We must keep the noise out – Wiegman on Euros defence

The past three years in football have already flown by, according to some, but a week is a long time.

Chloe Kelly scored the winning goal in extra-time in the 2022 European Championship final to win England’s first major women’s trophy, making it seem like only yesterday when she was twirling her shirt above her head.

A major title defense is something no England team, men’s or women’s, has accomplished in 55 years thanks to Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses.

After that dramatic triumph at Wembley, England’s women’s football has grown exponentially, but after a mixed 18 months, Spain will be the tournament favorites when the Euros begin on July 3rd.

Over the past three years, both on and off the pitch, England has experienced a lot of change.

For starters, Wiegman’s Swiss squad will be drastically different from the one that won Euro 2022.

Ellen White and Jill Scott, both important players, both left the tournament shortly after, and Rachel Daly, a versatile player, did so last year.

Younger talents like Jess Park, Grace Clinton, Lauren James, and Aggie Beever-Jones have been replaced, while Hannah Hampton appears to have taken over the role of the previously untouchable Mary Earps in goal.

“We currently have a different team, with different backgrounds,” he said. We are going through a new circumstance, Wiegman told BBC Sport.

“The players are at various stages of their journeys and have different personalities.”

Wiegman explained that the squad’s more experienced members have been collaborating with their younger team-mates in an effort to bridge the gap.

You want to talk to everyone at all these different levels, she said, and you want to try to get everyone on board.

After kicking off the Wiegman era with a 30-game winning streak, England lost seven of the subsequent 31 games.

Team GB’s place at the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s tournament was cut out by an underwhelming 2023-24 Nations League campaign, and concerns have also been raised by recent defeats by Germany and Belgium, either in addition to a remarkable win over Spain.

We’ve learned a lot over the past few years, and while we sometimes don’t get things right, we’re on a learning curve, Wiegman said.

“Some of our experiences have been positive and some negative.” We are harmed when we don’t play well, despite the game’s advancement.

She claims that England “want to become more consistent,” while “there are still a few things we want to figure out,” such as whether or not they should occasionally” play a little deeper.

Although success has had its challenges, Wiegman’s first 18 months of office appeared effortless.

Since winning has become a part of The Lionesses, there is always criticism when they don’t succeed.

“There is noise,” he said. Because they only see a portion of us, “Wiegman said, people will have opinions.”

However, we work together as a team. We are aware of our goals and our intended destinations. Every day, we are the only people in our bubble.

We must concentrate on establishing trust between ourselves in our work.

England’s preparations for the Euros have been hampered by injuries, as was the case prior to the 2023 World Cup.

Georgia Stanway, a key player under Wiegman, is competing to stay healthy after having knee surgery in January, while Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood, and James have spent long periods on the sidelines this season.

After the Euros, Wiegman’s first issue will be dealing with her long-term assistant coach Arjan Veurink, who will eventually lead the Netherlands.

We’ve had a wonderful relationship, but she said, “It’s time for him to move on.”

I’m very happy for him because I knew there would come a point when he would step up and do a job like this.

Expectations are high for the defending European champions despite the transition they have gone through.

Wiegman, who has won Euros finals with the Netherlands and England, stated, “We have high expectations for ourselves. We want to have high standards.”

“We can control what happens when we play on the pitch, whether at our best as individuals or as a team, be the best prepared, and have the most clarity possible.”

We want to perform at our best [level]. It’s difficult, and staying there might be even more difficult. Every opponent wants to beat us, but we all know the expectations are high.

“We must play our best every game,” he says.

Wiegman- England have been drawn in the “group of death,” along with France, the Netherlands, and Wales, which are both 2017 European champions.

Wiegman continued, “We hope to give back strong performances over the summer, at least for six games.”