Published 01 November 2022 4 min read
England Women's Senior Team
Sarina speaks on squad selection
England head coach reflects on her decisions after selecting her squad for November's games with Japan and Norway
England boss Sarina Wiegman says she’s looking forward to seeing how both Maya Le Tissier and Katie Robinson can adapt to life with the senior squad in November.
The pair were both named in Wiegman’s squad to play Japan and Norway in Spain this month, having caught the head coach’s eye with their performances for the WU23s as well as for their clubs in the Barclays Women's Super League.
And they’ll now get the opportunity to step up and stake their own claim for a more permanent place in the group as Wiegman looks ahead to next summer’s World Cup.
"We think this is a really good period to do this,” said Wiegman on Tuesday evening, after naming a 25-player squad for the double-header.
“It's good for the players, they're performing well and of course we have a collaboration with the U23s and it's very good for them to come into our environment and see if they're ready for that or if they need a little more time.
"We have now eight months to prepare for the World Cup and what we want to see is where are the young players now.
"Hopefully they can compete really quickly and give us some headaches to make decisions.”
The pair were both named in Wiegman’s squad to play Japan and Norway in Spain this month, having caught the head coach’s eye with their performances for the WU23s as well as for their clubs in the Barclays Women's Super League.
And they’ll now get the opportunity to step up and stake their own claim for a more permanent place in the group as Wiegman looks ahead to next summer’s World Cup.
"We think this is a really good period to do this,” said Wiegman on Tuesday evening, after naming a 25-player squad for the double-header.
“It's good for the players, they're performing well and of course we have a collaboration with the U23s and it's very good for them to come into our environment and see if they're ready for that or if they need a little more time.
"We have now eight months to prepare for the World Cup and what we want to see is where are the young players now.
"Hopefully they can compete really quickly and give us some headaches to make decisions.”
Fleet-footed winger Robinson has been a regular for Brighton & Hove Albion this term, as well as for the WU23s and Wiegman admits she likes her approach to attacking.
"She's done well, last Sunday was not the best game, but over a period she has done well and also with the U23s,” she explained.
"She has some qualities that she's shown and we'd really like to see her in our environment, at the top level, to see what she can bring and if she can compete with the players in her position
"She has speed and wants to go forward, and she's goal-oriented so that's what we'd like to see in the position that she plays.”
Le Tissier also has an opportunity to impress, with the Guernsey-born defender having made the move north from Brighton to Manchester United earlier this year.
"Maya has also done well with the U23s and has gone to a new club in Manchester United and is one of those players doing well so this is an opportunity to give her a chance to show what they can do in our squad,” said Wiegman.
"For us, she will come in and we will see how she might fit into our team. She has a little versatility too, she can play as a right full-back or defensive midfielder but most of all at centre-back so we'll try it out in our training sessions.”
"She's done well, last Sunday was not the best game, but over a period she has done well and also with the U23s,” she explained.
"She has some qualities that she's shown and we'd really like to see her in our environment, at the top level, to see what she can bring and if she can compete with the players in her position
"She has speed and wants to go forward, and she's goal-oriented so that's what we'd like to see in the position that she plays.”
Le Tissier also has an opportunity to impress, with the Guernsey-born defender having made the move north from Brighton to Manchester United earlier this year.
"Maya has also done well with the U23s and has gone to a new club in Manchester United and is one of those players doing well so this is an opportunity to give her a chance to show what they can do in our squad,” said Wiegman.
"For us, she will come in and we will see how she might fit into our team. She has a little versatility too, she can play as a right full-back or defensive midfielder but most of all at centre-back so we'll try it out in our training sessions.”
Wiegman also reflected on some of the difficult decisions she had to make, specifically when it came to leaving out the likes of Chelsea’s Jess Carter and the long-serving Demi Stokes.
"It's never an easy decision to make,” she admitted.
“I had a conversation with Jess after the EUROs and she wanted to get some more freshness and be back as fit as she was, so we just think it is better to stay with her club this time and get back her fitness and freshness.
"With Demi, it's hard because she's been with the team for such a long time.
“But I now want to see some of the younger players in defence, to see how that competition goes in the future.”
Wiegman’s squad will meet up at St. George’s Park following this weekend’s fixtures before they face Japan on Friday 11 November and then Norway on Tuesday 15 November. Both games take place at the Pinatar Arena in Murcia.
"It's never an easy decision to make,” she admitted.
“I had a conversation with Jess after the EUROs and she wanted to get some more freshness and be back as fit as she was, so we just think it is better to stay with her club this time and get back her fitness and freshness.
"With Demi, it's hard because she's been with the team for such a long time.
“But I now want to see some of the younger players in defence, to see how that competition goes in the future.”
Wiegman’s squad will meet up at St. George’s Park following this weekend’s fixtures before they face Japan on Friday 11 November and then Norway on Tuesday 15 November. Both games take place at the Pinatar Arena in Murcia.
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