England boss Sarina Wiegman hopes her experienced England squad can get the job done and qualify for the Olympics.
Sarina Wiegman is optimistic that the selection of an experienced 23-player squad will aid England in overcoming challenging circumstances, especially after losing two of their first four UEFA Nations League games, putting their qualification for the 2024 Olympics in jeopardy.
The accomplished England manager faced her toughest challenge last month, suffering a significant 3-2 defeat against Belgium, marking a third loss in the last five games, including the World Cup final. This has placed England’s hopes of reaching the inaugural Nations League finals and, subsequently, the Olympics in a precarious position.
Despite recent setbacks, Wiegman believes that the squad’s last performance does not accurately reflect their overall ability.
Wiegman tries to look positively on England’s recent failings
“I think we still do good things, but we have to do better in moments in games and be more ruthless,” she said. “The last result was not a reflection of us, now we are in a situation where we need wins.
To conclude their Nations League campaign, the Lionesses are set to play against the Netherlands at Wembley before traveling north to face Scotland.
Securing the top spot in the group, where they currently sit third, is not only vital for advancing in the competition but also holds significance for Olympic qualification. Only the two finalists (excluding hosts France) will earn a place in Paris next summer, and England serves as a proxy for Great Britain in this context.
“Our approach will not change, we will refuel, the process we do will not be a lot different. We just need to do better in moments in the game. We just have to be aware on the counter attack too,” Wiegman explained as she aims for better results.
“I’m really looking forward to playing at Wembley, and eager to get a result.”
