The expressions say it all: Sarina Wigman and Keira Walsh look dejected after their 2-1 defeat to France. Photo: Reuters/Phil Noble < p>It was the soundtrack to many great moments for England, a song that accompanies many magical memories. “Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good…” But are they coming to an end?
It's a pertinent question after the Lionesses were deservedly beaten by a well-organized and experienced France in St. Louis. James Park on Friday night. Despite leading through Beth Mead and controlling the game at big spells, the Lionesses were tamed.
England were made to look ordinary, the aura of invincibility removed, not for the first time in recent memory. Since they lost to Spain in the World Cup final last year, England have lost to Belgium, the Netherlands and now France. Sweden also tied.
They failed to qualify (as part of Team Great Britain) for the Olympics and now sit a disappointing third in their European Championship qualifying group with a trip to France next week and Sweden sandwiched between the two sides in a home match against Ireland next month.
Sarina Wiegman's side will have to win at least one of these away games to have any chance of finishing in the top two and automatically qualifying for next summer's tournament in Switzerland. They haven't won in France since 1973 and Sweden thrashed them at Wembley the last time the two sides met.
The reigning European champions are in trouble, although even third place would give them a play-off safety net to ensure they still have a chance to defend their crown.
However, it is safe to say that England will no longer be considered favorites to retain their crown. For starters, Spain will be present, and there are others on this continent who have a stronger claim to evidence of recent form.
England are a team who, by their own admission, have a target on their back. The team everyone wants to beat after their recent success on the world stage. The worry is that too many opponents appear to be hitting that target.
It should be noted that England were handed a ridiculously difficult qualifying group, with three teams reaching the Euro 2022 semi-finals. But it is Wiegman's team that is at greatest risk in the middle of the journey.
Of course, when you've regularly reached the semi-finals of every major tournament since 2015, any defeat can lead to an overreaction. . England are simply not a team that is used to losing.
This England team is not used to losing credits : Reuters/Phil Noble
However, there is an opinion that everything has reached a dead end, that some bad habits have appeared and weaknesses have emerged.
Where are the new players who will challenge the established stars? This generation has been phenomenal, but you always have to keep an eye on the next one. Wiegman doesn't seem to think there are any young players good enough to unseat her tried and true favorites. This is worrying. How big we won't know until the end of this qualifying campaign and hopefully the Euros next summer.
In the short term, these players need to cope with the challenge ahead of them. For them this is a new experience, a negative one. Losing is hard, and confidence is a fragile thing in professional sports. But they must show that they can handle both criticism and praise. This is what great players and teams do, and there are many more in England.
None of the top teams saw their fall coming. They did not realize that they were in decline; they have not made a conscious decision to abandon their standards; they didn't realize the era was ending until it was over. England have three qualifying matches left to prove that is not the case here.
Here's how England can solve their problems ahead of their trip to France.
Keira Walsh is moving away from the safety-first approach.
She has been England's playmaker for so long that her opponents are doing everything they can to stifle her. The problem is that it works.
Walsh can tear a team apart if she gets her head up and gets the ball through the lines, but she doesn't do that enough against the toughest teams. In fact, if anything, she has become too conservative in her playing. Reaching into small empty pockets, demanding the ball be hit at her feet by one of the defenders, only to quickly pass it back again. This happened again and again against France and rendered much of their play meaningless.
This meant Millie Bright and Leah Williamson had to try to get through the midfield, which worked for Beth Mead's goal, but they were also intercepted by the French on several occasions. Walsh needs to be bolder and more adventurous, take the ball on the turn and pass forward rather than to the side or back.
Kiera Walsh needs to be bolder with the ball. Photo: PA/Owen Humphreys. Strengthen your defense in set pieces
England look vulnerable in the defensive corners and no team will succeed if teams know they can hurt them from set pieces. Both of France's goals came from corners on Friday night, and although the first goal was a clever long-range strike from Elisa De Almeida, it seemed like it was a planned routine.
The second goal was simply poor defending. England had plenty of opportunities to attack the ball and clear it, but they were too timid and allowed it to bounce. The defender should have cleared the danger, but center forward Alessia Russo intervened instead. Her overhead shot did not reach far enough, allowing France to return the ball into the box where Marie Antoinette Catoto was able to fire home.
England cannot be so passive when it comes to crosses into the box. This only became a problem after the World Cup, but it needs to be addressed — and quickly.
England fail to clear their lines… ❌
…and France take the lead with a second goal from a set piece ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/qzGFBX43Vb
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) May 31, 2024 Get Alessia Russo into the box
Rousseau did a lot of good things against France and helped score against England. Some of her link-up play is excellent and she works very hard, usually against two centre-backs, to keep the ball. But as a center forward, she doesn't get enough shots inside the box and doesn't seem to score as many goals as her predecessor, Ellen White.
It's interesting that White had to order this. Play more inside the penalty area from former England manager Phil Neville. It unlocked her scoring potential heading into the 2019 World Cup, and maybe someone should tell Rousseau to do the same. She is too unselfish, too much of a team player who works across the entire width of the pitch — but England need goals from the number nine.
Alessia Russo needs to be more selfish if she wants to find the net more often. Photo: Getty Images/Naomi Baker
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