The Euro 2022 tournament is only a few months away, and many teams are continuing their preparations by competing in a variety of invitational tournaments. One team who will be determined to shine this summer is hosts England, especially as this is their first major tournament since the appointment of Sarina Wiegman as head coach, and she will no doubt want her players to demonstrate that they are turning a corner and becoming a force in women’s football again.
In order to assess how well the Lionesses are progressing, this tactical analysis will look at their performances in the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup, where they have so far faced Olympic champions Canada and one of the Euro 2022 title favourites, Spain. The scout report will dissect their key tactics in both attack and defence, as well as identifying some of the areas that they still need to improve in.
Attack
Sarina Wiegman has not needed to improve England’s attack too much, as they already had plenty of quality going forwards and an ability to score goals during matches. Instead, what has become evident during her tenure is that she has focused on introducing key tactical concepts that have made their play more streamlined and productive, and this has been helped by the quantity of players available to her.
One very noticeable feature is that she tends to put players in positions that suit their strengths, but that aren’t necessarily where they play their club football. For example, Arsenal Women centre-back Leah Williamson, who has captained the team in the absence of Steph Houghton, has tended to operate as a midfielder for the national team, as her excellent ball distribution has led to Wiegman seeing her as more of a deep-lying playmaker. Manchester United Women’s Ella Toone has tended to be a playmaker behind the front line, as she was last season at Leigh Sports Village under Casey Stoney, whereas she has this season played as a left-sided attacker or a false nine under Marc Skinner.
This flexibility has led to England using spaces more efficiently, with players knowing where they can affect the game, and this situation shows Jill Scott, currently on loan at Aston Villa Women from Manchester City Women, in between the Spanish players, looking to set up an opportunity further forward. With players using these spaces, England have been able to keep the ball moving forwards much more, maintaining their attacking momentum. As this was a key aspect of the Netherlands’ play during Wiegman’s time in charge there, it is evident that she has implemented this movement and confidence, and it is really benefitting them.
