Mirroring the popular HBO drama, things haven't quite panned out as planned. Unlike Kendall, this has been through no particular fault of Russo, who recently joined Arsenal in one of the highest profile transfers the women's game has ever seen. Rather, the potency of Daly (who is Lukas Matsson in this scenario) in front of goal has made her impossible to ignore.
When the BBC posted a graphic displaying the churn in the England squad over the past year, they included reasons as to why the each player was unavailable (for example, "Ellen White: Retired"). Amusingly to many, the graphic featured: "Rachel Daly: Now a Striker". It is staggering to think that it took until February for the WSL's golden boot winner to be given a chance up front for England, having played as a centre forward throughout her club career.
In the centre-forward department at least, England have the luxury of variety. Daly's best quality is her goalscorer’s instinct, sensing where to stand in the penalty area and sniffing out chances. She is particularly effective at getting on the end of crosses, and this was on full display when she was given the number 9 jersey for the first time in the Arnold Clark Cup victory of Italy back in February. Both of Daly's goals were headers which came from positioning herself in between the two central defenders and getting on the end of crosses. Normally lurking on the shoulder of her marker, her movement for the second goal is particularly intelligent as she drops off the Italian defensive line before the cross is played in, only to dart in front of the defender at the last moment.
One of the advantages of this sort of movement from Daly is the way in which it forces opposition defensive lines back, in turn leaving space in front of the defence for someone like James to run into. England do not merely boast two top-quality options at centre forward, they have players who possess different strengths. For Russo, her superpower comes in her ability to drop deep and effect the game from outside the box. Physically strong and technically sound, she is more of a complete centre-forward than a pure nine. This was on display in England's final Arnold Clark Cup match against Belgium at Ashton Gate. In the screenshots below, Russo can be see holding up the ball on the edge of the box and dragging the Belgian defensive line up in the process, which allows Kelly to make a third-player run into the space left in behind.
Of course, it is not out of the question that Daly and Russo could play together. When England found themselves in the unfamiliar position of being behind, when they faced Australia in April (the 2-0 defeat suffered in this game ended a 30 match unbeaten run under Wiegman), the manager opted for the kitchen sink approach, with Daly and Russo partnering each other up front. With Russo able to occupy to defenders and open up gaps for Daly to attack, this may be a complimentary partnership should the Lionesses face themselves chasing a game this summer
There is also the curious case of Beth England. Frozen out of the squad over the course of the season having failed to make it onto the pitch during the Euros, England returned to the England setup after being named in Wiegman's the 23-player squad following a mightily impressive second half of the season, in which she made the step down from Chelsea to Tottenham; scoring 12 goals in 12 WSL appearances to save the North London club from the humiliating prospect of relegation.
It would not be particularly presumptive to say that Wiegman isn't a fan of the player – she was the only outfielder not to feature in the recent training ground friendly against Canada, in which rolling subs were used. Last summer, Wiegman was more eager to stick central defender Bright up front than give England minutes, but the Lionesses could do a lot worse than having her on the pitch should they need a goal to save their tournament.
Home and Away
Travelling halfway around the World to play the first ever World Cup in Australasia could not provide a bigger contrast to 12 months ago. The furthest England had to travel from their St George's Park base last summer was 286 kilometres (Brighton); this time around, it's 16,540 kilometres (Brisbane).
In some respects, being as far away from the national media spotlight as possible, with the majority of their games kicking off in morning back home due to the UK-Australia time difference, could be a blessing. On the other hand, the low-key nature of the build-up to the tournament in the national media (perhaps impacted by the BBC and ITV's troubles in striking a TV rights deal with FIFA to broadcast the tournament) has felt like something of a comedown from last summer. The hope of course, is that, like with any international tournament, national interest and enthusiasm will grow as England progress through the competition (with all due respect to Haiti, Denmark and China, these are not the sort of group stage opponents that will set the pulses racing for a casual audience).
Contrary to popular belief, the lyrics "it's coming home" – that feature on the song "Three Lions", the unofficial anthem of England teams over the past 27 years, refer to England hosting Euro 96, as opposed to misguided optimism regarding England's prospect of winning of the tournament – which has become the misappropriated meaning of the song in the years since. Last summer's Euros win satisfied both interpretations of those lyrics, as England both hosted and won the tournament. This time around, football couldn't be further from coming home, even if it does come home.
England's opening game of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, against Haiti, kicks off at 10:30 (am) BST on Saturday 22 July. You can watch the game live on ITV1.
[1] England did not publish lineup details in the aforementioned friendly against Canada, in which rolling subs were used and official 'caps' were not awarded. For the sake of simplicity, I am not counting this match when referring to England’s games in 2023 unless stated.