A recurring theme throughout Sarina Wiegman's tenure has been the idea that she would only select players excelling at their clubs. Friday's team selection at Wembley starkly contradicted this principle, and in a tumultuous half-hour against European women's football's most decorated team, the England head coach's choices backfired dramatically.
As England's defense was repeatedly breached effortlessly by the Germans, Manchester United's Maya Le Tissier, who has been in stellar form at the heart of a United defense that has conceded just one goal in five games across all competitions this season, must have pondered what more she needed to do at club level to secure an international call-up.
Similarly, Manchester City's Alex Greenwood, pivotal in the team that convincingly defeated European champions Barcelona with a clean sheet just 17 days prior and captaining the Women's Super League leaders, likely shared this thought. What about Grace Clinton, the standout young talent of the WSL so far, whose three goals in four games from midfield showcase her prowess in front of goal, watching her teammate Ella Toone miss a golden opportunity?
The issue is not that Leah Williamson, Millie Bright, nor Toone deserve criticism or ridicule, nor that their positions in the England squad are at risk. Each has made significant contributions to England's success and will be remembered as legends of the English game. They should all be part of next summer's Euros. Their abilities have not diminished overnight. However, by overlooking the players in the best form, including Clinton, Greenwood, Le Tissier, and the skillful Manchester City midfielder Jess Park, Wiegman inadvertently conveyed that current club performance is less significant in her decision-making than the established players' past contributions for their country.
During her pre-match press conference on Thursday, when discussing Germany's transformation since the 2022 European Championship final, Wiegman highlighted her team's evolution, stating, “We are a different team because we've moved on too.” Yet, the lineup she selected for Friday closely mirrored the one that won the Euros, with only four changes from that historic starting XI. Two of these changes, Alessia Russo and Toone, felt more like continuity due to their roles as super subs in the 2022 campaign. Ellen White and Rachel Daly have retired, and Fran Kirby was sidelined with injury.
The only notable change in personnel was the inclusion of Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, replacing Mary Earps. Regarding the 10 outfield positions, Friday's lineup could have been expected from autumn 2022. Nine of them started a qualifier against Austria in September 2022.
On the flip side, Wiegman's loyalty is commendable and likely appreciated by her captain, Williamson, and vice-captain, Bright. This loyalty could prove crucial for Wiegman at next summer's Euros if those two perform as they did on home soil in 2022. Ironically, in the one area where Wiegman demonstrated she doesn't favor big names by dropping Earps for Hampton, the Chelsea goalkeeper had a subpar game, particularly exposed at her near post for Germany's third goal, though she made two excellent saves to prevent a cricket score.
Undoubtedly, significant rotation and experimentation will occur for Tuesday's friendly against South Africa in Coventry. However, this match won't replicate the high-pressure environment of facing Germany at Wembley. There was no better stage for emerging talents like Le Tissier or Clinton to showcase their abilities. Wiegman now has three more friendlies before the Christmas break to experiment, and she must seize these opportunities to mix things up.
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