Sarina Wiegman has named her 23-player squad to represent England at UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. The most significant talking point surrounding the announcement has been the omission of former captain Steph Houghton from the final 23. Sandy MacIver, Niamh Charles, Lucy Staniforth and Katie Zelem are the other four players who missed out after Wiegman trimmed her 28-player provisional squad to pick the final list.
England Women’s Euro 2022 squad
Goalkeepers – Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City).
Defenders – Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal).
Midfielders – Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jill Scott (free agent), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Manchester City), Leah Williamson (Arsenal).
Forwards – Beth England (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Nikita Parris (Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Manchester United), Ellen White (Manchester City).
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— Lionesses (@Lionesses) June 15, 2022
England’s recent outings in the Arnold Clark Cup and World Cup qualifiers suggest that manager Wiegman has settled down to a formation that involves a back four with three midfielders and three upfront. This is how the host nation could line up at the Euros if she prefers the same approach, and after seeing the starting X1 for England’s friendly against Belgium on the 16th June, it looks to be lining up how I believe best.
Goalkeeper
If the tournament happened, as initially scheduled, in 2021, this position would have been the easiest for Wiegman to decide. Ellie Roebuck had established herself as one of the best young goalkeepers in the world and would have been a sure starter for England. But, her missing a significant chunk of this season due to injury paved the way for Manchester United’s Mary Earps to impress Wiegman with brilliant performances for club and country. As a result, Earps appears to have cemented the starting spot. If she can carry her form through to the tournament, it will be a wonderful story for a player who admitted that she considered her international career to be over until Wiegman gave her a call-up for the world cup qualifiers.
Defenders
Steph Houghton’s omission, despite being available for selection after recovering from a prolonged injury, can be comprehended by looking at the riches England has in central defence. Vice-Captain Millie Bright and Manchester City’s Alex Greenwood are two of the most in-form players in the team, and pairing them at centre-back is a no-brainer decision for Wiegman. Jess Carter, who’s had a pathbreaking season at Chelsea, is a great backup option for them.
Wiegman usually prefers to attack by sending one or both fullbacks up the pitch to create overloads on the wings. So, having an attacking-minded Rachel Daly at right-back and deploying Demi Stokes on the opposite side to play a more conservative role will help her find the right balance to manage different game phases. Depending on the opposing team’s peculiarities, she can bring Lucy Bronze, who’s also had an injury-laden season, into the right-back position and switch Daly to the left-hand side of the defence or play both Bronze and Stokes if the game demands more defensive solidity.
Midfielders
The decision to play captain Leah Willamson at the heart of the midfield has been a masterstroke from Wiegman so far as the Arsenal defender’s innate ability to play line-breaking passes and defensive skills are best utilised from that position. Combine this with the world-class Keira Walsh’s acumen in controlling games and Georgia Stanway’s workhorse attitude and eye for goal; you have a well-balanced midfield that can excel both in the attacking and defensive phases of the game. Wiegman can also go for a more attacking approach by adding Ella Toone into the midfield and allowing her to utilise the spaces created by the fullback-winger combinations on both sides of the pitch.
Forwards
The left-hand side of the attack is probably the easiest pick for Wiegman as it is occupied by the first name on the team sheet – Lauren Hemp. The flamboyant winger’s ability to drag defenders out of position and leave them in the lurch with a mazy dribble or run into the box if they decide to back off allows the manager to take a conservative approach with the fullback that plays on that side of the pitch. On the opposite wing,
Beth Mead should be the automatic choice after the stellar season she’s had with Arsenal. A flying fullback stretching the defence will allow Mead to cause maximum destruction in the opposition’s box as she can pick the right cutback or rifle one into the net with equal prowess. Though the thought of deploying an all-Manchester City front three by combining Hemp, Ellen White and Chloe Kelly is tempting, the fact that Kelly has just recovered from a severe injury must be considered.
At the centre of the attack, White’s big-game experience should help her start the games over Beth England and Alessia Russo. But, Russo’s heading ability can be utilised against teams that allow them to have space and time on the wings to launch in crosses. A fit and firing Fran Kirby would have walked into this lineup. But, as she has just recovered from a complicated fatigue problem, Wiegman should find a way to manage her minutes carefully and unleash her in the right moments.
This England squad has all the elements to go the distance in the tournament. Playing in front of the home crowd should provide an added advantage to them. This group of experienced and relatively young players can create history if they can play to their potential and deliver on the big stage.
Written by Neeraj Nandakumar
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