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Boxing Talking Football with…. Lianne Sanderson: People Fear England Now, They’ve Made Themselves Favourites
We sat down with Lianne Sanderson with just three matches remaining in the 2022 European Championships. Four teams are left in the competition and Lianne was on-hand to preview the final few games.
England take on Sweden this week with a place in the final at Wembley on the line for the winner. France and Germany contest the other semi-final. Lianne previewed both matches in what was a fascinating tactical discussion.
Sweden is up next for England. What can we expect in this game? Do you think Sweden has an advantage in this one?
“I think before the tournament, they definitely had the advantage.”
“They were a lot of people’s favourites for this tournament.”
“I felt, based on the Olympics and based upon the players and how well drilled they are. The fact they’ve got a lot of players that play each other in the WSL. Magdalena Eriksson, Lindahl. There are a lot of players. Asllani played for Manchester City and Blackstenius is not obviously at Arsenal. There are a lot of players that the girls will know a lot about. It’s one of those things where England will have to play really, really well. “
“I was more worried and nervous against Spain than I am for this game.”
“Maybe it’s because, I don’t think I’m underestimating Sweden, but I think Spain would be our toughest test.”
“And we knew that we could avoid Germany before we got to the finals. So, it’s either Germany or France. It was going to be in the semi-finals, based upon how the brackets went. After watching Germany the other day, they look very, very strong.“
“I think it’s gonna be a really good game. I think it’s gonna be one of those things where the Swedish players would wanna cause an upset. Why wouldn’t you? If I was playing for Sweden, especially going up against a lot of the teammates I know, or former teammates, I definitely would wanna cause an upset.”
Sweden has Magdalena Eriksson in their ranks – a player who knows the English attackers really well. What gameplan, and players, could help break down that Swedish defence?
“It’s gonna come down to team selection. I think Alessia Russo should play. I think Ellen White’s been fantastic for England when it comes to scoring in major tournaments. But I just think Alessia Russo offers a little bit more upfront, and it would be interesting to see.”
“Alex Greenwood, I’ve been calling for her for the whole tournament, but, and it’s nothing against Rachel Daly, I think she did a really good job in the first three games. But the last game against Spain, I mean, they just kinda ran around ragged, to be honest.”
“And also, when Alex Greenwood came on, she was having a difficult time 1 v 1, going up against Bonmati, del Castillo, a lot of their players, it was difficult because sometimes some players just can defend. It doesn’t matter if you know what footed they are, they are special talents, and the Spanish team has special talents.”
“But what I think Alex Greenwood offers is when she picks up the ball on the left foot and she’s got a really good delivery on the left foot and down the line. I think it allows Lauren Hemp to have a bit more freedom to get down the line and cut in and that type of stuff. And I think that’s why we’ve become so one-dimensional when it comes to right-sided play, with Lucy Bronze and Beth Mead, because Rachel Daly has a tendency to come inside and play it to Millie Bright, or play it to Leah Williamson, who then tries a diagonal ball.”
“So really, Lauren Hemp only gets the ball when it gets to Keira Walsh. So, I just think it allows us to have a little bit more flexibility with a left-footed player there. But not only any left-footed player, Alex Greenwood has an absolutely wonder of a left foot. So, I think that is something I would definitely look to change.”
“I’m still a little bit suspect about putting in, not suspect, but dubious about putting in Ella Toone instead of Fran Kirby, because I just think you should be based upon having a couple of not-so-great games. Not bad games, but not at your level. And then you get benched and someone else comes in. I think international football is quite cut-throat like that and it’s quite difficult sometimes.”
“I think Magdalena Eriksson knows exactly how these players play and she’s a top, top player, Chelsea captain, had her injuries last year, but she knows how to play, she knows how to win and I love everything about her.”
“She’s gonna be somebody that, although she’s in the back line, would be leading this team in the best way she knows how. I think Asllani, I always felt that at club level hasn’t really performed to the levels she probably could. I mean, maybe because she’s moved around quite a lot, and that happens in the women’s game. I moved around to about 12 different teams.”
“It’s not really based upon you, it’s based upon different situations. But I think she’s probably gonna wanna prove a point against her former Manchester City teammates. And she seems to always be a threat for Sweden. So England is gonna have to defend, probably a lot more in a direct way than they did against Spain.”
“Because against Spain they didn’t have any of the ball and Spain was the better team. But this Swedish team, they kind of attack in numbers and they know exactly what they’re doing. Rolfo, Blackstenius, Caroline Seger, when she’s playing, like these are top, top players that have been around for a really long time.”
Do you think Ella Toone deserves a start after the performance against Spain? Or Chloe Kelly? Or are they better off coming from the bench?
“It’s difficult because you can start to pigeonhole yourself. Because you do so well coming off the bench, then people see you as a bit of an impact player and super sub.”
“The same thing happened to me when I played for Orlando Pride, and that’s one of the reasons why I left. Because in hindsight, when I look back and it’s probably one of the regrets I had in my career was leaving there cause I got injured three weeks later. And everything happens for a reason.”
“I think that sometimes you can get pigeonholed based upon how well you do coming into the game. Now, I think that Bethany England deserves a chance. But, I think that when she started from the beginning, she didn’t seem to have the same impact that she did off the bench. The pace, the intensity.”
“But, I think that you can pigeonhole yourself, but then at the same time it’s about trust, isn’t it? Does Sarina Wiegman trust that Ella Toone and Alessia Russo can implement this type of game plan in a game of this magnitude? Now, she knows that Fran Kirby can, she knows that Ellen White can. So, it’s a matter of she will go with the same option.”
“Alex Greenwood can because she’s been tried and tested in major tournaments. Not as much as I think she should have been based upon her not being selected for ceratin games in World Cups and Euros. I think she would have been one of my first names down on the team sheet, Alex Greenwood.”
“But, I think that it comes down to whether these players can be trusted to implement a game plan and then put it into play. And I think what Sarina Wiegman will do, I think you should go with trust and who she trusts in this game.”
“A part of me feels like Ellen White will start based upon them knowing what she can do and closing up from the front. But for me, I think we were very lucky against Spain that we didn’t get found out there. We got found out but I think you have to make your own luck in football. I’m surprised we actually won that game in the end because really Spain was the better team. They were far better than England. But it comes down to putting the ball in the back of the net and England won and deserved to win in the end.”
Sweden has flown under the radar in the tournament so far. They’ve been impressive without grabbing headlines and look like they are capable of even more. Should England be concerned here?
“The reason why England probably seems like they’re overly confident, I don’t think is the players. I think it’s the country as a whole. I think being here, feeling everything going on. I think if this was in another country; I felt like if the game was in Spain I don’t think we would have won that game. I don’t know that for a fact, but the fans and everything is just really making it more exciting.”
“At the beginning of the tournament, there was a lot of pressure on the players.”
“Against Austria, that’s why we got rattled, we got nervous. But I think after that game it seems like we’ve grown into the tournament and I think England has played their way into being the favourites.”
“But, I feel like in the men’s game, and I said this many times before, if a team goes into the tournament as the favourites like Spain, Sweden, or Germany, just because a team starts to play well doesn’t mean they become the favourites. Whereas I think that England has, in people’s eyes, they’ve become the favourite and I’m always mindful because they’re ranked 8th in the World.”
“I know this isn’t a World Cup, but there are teams in this tournament that are ranked higher than them. So, I think we would have to be mindful of that. They just have to be mindful also of the fact that England is playing some of the best football they played with a new manager, Sarina Wiegman. And I said the new manager has not been there for five minutes. But she is, in her first tournament with the team and the impact she’s got on the team in such a short space of time is absolutely unbelievable.”
“I can see and I genuinely feel it, the way she is. I wish she was there when I was there. The way she is from what I’ve heard; the way she manages players, the way she communicates is all you can ask for. From a player’s perspective, it is open and honest conversation and communication.”
“You might not like it, but you have to accept it when a manager is honest.“
Which Swedish player do England have to be very cautious about?
“I think there are a few players. I mean the list goes on. But I think what I said about Asllani in the attack. The way she attacks for this team. I think it depends on who plays. Obviously, when she plays for her club, she’s been playing full-back, which is quite strange, but she’s a danger going forward as well as Blackstenius is a danger, obviously being at Arsenal she’s done quite well coming off the bench for them.“
“There’s not necessarily a player like Ada Hegerberg, where you gonna have to be like; ‘Oh, my God I have to, you know, every movement I make I’m gonna have to be watching them’. Asllani at the number 10 role for Sweden, I think she comes alive when she plays for Sweden in that position.”
“And if Caroline Seger plays, whether she plays or not, she’s somebody that is experienced in the team in that defensive midfield role.”
“I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s one specific player, but I think this Swedish team on a whole with Eriksson, Asllani, Blackstenius, Caroline Seger, Rolfo, Lindahl, there are so many leaders in that team and I think that’s what I love about Sweden.”
“There’s no glitz and glamour, they get the job done. And you talk about them going underneath the radar. I think that people that watch the women’s game will know how good Sweden is, but people that don’t watch it and are just watching it now will probably not even think they have a chance because they don’t know the players, they don’t know the way they play.”
“This is gonna be a difficult game for England and I think England know that. I don’t think England and the players are underestimating them and the staff. They’re not underestimating them at all.”
How do you think England can control the midfield against Sweden? What should they ‘not’ repeat from the game against Spain?
“It is difficult because we knew against Spain that they were going to have no possession of the ball. But then, having said that, when you look back at the possession and the actual percentages, it was like 58%. Which, I was actually surprised about. It was more that Spain was making more passes than England were.”
“It just seemed that Spain had the ball the whole game, and England couldn’t get near them.”
“One problem that was caused in the Spain game was that Bonmati was going in between the lines. And, I think, in the first half, that was causing a big problem. And I think if they had a better, and I say better, Esther Gonzalez is a good player, but not at that top-top level yet, if Spain had a better centre-forward, they could have really hurt us.”
“Fran Kirby, Keira Walsh, and Georgia Stanway didn’t know how to pick Bonmati up in that position. And then you have Caldentey coming off the line. When they are interchangeable in midfield, then I think we have a problem. But then they fixed that in the second half. Which I was happy about.”
“I think Sweden will present a different threat. I don’t think they move the ball in the way Spain does, but I think they counter-attack very quickly. So, England will have to be really organised, in this situation. Similar to how Austria has played, England needs to play like that.”
Because, Austria in the game against Germany the other day, they are always organised. They don’t concede many goals. They only conceded because Zinsberger made two mistakes. The second one was pretty bad, and the first one was a poor clearance. So Austria is a team that is really well organised. Not easy on the eye, but, when it comes to watching them play, England will need to have a really disciplined performance against Sweden. But then again, attack, attack, attack, and that’s what Sarina Wiegman does.“
“When Georgia Stanway scored, that is when they made substitutions in the defensive role. Before that, she was bringing on the players, Alessia Russo, Ella Toone. Even at the end of the game, I was screaming go to the corner, go to the corner, game management, right? We were still going for it and had a goal, and I am thinking, ‘My God, we don’t need to get another goal’.”
“So it is a good thing, but I think we need to have a bit better game management, in the later stages. Because I know it’s boring football when you go to the corner flag or you hit the ball into the corner, but it has to happen sometimes”
“The girls are gonna have a lot of confidence from the win against Spain. I think Sweden is on a good roll and shouldn’t be underestimated.”
England went behind against Spain for the first time in the competition so far. They had to dig in to respond. Will that help them moving forward?
“Definitely. A lot of people, especially the media here are a bit sceptical of the women’s team, for some reason. Have questions, you know, against Norway, they haven’t had to do anything, they won eight-nil, but really that was such a freak result. That never really happens.”
“And when it does happen, especially against a top nation like Norway, and people have said they have not been tested against Northern Ireland, it was a foregone conclusion. Against Austria, it was a foregone conclusion that we are going to win. But, all you can do is beat the team in front of you.”
“That they showed resilience, they showed that they can go behind and come back in the way they did against Spain. There were times in that game against Spain that we all looked at each other in commentary and thought this game is getting away from England. This game is getting away from us, you can feel it, in around the 70th, 75th minute, and that is when I think the subs really made a difference.”
“When you come into a game, England looked to make substitutions around the 60th minute, they always have done, always will do. But, it takes a little bit to get into the game. It doesn’t even take ten minutes, and I think sometimes people expect subs to come into the game and be fresh and ready to go. Which they are. But you have to gain speed of what is going on. So that is when I think the subs really made a difference.”
“Sarina Wiegman, I was questioning her for taking off Beth Mead and taking off Fran Kirby in that situation. But it worked. So, England has to be patient.”
“Make the most out of opportunities. Keep using that right side because it is working. Nobody can seem to nullify that side apart from, you know, Carmona, in the times for Spain, unbelievable on Lucy Bronze in the first half, on Beth Mead. And that is what Sweden is gonna have to do as well. Because they are going to be mindful of the right-hand side.”
Germany vs France is a coin toss with the bookies. How do you see that one going?
“It is going to be a great game. It is going to be a fantastic game. I mean, in the game France vs the Netherlands the other day, I expected France to win it a bit more comfortably than they did, and I am sure they did. They had so many chances, so many clearances of the line. “
“I’ve had the luxury of watching Germany live a couple of times in this tournament. And, when I’ve watched them the other day, they were just so well driven at everything they do, and they just seemed to breed talent after talent.”
“I mean, Oberdorf from the midfield, she is only 20 years old. And, I would not want to play against her. She just breaks everything up, she is fearless, and she gets involved. And I just feel like Germany, they just seem to be back to the Germany of old. I mean, they didn’t go away for a long time, they just went for a period of transition. Where I felt like they didn’t seem to be the Germany of old. Whereas now, they just seem to be ready to go.”
“But France creates so many chances. Cascarino the other day was just absolutely fantastic. She could have probably scored about five goals. France could have probably scored, on any other day it would have been about five-nil.”
“It is going to be a really great game. I was happy that France won. Because I felt that Germany would beat the Netherlands pretty comfortably. And I say that I mean Germany I thought would win against Austria comfortably, but I just don’t think the Netherlands have looked at their best in this tournament.”
The bookies aren’t expecting too many goals for either semi-final. The goal line is at 2.25 for both games. Would you agree with that or are you expecting the games to be a little more open?
“I think the England-Sweden game, for me, is more likely to have more goals than the Germany-France game.”
“Germany is a little bit more counter-attacking than France. But then, France breaks with unbelievable purpose when they are passing the ball. They seem to all have a really good flow. So, it will be interesting to see their game plan, because I would say Sweden will probably sit back for a little bit to see what England is going to do. And I think England could use that to their advantage.”
“If England can get an early goal, similar to how they did against Austria in the first game, I think that England could win that game pretty comfortably. But, it depends on how the first half goes. It depends on how Sweden comes out, and if they rise to the occasion. Because I have no doubt that England will rise to the occasion. Because they did against Spain, and they have done this whole tournament. So it will be interesting to see they will manage their emotions and their nerves.”
“I think the Germany vs France game will be tighter than the England-Sweden game. But I could be wrong because I said that England-Norway could be tight, and it was eight-nil. But, everybody said the same thing.”
And finally, predictions for England vs Sweden?
“I am going to go with England win.”
“I think we’ve gone out of the semifinals too many times in recent tournaments. And I think that this point is now. You are not going to get a bigger opportunity to play at Wembley in front of your home fans. To play in England with countries going absolutely crazy. They just set up two more fan parks in Trafalgar Square.”
“Everybody is getting on board and it is just really great to see. Because from a player’s perspective, when I played in tournaments, you don’t really know what is going on back home. So I expect England to win that, but not easily. Not easily.”
“I think the Germany-France game, I am going to go with Germany win.”
“I think France has got technically better-gifted players, when it comes to possessing the ball, and directness. But I think Germany is just unbelievable in their attack and strength. So I am going to go with the Germany-England final. That is my prediction.“
Are you expecting a England vs Germany final?
“Hopefully, it will be better than when I played there for England a few years ago.”
“It wasn’t even that long ago. We got beat three-nil. But thankfully, we’ve overcome that hurdle lately, because we never used to be able to beat Germany. It wasn’t until 2015, when we won the bronze medal, that we actually overcame that.”
“Psychologically, when you lose to teams all the time, it can then start to become a bit draining and daunting. Whereas now, I think people fear England, I really do.”
