Sarina Wiegman: England manager on preparing for Euro 2022

2 years ago 23

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Manager Sarina Wiegman calls on England players to 'make everyone proud'

Five months into her role as England manager, and five months until her adopted country hosts the Women's Euro 2022 finals, Sarina Wiegman is on a familiar path.

The Lionesses will kick off this summer's Euros on 6 July against Austria at Old Trafford in front of a crowd of 75,000.

"We're trying to prepare everything as well as possible, on and off the pitch," Wiegman told BBC Football Focus presenter and former England captain Alex Scott.

"This is going to be the biggest women's event in Europe, ever. So it's going to be huge. We already know that the opening match is sold out, which is really, really exciting.

"It can also cause a little stress, we know that."

Impressed by work ethic

Since taking charge in September, Wiegman has a blemish-free record - six wins, 53 goals scored and none conceded - but her team is yet to come up against world-class opposition.

That will change this month when, in the space of just seven days, the Lionesses will face Canada, Spain and Germany in the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup.

"After this tournament, we will really know where we are at this moment," she said.

"[This] is an opportunity to develop. That doesn't mean we don't approach the games to win. But we're going to let more players play that might not be a starter at the Euros."

What she has seen from her players during three England camps has given her a lot of optimism.

"I was impressed about many things," she said. "I was really impressed about the willingness and the work ethic of the team, the openness of players.

"Actually we had to tell the players 'well we go 100mph all the time, sometimes you have to slow down a little bit to get the game to the next level'."

She has been talking to the players about being ruthless, something which was very much in evidence in their last match - a 20-0 thrashing of minnows Latvia, which followed a 1-0 win over Austria.

"The most impressive thing was the 20-0," Wiegman said. "It was 90 minutes of giving everything, keep doing the task, keep giving all the energy and playing well. That was so impressive."

Captain decision will wait

Wiegman said England were already a "top-level team" when she arrived as the permanent replacement of Phil Neville, so her job wasn't about telling the players "we can do something totally new".

She described her strength as being a "team player", seeing her role as bringing the staff and players together and "connecting" the team.

Those are also the qualities she is looking for when she chooses her captain - although she said she "was not a lot closer" to making that decision because injuries had restricted her options.

Arsenal defender Leah Williamson and Chelsea defender Millie Bright have been given the honour so far.

But Manchester City captain Steph Houghton, who had the armband under Neville, is yet to play for Wiegman because of injury, while Lucy Bronze will be involved this month for the first time under the new manager after recovering from knee surgery.

"I was very positive about the two captains we've had so far. To be honest I haven't decided yet.

"I first want everyone in again. Hopefully everyone's fit, we can bring all the players in and then see how the team develops, how people behave."

Sarina Wiegman with the Euro 2017 trophy

Dreaming of reaching Wembley final

England finished bottom of their group last time they hosted the Women's Euros in 2005, and Wiegman wants to help the players "embrace" the added expectation that comes with being at home.

"We discuss 'what's pressure?' Don't push it away," she said.

"What could be pressure for you is different for someone else. That's why we have to get to know each other, and try to help in what's needed for that person.

"It's a home Euros, the players have come so far to make the squad. Make everyone proud but also make yourself proud."

She also wants to create an environment where players feel "safe" to try things on the pitch.

"What we're really encouraging now is to take action. Mistakes are part of the game. Football is a game in which everyone is going to make mistakes - that's fine, we learn from mistakes. Well, if you make the same mistake four times then we have a little problem," she joked.

So has Wiegman considered the prospect of reaching a second successive Euros final?

"Well of course I dream, and sometimes you visualise - that's part of preparation for players but also for me. But I don't try to think about that all the time.

"We want to be at our best under the highest pressure at the Euros. That's what we're working on every day.

"We have some very good other competitors in that tournament because I think the women's game is improving so much. There are very many favourite teams that can win the Euros.

"We know what we want, we know where we want to go to."

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