1) Who are the new supersubs?
Critical to England’s success at the Euros last year was the balance between a strong and experienced starting XI and a youthful and hungry bench of substitutes. Match after match the introduction of Manchester United duo Alessia Russo and Ella Toone breathed life into the Lionesses attack. With the retirement of Ellen White and injury to Fran Kirby, Russo and Toone are staples of Sarina Wiegman’s starting XI, but they have left a gaping hole on the bench. Against Australia, three of the four forwards on the bench (Katie Robinson, Jess Park and Lauren James) were not involved in the Euros and they have 18 caps between them. It would be silly to dismiss the potential impact of Park, Robinson and, in particular, James. Each is capable of becoming supersub a la Russo and Toone. The problem is the short turnaround between the Euros and World Cup means we haven’t seen much of them.
2) Do you take a half-fit Fran Kirby?
Yes, yes and yes again. The Chelsea forward has battled injury for much of the season, but the harder England’s challenges get, the more noticeable her absence is. Conceding to Australia in the first half meant the visiting team were happy to sit deep and soak up the pressure, inflicting damage on the break. Two shots on target, two goals. England could not find a way through the banked yellow shirts. When James entered in place of Lauren Hemp, there were flashes of brilliance to make space available where there seemingly was none. That, though, is Kirby’s bread and butter. Even if she is unable to feature in the group stage, her presence against teams that are much tougher to break down in the knockout stages would be invaluable. Stick Kirby in and Toone can resume the supersub role, solving another issue.
3) How do England break through a low block?
Each time the Lionesses have been asked that question, they have found the answer, albeit sometimes not very convincingly. Australia, though, was the first time they didn’t find the right reply. There was some bad luck. For the first time in a very long time, it felt like everything went against them, with 50-50 balls repeatedly lost, decisions not going their way and misplaced passes not falling kindly. Sam Kerr looked offside in the build-up to the opening goal to deliver the cushion Australia needed to sit back. When England needed to the find the answer, it was hard to see where they could turn to. That Wiegman opted to bring on Rachel Daly for Toone, in a straight swap at No 10, seemed odd given Jordan Nobbs was an option available. Jess Park’s introduction with six minutes left was not enough time to make a meaningful mark. Injuries have not helped, but being able to add creatively from the bench in Australia and New Zealand will be key.
4) Which fringe players should be on the plane?
All of this leads to the conclusion that it is perhaps the choice of players around the starting XI rather than the starting XI itself that is the important piece of the puzzle. Surely Beth England, who was a part of the squad last summer, has done enough at Tottenham to warrant inclusion, either as a substitute or leading the line ahead of Russo, allowing the latter to continue to thrive in the supersub role. Additionally, Nobbs, who made a similar move to England in the search of first-team football before the World Cup, could prove a vital asset if used right.
5) Will Sunshine Coast base feel like home?
England will arrive in Australia on 7 July for a pre-tournament preparation camp after a yet-to-be-revealed send-off match. This camp has been long planned, with the first of five site visits taking place in January 2022. On that first visit, the FA travelled to 23 hotels, 18 training grounds and a few planned training ground sites as it began to explore the options Fifa was making available for the tournament. After the pre-camp, the team and staff will relocate to their Fifa basecamp in Terrigal, the FA’s first choice location and facilities. After the group stage, Fifa said if teams wish to remain in the same base camps they could but would bear the cost themselves, which the FA has decided to do to minimise the travel of the team.
