Rachel Daly is a goal machine - Sarina Wiegman must find her a permanent attacking role: England Women's winners & losers as Lionesses make mixed start to Nations League campaign
The reigning WSL Player of the Year continues to be shifted around by her international manager, which is neither benefitting the player nor the team
England will be under no illusions of how tricky this UEFA Women's Nations League campaign is going to be after a late defeat to the Netherlands on Tuesday evening blew their group wide open, with a Belgium side that has never before qualified for the Women's World Cup sitting in pole position after two rounds of action. The Lionesses had started the new competition strongly with a win over neighbours Scotland last Friday, but a dramatic loss in Utrecht just four days later has raised several questions.
Thirty-three days after losing the World Cup final to Spain, Sarina Wiegman's side looked commanding and exciting in the first half of their opening game, scoring two good goals after being unlucky to have another ruled out for offside. The second half of that match was concerning, though, with England fortunate not to concede an equaliser. They would not get away with such sloppiness against Wiegman's home country, the Netherlands scoring a well-deserved 90th minute winner to bounce back from a shock defeat to Belgium in their opening match.
There is a lot at stake in the Nations League. The winners of the four groups in League A — one of which features England — will qualify for the competition's finals and have the chance to win a trophy. On top of that, the two teams that reach the final (unless one is France) will qualify for the women's football tournament at next summer's Olympics, to be hosted by Paris, something which is a big goal for England, Wiegman and Great Britain. Oh, and there is a place at the 2025 Euros to secure, too.
It wasn't a disastrous start to the
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