England's shock loss against France: What went wrong and how can they bounce back?

England faced a devastating loss to France in their opening game of the Women’s Euros. Although ultimately disappointing for the Lionesses and their fans, the match did highlight some important messages and tactics for the team to look back on as they prepare for their next match against The Netherlands today. 

Going into this tournament, the England team have dubbed their approach to victory as ‘a new challenge’ rather than referring to it as maintaining their title as ‘Champions of Europe’. But it seems as if the pressure of outside expectation is weighing heavy on the Lionesses’ shoulders as the style of football that they played on Saturday night was nothing of the ease that this team has been playing with recently. They seemed rather reserved and almost scared to make a mistake or any play which would jeopardise their title, which ultimately contributed to their defeat. Additionally, Lionesses captain Leah Williamson stated that England “weren’t good enough” which perhaps reiterates the idea that the pressure of retaining their European title is weighing heavy on the shoulders of all players and staff within the England set up. 

Another reason that could have added to the sting of the Lionesses’ loss is their lack of a consistent and reliable formation. Many times in which the French team had an attacking chance, they caught England out of shape, taking advantage of a disorganised backline. Lucy Bronze in particular was frequently caught out of shape meaning that other defending players like Leah Williamson were left stranded and were at times unable to cope with attacking moves from France. This resulted in France’s victory over the Lionesses and a clear lack of communication and order in England’s defence during this match. 

It also felt like England’s midfield was being underused at points during this match. It often seemed as if France were marking Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh more tightly than others, leaving a difficult problem for the team to overcome. In many of their previous matches, Stanway and Walsh have been pivotal in creating fluidity and connections on the pitch for England, but in this match, there were very few moments where it felt like there were player-to-player connections through the midfield. As to why this is, it could be due to a bit of fear (as mentioned before) as France frequently dispossessed England in the midfield, or it could be a different tactic that the team are opting for by using their wingers instead of going for a more direct route to goal.

However, what did seem promising in this match, and what England fans can hope to see more of going forward, is the deliberate use of younger, less experienced players as ‘super subs’. In Saturday’s match, Sarina Wiegman brought on youngsters Grace Clinton and Michelle Agyemang as substitutes in the second half, and Agyemang’s involvement on the pitch in particular really seemed to liven up the players and ignite a second wind in them to continue. There are several players in the England squad who have significantly fewer international caps than other veterans like Lucy Bronze (with 135 caps) and Alex Greenwood (who earned her 100th cap on Saturday). Players such as Clinton and Agyemang, but also Jess Park, Maya Le Tissier and Aggie Beever-Jones, are great additions to the England team as they often play with greater freedom and less fear on the pitch. These players also did not participate in the last Euros, so even though they will still certainly feel pressure, it will be less so in comparison to those who competed in 2022. 

The use of ‘super subs’ was important to the England set-up back in 2022, but also at the World Cup in 2023, where now established players Ella Toone and Alessia Russo were utilised in this way. Therefore, it could be likely that the Lionesses camp are looking to be more intentional with their substitutions and perhaps more adventurous with their starting line-ups to create greater freedom on the pitch and for the team as a whole. 

In today’s match against The Netherlands, fans can hope to see a renewed and refreshed England team where hopefully they are able to play with more freedom, confidence and fluidity. Sarina Wiegman will have most certainly made some changes in training over the past few days in order to prepare the Lionesses for this opponent, as their hopes for winning the title once more now rests on this game.