The online discourse when Sarina Wiegman named her England squad for the October international window was emphatic: Maya Le Tissier must play at centre-back; Aggie Beever-Jones must start; Taylor Hinds’s allegiance switch is odd; this player isn’t good enough … it is scandalous that that player hasn’t been included.
It’s good that people care, that fans are engaged in the details, drilling down into what England do, and discussing how they take the next step on the way towards the 2027 World Cup. Opinion is valuable. Sometimes, though, the discussion verges on hysteria, can feel misplaced and, as England head into the first of four friendlies in their ‘Homecoming Series’, it all feels a bit over the top.
Win, lose, draw, play Beever-Jones at left-back, stick Le Tissier on as a centre-forward, none of it really matters. The point is: now is the time to experiment, to try things, to risk failure. As Wiegman put it before’s England’s game against Brazil at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday: “You have to find opportunities to try things out. You don’t get that many opportunities to do that any more in international windows. Now we have these friendlies and yes, of course, we want to win every single game, but it is also an opportunity to try out things and to see different players and combinations. That’s what we’re going to try to do, because it might be the last period we can do that in.”
Asked about whether there was enough leeway given to England to be able to experiment, Wiegman – after working out what leeway meant, with no direct Dutch translation of the word – added: “I can’t control that. We’re so visible, so you all have your opinions and that’s OK. What I’m trying to do is do the best for the team, get the best team on the pitch and see different things in these four games. Of course we always play to win, but now we also play to develop and in every game you do develop.
“Sometimes I really want to see a player no matter how the game goes, I want to see someone because we want to learn. We have to qualify first, but it’s in the tournament [the World Cup] when you are set on things. That’s how it goes. I just try to stick in the bubble. I know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”
The most explosive reaction to Wiegman’s squad announcement was her statement that Le Tissier’s primary position for England is as a right-back. Even the Manchester United social media admin jumped on the criticism, posting on various social media channels: “Maya Le Tissier has started 104 games for United, 103 of them have been at centre-back.” “I don’t react on social media,” said Wiegman. “I watch Maya all the time and she does a great job. How our team is built at the moment, with the players we have, she’s most likely to play right-back. I also know she can play as a right centre-back and she does a really good job for Manchester United and she does a good job for us too.”
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Le Tissier is a very good centre-back, but she is also a very good right-back having played the position at youth team level and for her previous clubs. And with Lucy Bronze being eased back from injury, and Ella Morris out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, England are light on solid options in that position. Should Le Tissier be brought into the starting XI or come on as a sub in her less regular position and do a terrible job, that plan will probably be rethought. For now, however, it is a reasonable adjustment.
It turns out we will probably see more changes and experimentation than Wiegman would likely have planned for, with the manager announcing that an elbow injury means Hannah Hampton is out of action, leading to a call-up for Brighton’s Sophie Baggaley. The Arsenal centre-back Lotte Wubben-Moy is also ill and has returned home to recover. Wiegman had already lost Katie Reid and Grace Clinton to injuries, while Jess Park’s concussion forced her withdrawal. And these absences follow the long-term ones of Leah Williamson, Lauren Hemp and Lauren James. Wiegman confirmed Keira Walsh will be captain against Brazil in the absence of Williamson and after the retirement of Millie Bright. “When Leah is not available, Keira is the captain,” she said.
Ultimately, there is la lot to be learned from these four fixtures that will complete England’s calendar year. Perhaps we all just need to relax and enjoy them.
