England’s Georgia Stanway says it was inevitable that the team would plateau but it’s crucial they reinvent themselves to prepare for another major tournament next summer.
After sustaining a 30-game unbeaten run under Sarina Wiegman at the beginning of her tenure, the Lionesses suffered their first defeat in April last year ahead of the 2023 World Cup. Since then, results have been hit and miss, including a disappointing Nations League campaign that saw Team GB miss out on qualification for the Olympics over the summer.
Friday’s result against Germany was another stark reminder of the progress other teams on the continent are making. It was the visitor’s first game under new manager Christian Wuck, but they looked streets ahead of England in some areas of their game.
Following a successful couple of years, including the Euro 2022 triumph and reaching a World Cup final, the expectations placed on this England team are extremely high. Stanway admits maintaining such a high level of consistency is almost impossible, and it is down to them to ensure they reinvent themselves and remain difficult to beat.
“I think when the expectation is continuous, we’re probably not able to live up to it,” the midfielder admitted in a press conference on Monday. “I think it’s inevitable that at some point you’re going to plateau.
“We’ve been with Sarina [Wiegman] for two-and-a-half, nearly three years. We’re going to get to a point where we can’t continuously win because teams are going to figure us out, other teams are getting better, and that’s where we’ve got to work together to be able to reinvent ourselves.
“We’ve got to work together to be able to change some tactics, change things here and there in order to get the upper hand on opponents. As much as teams are evolving, we also have to continue to evolve and make tweaks.”
England will have an opportunity to right the wrongs of the 4-3 loss against Germany when they face South Africa in Coventry on Tuesday night. Wiegman’s side have three more games this calendar year, including a huge test against Emma Hayes’ USA team, and a match against Switzerland in November.
All eyes are already on next summer’s European Championships, and England will hope to retain their title. However, with the likes of Germany on a resurgence, and Spain taking Europe by storm, it will not be a straightforward task.
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