England Girls captain Leah Williamson stated the Lionesses “weren’t adequate” as they misplaced their Euros 2025 opener to France.
England had been the primary defending champions to misplaced their opening recreation of a following event, overwhelmed 2-1 by the spectacular French in Zurich.
There have been varied points within the Lionesses recreation, together with defending on each wings that led to targets from Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore.
Reflecting on the explanations behind England’s below-par efficiency, Williamson instructed ITV Sport: “We misplaced a recreation. Low-cost defending one-vs-one. Not adequate. We could not maintain it within the areas we wanted to maintain it.
“We realized from these errors in equity and grew into the sport, however on the ball we weren’t adequate. We bought higher as they drained, we took benefit of that, however not sufficient.
England’s Lucy Bronze and Williamson react after England conceded in opposition to France on the Girls’s Euros 2025
“Generally that occurs, the constructive is that I’ve not seen us like that by way of turning the ball over a lot for some time now. It is actually irritating, I feel that is how we take it, however tomorrow we’re again on it.
“I feel all people takes accountability for themselves at this time, take a look what was the world that they may have had an affect on the sport extra.
“I’ll, however I feel then tomorrow we now have a brand new recreation plan, totally different areas accessible, totally different sort of opposition.”
Wiegman: We performed ourselves out of the sport
England girls’s head coach Sarina Wiegman says she’s disenchanted along with her facet’s Euro 2025 opening defeat to France and admits the group might want to transfer on from the consequence.
For her half, England head coach Sarina Wiegman didn’t consider the defending down both wing was England’s greatest problem, including that total sloppiness additionally contributed to the consequence.
She instructed ITV Sport: “I am very disenchanted concerning the consequence. I believed we began very well, scored a objective and sadly, it did not rely.
“Then we performed ourselves out of the sport by taking part in quick passes, which actually helped them and never being tight sufficient. We wanted to get out of that first press and skip and I feel that harmed us a bit.
France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto scores the opening objective
“The extensive areas weren’t the largest drawback. We began very well after which we began taking part in quick passes, and that is what they wished, as a result of they wished to press. So we wanted to get in behind them and attempt to skip the press, however we misplaced. We had been too sloppy and that did not assist us – it helped them.
“Then we all know how good they’re within the counter-attack. They’re highly effective and quick gamers. That is what they did very well.”
England should now win their subsequent Group D recreation in opposition to the Netherlands on Wednesday to maintain themselves within the operating for a spot within the knockout rounds.
France’s Sandy Baltimore scores her facet’s second objective in opposition to England
Wiegman is aware of her facet cannot afford any extra errors, however should transfer on shortly with one other recreation in 4 days.
“I feel we will do higher,” she added. “France are actually good however we triggered a little bit of our personal issues and and we might have scored within the first minutes.
“We will do higher, undoubtedly, and we now have to make it a bit bit simpler for ourselves. We will not afford to make any extra errors going ahead? That is appropriate.
“These are the info, we now have to step up, and tomorrow we assessment, we get well, after which it is straight to the sport in opposition to the Netherlands on Wednesday. Now we should stick collectively, do the restoration and transfer on.”
Bonadei shocked by England strategy
France head coach Laurent Bonadei, who took over the staff final yr from former coach Herve Renard, stated his staff had been shocked by England’s strategy.
“England are a very good staff,” he stated. “They’re fifth on the earth rankings and gained the final Euros so we now have to respect this staff.
“They began very well and put stress on us from kick-off. We had been a bit bit shocked as a result of usually they play with build-up from Keira Walsh in midfield so it was actually onerous as a result of we had been underneath stress, and we conceded. Fortunately for us it was dominated out.
“Then slowly, step-by-step, we got here again with our ahead gamers and had our incredible objective on the right-hand facet. Bodily, it was not simple for the England staff as a result of we performed extra direct in midfield. We saved calm and scored a second objective.
“Within the second half, we managed the sport as a result of they solely had two pictures on course. On the finish of the sport, you could possibly see England might rating at any time and we performed underneath stress for the final 5 minutes. My gamers did very well and saved the consequence.”
