The Lionesses: ENG v Swi (Tu 19:45 ITV4) | + Euro Quals for Wales, Ireland, NI, Scotland & others




England are the nominated nation on behalf of Team GB to seal qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics but they must win their Women's Nations League group.

It is finely poised with England currently third in the group, three points off leaders the Netherlands, who they face on Friday, 1 December.

Opponents Scotland, who they play on Tuesday, 5 December, are currently bottom of the group with one point.



Full story:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67483989
 
Tonight at Wembley Vs Netherlands (who beat us in the away game) - a must win to have any chance of progress in Nations League and Olympic qualification





United's Millie Turner in the squad for the first time as captain Bright is injured

Beth Mead available for the first time since major surgery

Lauren Hemp up for 50th cap
 
In terms of Olympic qualifying, do just one team from England, Scotland, Wales or NI need to qualify for GB or does it have to be England? It's an interesting concept.
 
SilentWitness said:
In terms of Olympic qualifying, do just one team from England, Scotland, Wales or NI need to qualify for GB or does it have to be England? It's an interesting concept.
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England are the nominated nation on behalf of Team GB to seal qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics but they must win their Women's Nations League group.
 
Rood said:
England are the nominated nation on behalf of Team GB to seal qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics but they must win their Women's Nations League group.
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Interesting. So GB can only nominate one nation to represent as qualification?
 
SilentWitness said:
Interesting. So GB can only nominate one nation to represent as qualification?
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Ye that's the way they have decided to do it in the Womens game, makes sense since England are the strongest - even then at the moment it doesnt look like we are going to make it anyway but back to back wins this week should be enough to win the group.

AFAIK the Men have not bothered to do the same, I think it was only when Olympics were in London that we had a Men's Team GB for football.
 
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Rood said:
Ye that's the way they have decided to do it in the Womens game, makes sense since England are the strongest - even then at the moment it doesnt look like we are going to make it anyway but back to back wins this week should be enough to win the group.

AFAIK the Men have not bothered to do the same, I think it was only when Olympics were in London that we had a Men's Team GB for football.
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The men's event at the Olympics is more or less a U21 tournament - the qualifiers were chosen at the UEFA U21 tournament in the summer. Wales, Scotland, NI didn't want to jeopardise their independent national FA status to do a deal for a team GB with England nominated to do the qualifying and England alone can't represent GB under the current agreements. London was a special occasion where the FAs basically waived their right to object...

The women's game is still a bit more flexible (and the Olympics is still played by full national teams) so I guess the FAs decided to risk it (and were presumably told that it wouldn't upset anyone). Whether that'll change for future tournaments, or as the European clubs start to moan about their players not getting enough rest, who knows.
 
Which stadium is this? Seems pretty packed!
 
Ouch. I thought I was watching United there. Bad way to start a must win match.
 
Kind surprised wiegmann didn't start Earps upfront, used a striker at LB, defenders up top, that sort of thing
 
At her best Lauren James can be England’s best player, but she’s so untidy, making so many unforced errors. Overall England have been poor. This lineup isn’t working. Too many square pegs in round holes.
 
Eric_the_Red99 said:
At her best Lauren James can be England’s best player, but she’s so untidy, making so many unforced errors. Overall England have been poor. This lineup isn’t working. Too many square pegs in round holes.
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It's currently a bit of a "when Lauren starts for England" sort of appearance from her so far. I'm not sure if it's what she does or if it's what she doesn't get from her teammates.
 
I'm sitting on the halfway line right infront of James and I just don't get it. It's like she hasn't been given any instructions or a role apart from "maybe do something occasionally if you can be bothered".

Having her and Kirby next to each other has been suicide for us. Honestly there has been a constant huge hole right in front of us where both goals started from.

There's also no bite, the Dutch have been drilled and comfortable and allowed to be. Hemp on the ball and at least a bit of backup is the only way back into this.
 
Gosh. The Dutch are a very good team indeed.
Their press on England is so fast. England are not playing well at all. But much of that is down to the Dutch players. Very good. Bad goal from Erps though.
 
Netherlands are playing well, but this is poor from England. Formation isn't working and the players aren't working. Not a good performance so far from anyone, including Wiegman. A mountain to climb in the second half.
 
Interesting match and bizarre ending both in final whistle as well as reaction in the stands. :S
 
England should have won by more, but this is what happens when you give the opposition a two-goal head start. England let down by their defence, again.
 
Eric_the_Red99 said:
England should have won by more, but this is what happens when you give the opposition a two-goal head start. England let down by their defence, again.
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It wasn't just that, though it obviously didn't help. James and Kirby next to each other was a mistake and not pressing them was the biggest error.

Weigman has gone semi-Southgate for a while, in the second half having us press and changing things at the right time ended up with us looking like ourselves again.
 
Huge result to comeback from 0-2, last minute Toone winner the cherry on top!

 
So after that match, England are level on points with the Netherlands. They're level on head to head with each other but Netherlands are top on GD (+4 to England's +1)

To qualify England have to beat Scotland in their final match. If Netherlands win their final match against Belgium, England don't just need to win - they'll need to be three goals better than the Netherlands.

In other words the only way Scotland get any players to the Olympics is by letting England clock up the goals...

Interesting dynamic, though in reality the only obvious Scottish candidate for a team GB place is probably Erin Cuthbert.
 
Ye it is a weird one where Scotland could benefit from getting smashed by England next week, they also did us a favour in a way by drawing Belgium tonight

Scotland are relegated to Group B regardless of their result Vs England

 
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jojojo said:
So after that match, England are level on points with the Netherlands. They're level on head to head with each other but Netherlands are top on GD (+4 to England's +1)

To qualify England have to beat Scotland in their final match. If Netherlands win their final match against Belgium, England don't just need to win - they'll need to be three goals better than the Netherlands.

In other words the only way Scotland get any players to the Olympics is by letting England clock up the goals...

Interesting dynamic, though in reality the only obvious Scottish candidate for a team GB place is probably Erin Cuthbert.
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I think to even it out, if Netherlands go trough, they should line up in the Olympics as Be-Ne-Lux.

Crazy, though, it’s as if Man Utd and Liverpool were equal on all but goal difference ahead of the last league game, and and United played City while Liverpool played Everton … and Carlos Tevez had just bought both United and City and declared both would merge to form FC Manchester after the game.
 
Just catching up on the highlights. Two great assists by James, but I gather from social media that she didn’t have the best of games, but that’s what you get from her sometimes. A clumsy and somewhat untidy performance but she’s a difference maker. She’s a match winner.

Love seeing Wembley erupt when Toone slotted the winner in.
 
WeePat said:
Just catching up on the highlights. Two great assists by James, but I gather from social media that she didn’t have the best of games, but that’s what you get from her sometimes. A clumsy and somewhat untidy performance but she’s a difference maker. She’s a match winner.

Love seeing Wembley erupt when Toone slotted the winner in.
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She just needs to improve on decision making, yes she's capable of scoring worldies but that doesn't mean she has to go for it every time

This proves She can be just as effective on assists
 
WeePat said:
Just catching up on the highlights. Two great assists by James, but I gather from social media that she didn’t have the best of games, but that’s what you get from her sometimes. A clumsy and somewhat untidy performance but she’s a difference maker. She’s a match winner.

Love seeing Wembley erupt when Toone slotted the winner in.
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Clumsy and untidy would be a fair description of England's first half. I'm not quite sure how Chelsea line up when Fran Kirby and Lauren James start together, the combination didn't really work for England last night.
 
jojojo said:
So after that match, England are level on points with the Netherlands. They're level on head to head with each other but Netherlands are top on GD (+4 to England's +1)

To qualify England have to beat Scotland in their final match. If Netherlands win their final match against Belgium, England don't just need to win - they'll need to be three goals better than the Netherlands.

In other words the only way Scotland get any players to the Olympics is by letting England clock up the goals...

Interesting dynamic, though in reality the only obvious Scottish candidate for a team GB place is probably Erin Cuthbert.
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That is mad and a complete conflict of interest if any Scottish players had access any desire to go to Tokyo.

Mad that UEFA has allowed this
 
Watching James close up and she spent all the first half looking lost and mostly the wrong way, completely behind play and disinterested. It might be the weight of playing for England that is still new to her, especially being the one all eyes are on.

As I've constantly said, Hemp is easily our best player. Perhaps the eyes off her allow the freedom that James doesn't have though. Second half when we had a better grasp of midfield and started showing some drive and scored, that's when James showed up. Still sloppy but you could see she wanted to get involved more and the talent she has.

Also was fantastic to see Toone have a bit of energy and spark back, for a long time it's looked like she needs a long break. The crowd absolutely love her, it was awesome as always hearing that.
 
Questions about the conflict of interest for Scotland in tomorrow's game rightly batted away by Wiegman

I have no doubt that the Scottish Women will happily cut off their noses to get a win over England !

 
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