The Manchester United star scored a third goal in five caps in victory over Switzerland, staking yet another claim to be in Sarina Wiegman's best XI
And so that is it for the Lionesses’ 2024, with their year coming to a conclusion on Tuesday as England secured a narrow 1-0 win over Switzerland at Bramall Lane that meant their record for the year ended at seven wins, three draws and two defeats. But the result was by no means the headline in that final game; it was more about the experimentation we saw from Sarina Wiegman in the last window before next summer’s European Championship which truly allowed her to try out some very different things.
The coach was certainly pragmatic over this past week, prioritising the collection of information about her team as they prepare to head into the new Women’s Nations League campaign in February, and then their European title defence. It meant Saturday’s clash with the United States, billed to be blockbuster as Emma Hayes returned to England with her Olympic champions, was underwhelming. Yet, that won’t have been the case for Wiegman, as she observed her charges take to two tactical tweaks with overall success.
Tuesday was a little more exciting, with 10 changes to the XI that faced the U.S. including two debutantes, starts for seven players with fewer than 10 caps and a complete switch in shape, to a back three that hasn’t been seen since October 2023. Understandably, this inexperienced line-up faded in the second half, but there were plenty of positive glimpses at the next generation for fans to enjoy, plus some intrigue around the return of a formation similar to that which got the Lionesses to a World Cup final.
All that occurred makes February’s international return particularly intriguing. Which of these young players will keep their places in the squad when the likes of Ella Toone, Lauren James and Lauren Hemp, all injured at the moment, can make their England comebacks? Will any of the information Wiegman has gathered in this past week alter her first-choice XI? Could we start to see more of the three-player defence again? These are all questions that will be debated, pondered and, ultimately, sat on by England fans, observers and analysts for the next couple of months.
For now though, as the Lionesses’ final camp of 2024 comes to a close, GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the games against the U.S. and Switzerland…
Getty Images SportWINNER: Sarina Wiegman
This international break was Wiegman's last chance to truly experiment with her team before the Euros next summer. After the Nations League, which begins in February and will run until early June, there may be a small window for a friendly or two before the tournament, but drastic changes would surely be off the table so close to England's title defence.
Wiegman certainly made the most of this opportunity, then, trying out a flurry of different things against the U.S. and then Switzerland. In the first game, she played around at left-back, asking Jess Carter and Alex Greenwood to switch in a unique manner during the match in an attempt to find a creative solution to a stand-out problem. She also tweaked some aspects of England's shape and their press in a goalless draw with the Olympic champions.
Three days later, against the Euro 2025 hosts, Wiegman experimented in a more explosive manner, fielding an XI that showed 10 changes from the stalemate at Wembley, featured two debutantes and saw her team set up in a back three for the first time in over a year. These friendlies are for learning about different players and different combinations in different scenarios. In that sense, Wiegman collected a lot of important information in this camp which will help inform her decisions over the next seven months.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Hannah Hampton
The race to be England's No.1 at Euro 2025 is by no means done or decided at this point, however this was another good camp for Mary Earps in her quest to win that battle. That's because, after the Paris Saint-Germain star was brilliant at Wembley, making a string of strong saves to keep a clean sheet against the Olympic champions, Hannah Hampton looked a little less convincing in victory over Switzerland.
It was by no means a terrible display from the Chelsea shot-stopper, with her still keeping the Euro 2025 hosts at bay in a 1-0 win, but there were some iffy moments in it. The saves she made were awkward at times, though spills were never followed up by a Switzerland player to really present danger to the Lionesses goal, while a charged down clearance fortunately bounced out for a goal-kick.
Again, there is still plenty of time to go until the Euros, but that Wiegman opted for Earps in the perceived 'bigger game', is at least another small indication that Hampton may just be behind her team-mate in this race, having seemingly led it just a few months ago.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Ruby Mace
There is a real opportunity for someone to step up in this England set-up and be the player in the squad who provides depth behind Keira Walsh in the holding midfield role. Katie Zelem, who played that role at the 2023 Women's World Cup and stepped up when Walsh was injured for the final group game against China, has faded away from Wiegman's thoughts in recent months, with the manager even going as far to say in October that she is "not in our plans" at this moment.
Enter Ruby Mace. She has been an exciting prospect in the England youth set-up for several years, but has had to wait patiently to get the game time at club level which could help her develop to the point that she could make it into the senior team. A summer move to Leicester City, after being unable to breakthrough at Manchester City, has allowed Mace to firmly move onto Wiegman's radar, earning a first call-up in this camp and, on Tuesday, her debut.
On a big night, the 21-year-old was solid. She completed 56 of her 62 passes attempted, including 10 of 14 in the final third, while also doing her job well on the other side of the ball. Mace won all three of her tackles, her only aerial duel and made three interceptions in her 63-minute run-out.
Wiegman did want to see a little more positivity from the debutante, but was quick to caveat that comment with the fact it was her first England game. There will be things Mace has to learn when it comes to what the Lionesses specifically want in that position, improvements she can make and opponents that challenge her more than Switzerland did. However, her confidence, physicality and quality in possession continues to mark her out as an impressive prospect, and in a position where England need depth.
GettyLOSER: Niamh Charles
While Wiegman will be happy with how her left-back experiment worked out on Saturday against the United States, it could be bad news for Niamh Charles. The right-footed Chelsea star, who often plays left-back for club and country, was absent from this camp due to injury and that forced her national-team coach to come up with a new solution, one which ticked a lot of boxes.
First of all, it got Greenwood, one of England's most in-form defenders but one who has struggled for minutes for her country, onto the pitch. That's important because of her quality and also her left-footedness, which the Lionesses lack whenever she does not play. By asking her to be a central option when England build out from goal-kicks, and then move to left-back while Carter takes up that position inside, helps add some balance. Greenwood also knows the left-back role from a previous chapter of her career and can play there well.
This may not be the outright solution to this left-back issue. After all, it relegated Millie Bright to a bench role she has rarely held under Wiegman, and Charles will still have a say in things before the Euros roll around. But it will be food for thought for the England coach in a role which, otherwise, Charles had been first-choice in when fit.