Can the Lionesses be crowned queens of Europe on home soil? Or will it all end in heartbreak once more

Sarina Wiegman and her 23 player squad will campaign to be the first England Women’s side to win a major tournament, and will have the backing of the home fans to do so. However, with a plethora of strong, talented sides making up the 2022 competition, such an achievement will not be easily attained. Here is an overview of the England side heading into the tournament:

Playing as hosts: 

With hosting a tournament comes great pressure, and that is pressure that Wiegman and her Lionesses will be tasked with negating.

The record for hosts winning Women’s Euro tournaments actually makes for good reading from an England perspective, with five winners out of 12 in the official tournament era coming from the fully fledged host nation, with a further two coming from one of the joint host nations. Most recently, the Netherlands won their home tournament back in 2017, the First Nation to do so since 2001. Additionally, the manager who led the Dutch side to glory five years ago is none other than the current England boss herself.

England’s best effort to date came back in 2009 in Finland, where the Lionesses were eventual runners up after losing out 6-2 to Germany in the final.

Squad: 

Here is the 23 player squad named by Head Coach Sarina Wiegman for the upcoming Euros-

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City)

Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Millie Bright (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Keira Walsh (Manchester City), Leah Williamson (Captain, Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Manchester City), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jill Scott (Aston Villa), Ella Toone (Manchester United)

Forwards: Beth Mead (Arsenal), Ellen White (Manchester City), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Nikita Paris (Arsenal), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Bethany England (Chelsea), Alessia Russo (Manchester United)

Immediately, it is clear to see the overwhelming Manchester City presence with almost 40% of the call-ups coming from the blue side of Manchester, with a considerable Chelsea cohort also included.

Key players: 

City’s Lauren Hemp and Chelsea’s Bethany England have been prudent attacking outlets this past season, bagging 42 goals and plenty of assists between them in all competitions. England fans will also hope that Ellen White can muster up that magic that has so often been seen from her in an England shirt.

An intriguing inclusion is that of Fran Kirby, who despite coming into 2021/2022 in the form of her life, has struggled with injury and inconsistency, whilst still posting a more than respectable 17 goals and assists in all competitions. However, Kirby has not appeared in a Chelsea shirt since late February after being out with serious fatigue issues. However, the 29-year-old has worked hard to get back up to fitness, and after a combined 153 minutes across the three friendlies has convinced Wiegman to include her in the 23 player squad.

A particularly notable absentee is none other than Steph Houghton, who has 121 senior caps for the Lionesses that has seen her involvement in the previous five major tournaments. The midfielder turned centre back captained England at the previous three tournaments, reaching the semi-finals on each occasion. Unquestionably, this will be a big miss for the hosts, but Houghton’s recurring Achilles injury was too much for Wiegman to take the risk on.

England’s rivals: 

Whilst it is unclear just how far England will go in this tournament, most would put them in the group of nations expected to compete, but who is likely to stop them?

Austria:

The first game of a major tournament is often a cagey affair, only amplified when you are playing as hosts. With over 72,000 expected at Old Trafford, there will undoubtedly be some nerves amongst the Lionesses, and they will be given a tough test by an organised Austrian side.

Austria held England to 1-0 in their most recent meeting in a World Cup qualifier in November, and will look to hold the hosts and perhaps nick a goal from a set piece.

Norway:

Two time European Champions Norway may not have the team of the late 80’s and 90’s, but they will certainly be looking to put a spanner in the works for England in their clash in Brighton, before perhaps replicating past glories almost three decades later.

The Norwegians are widely considered as a potential dark horse favourite for the tournament, and it’s clear to see why with an array of talent from WSL sides as well as Barcelona, PSG and Lyon.

Northern Ireland:

A fellow ‘home nation’ (though not a host nation), Northern Ireland will be making their major tournament debut and will be looking to make an impact against local rivals England. They will take on England in the last of the three group stage games, taking place at St.Mary’s. Incidentally, Southampton’s Laura Rafferty is a part of the 23 player squad that could appear on the 15th July.

Germany:

The Germans are powerhouses across the world of football, and the eight time Champions at one time owned the Euros as their own, winning six consecutive tournaments spanning 18 years.

However, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side had a disappointing 2017 tournament, crashing out at the Quarter-Finals against group rivals, Denmark.

Germany could face England as early as the Quarter-Finals should one side top and one side finish second in their respective groups.

Spain:

Spain’s development in Women’s football has perhaps taken longer than other nations, but the Spaniards are joint favourites with England with many bookies, and could pose a real threat to the Lionesses along the road.

With a plethora of talent emanating from the El Classico sides, Spain could well be on for their first major title, and could end England’s hopes as early as the Quarter-Finals.

Denmark:

The Danes will be competing in Group B, and could well finish 2nd in their group, which, should England top their group, would result in a clash with the Lionesses at Brighton in the Quarter-Finals.

Headed by Lars Søndergaard, Denmark boast five players who play their trade in England, including England’s Pernille Harder.

Netherlands:

If there is anyone that knows the Dutch National side, it is Sarina Wiegman. The current England coach led the ‘Oranje Leeuwinnen’ for five years, including masterminding their home triumph in 2017. Since then, Holland also reached the final of the 2019 World Cup, where they lost out to the USA.

The Dutch will still be one of the favourites to get to the latter stages, and could well be an opponent in the Semi-Final or Final should both sides progress.

Sweden:

The Swedes are also amongst the names in the conversation when it comes to the major competitors in the tournament, and it’s clear to see why. The 1984 champions have only failed to make the semi-finals twice, with 2017 being one of those occasions. However, there is history between the Lionesses and Sweden, with the Nordic outfit defeating England in the 3rd place play-off of the 2019 World Cup in France.

France:

In all forms of Football, France will always be competitive, and the women’s game is no different. Les Bleus have not lost a competitive game since the 2019 World Cup Quarter-Final, and will look to make up for that tournament by winning the Euros for the first time. However, despite all of the squads talents, Corinne Diacre’s side have failed to get past the Quarter-Final in any Euro tournament.

France could play England in the Semi-Finals of the tournament.

Overview: 

All in all, there are no outright favourites for the tournament, which means one of two things. Either England can use the home advantage and seize the opportunity to win their first title, or they fall by the wayside once more, allowing perhaps a new side to make a name for themselves or one of the major players to assert themselves as THE dominant force.

England have the quality in their ranks and the support to back it up, but do they have the character to oversee a successful tournament? Only time will tell.

One thing is for sure, and that is that the Lionesses  are sure to inspire yet another generation and capture the imagination of millions of fans across the globe. They couldn’t, could they?

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