England must balance risk of changing with staying the same in World Cup qualifying
· Yahoo Sports
England are making a habit of doing things the hard way.
Visit saltysenoritaaz.com for more information.
Having claimed their second European Championship in the most nerve-wracking way possible, coming from behind and needing extra time in each of their knockout matches — and penalties in the quarter-final and final — they will now face two additional rounds of qualifying to reach next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Their convincing 3-0 win against Ukraine on Tuesday night was not enough to secure an automatic spot at the tournament in Brazil. Friday night’s thrashing by Spain in Mallorca meant that against Ukraine, England needed to better the world champions’ result against Iceland, which unsurprisingly proved impossible as Spain romped to a 6-1 victory in Reykjavik. England’s 15 points, despite being more than France or Denmark won in topping their qualifying groups, was not enough as Spain topped Group A3 based on their head-to-head record.
England must now face two rounds of two-legged play-offs across the October and November international windows to secure their spot. The seeding will be favourable towards them; they will face a team from League C, the third tier of UEFA qualifying, in the first play-off and will have the second leg at home. Should they win, they will face either a team from League B or a team that came bottom of their League A group in the second round, and again would play the second leg at home.
Not qualifying automatically is a bitter pill to swallow. How much change it should prompt is a more nuanced question.
Ultimately, this qualifying campaign has not revealed much. England have reaffirmed that they are firm favourites against almost every side in Europe, that on their day, they can beat any team, and that on Spain’s day, they are still second-best.
Head coach Sarina Wiegman’s dilemma now is whether she risks tinkering with a formula that is almost all-conquering — or risks staying the same.
The accusation frequently levelled at Wiegman — though it must be said, often more loudly when results do not go her way — is that England are stagnating. Of those who have not retired, many core players from England’s European Championship 2022 victory have kept important roles in the squad. Arguably, it is time to start testing out alternatives.
Some areas of the squad are uncontentious: Hannah Hampton is undisputed No 1 goalkeeper, and the forward line of Alessia Russo flanked by Lauren Hemp and Lauren James contains a lethal mix of pace and finishing ability. Clear deputies are waiting for Russo in Aggie Beever-Jones and the currently injured Michelle Agyemang, who already proved her ability off the bench at the Euros. Beth Mead and Chloe Kelly are Wiegman’s substitute wingers of choice and can start, along with Jess Park, if Hemp or James are unavailable.
However, James and Hemp are most productive when freed up from defensive responsibilities and able to be used as outlets on the counter. That requires the full-backs behind them either to restrain themselves from straying forward, or possess the pace to recover quickly.
This is where Lucy Bronze’s place comes under debate. Bronze loves to crash the box and get involved in attacks but at 34, her recovery pace is not what it was; she was caught out of position for Spain’s opening goal on Friday. Maya Le Tissier, though typically a centre-back for her club Manchester United, started in Bronze’s usual right-back slot against Ukraine. Whether Wiegman uses autumn’s play-offs to further test Le Tissier in that role is one key decision.
The No 10 is England’s most competitive position. An injury to double European champion Ella Toone ruled her out of England’s past two camps and presented opportunities to Laura Blinkilde Brown and Lucia Kendall. Though Toone retook her place for the defeat against Spain, Blinkilde Brown played the full match against Ukraine, and Wiegman’s praise for her after the match gave an insight into the head coach’s selection.
“She has played more minutes for us over the last couple of months. She had a very good year at Manchester City, and she’s really improving,” Wiegman said. “I would not say that it’s experimenting, because she earned her spot.
“That’s a very good example of a player who’s just breaking into the squad and earning minutes.”
Wiegman referred to Blinkilde Brown having ‘earned’ her place twice in her answer, and that is the crux of why England’s starting XI has not changed massively during her tenure. Not many players have made convincing cases that they will perform more strongly than the proven winners ahead of them in the pecking order.
“The main thing is that when I think you’re the best player, I’ll pick you,” Wiegman said.
“If you’re a younger player, or you’re an older player, or you’re a player that has more experience, for me that’s not the priority.
“(Experience in tournaments) is important too, but I pick what are, in my opinion, the best players.”
In theory, the door is open for change. Autumn’s play-offs could be a chance for Wiegman to test players on the fringes of her squad in an environment where the stakes are high, but the opposition is weaker. The Nations League games in the spring will do the same. If players fail to take those opportunities, that would at least ensure different options had been tested ahead of the World Cup.
The risk of tinkering with a successful team should be carefully considered. Bolstering partnerships and understanding on the pitch going into a tournament year is valuable, and England’s tight-knit resilience and mentality are strengths. Disrupting that is a risk, but so is not preparing backup plans for England’s tried-and-trusted players. For instance, Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh are undisputed starters in England’s midfield, but using camps before the World Cup to work out who replaces them in case of an injury would be prudent.
England taking the long road to the World Cup does not need to cause panic or a full squad revamp. This is still a winning team. But autumn’s play-offs and the games that follow are Wiegman’s opportunity to see if gentle change can improve them even further.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Women's Soccer, FIFA Women's World Cup, Women's Super League
2026 The Athletic Media Company