Women’s Euros: Yorkshire-strong Lionesses ready for action

The Lionesses do so with plenty of optimism, as shown by how quickly their matches sold out. Like the men, they feed off one of the world’s top domestic leagues.

Their chances are certainly much better for the 12-month delay Covid-19 caused to first the men’s tournament, then the women’s. Things deteriorated pretty quickly towards the end of Neville’s time but it was impossible to argue with his successor’s assessment after Thursday’s 4-0 win in Switzerland that “We are in a very good place.”

But it will be another month until we know if this team is the real deal. For all their quality and near-misses, England are yet to win a major tournament and need the home fans to lift them above five higher-ranked countries, including tournament favourites Spain and potential quarter-final opponents Germany.

The World Cup qualifying campaign under Wiegman, a Euro 2017 winner as coach of her native Netherlands, has been so dominant as to be pointless –eight wins with a 68-0 aggregate are little help to anyone, even if one of the vanquished, Northern Ireland, are in their Championship group, with Austria and Norway.

Winning the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup was not to be sniffed at given the standard of opposition but when all is said and done, it was only the Arnold Clark Cup. Likewise, sweeping aside the Netherlands at Elland Road last month – with the teams confusingly wearing each other’s colours – was hugely heartening but there is only so much you can read into friendlies.

In effect, Wiegman’s entire time has been little more than friendlies but that has given plenty of opportunity to experiment and gather information about her players. Not selecting the convalescing Steph Houghton showed her ruthless edge along the way.

The test is how she puts it together and from the outside that is not 100 per cent clear.

Having “a team of 23 that can all play and all impact a game”, as Wiegman describes her squad is great, but when things kick off against Austria at Old Trafford on Wednesday, some stability would come in handy.

Leah Williamson, Alex Greenwood, Georgia Stanway and Harrogate’s Rachel Daly all look set for big roles but their versatility makes guessing what tough. Williamson is equally comfortable holding in the 4-2-3-1 or alongside Sheffield’s Millie Bright at centre-back. Which could dictate how far forward Stanway plays, where in the back four Greenwood is, and which full-back slot if any Daly takes. Ellen White’s Covid-disrupted preparations have muddied the waters too.

What it should mean is England have good options from the bench, and big injuries should not spread panic.

And although Yorkshire is a Women’s Super League-free zone, partly thanks to the politics which took Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers Belle from the top table, like their male counterparts they are heavily dependent on us. Whitby’s Beth Mead, Barnsley’s Beth England and Sheffield’s Ellie Roebuck are alongside Daly and Bright in the 23.

Sadly, if England play in the Broad Acres, it will only be once – in a Bramall Lane semi-final – but with Sheffield and Rotherham hosting four games each, there is plenty of top-level football to entertain and inspire.

Netherlands v Sweden a week today is a great way to kick off at Sheffield United, and both will be back to play Switzerland.

France, who play all three group games at New York Stadium, should be exciting because things could either go spectacularly well or badly, depending how the chemistry in a squad packed with talent but choosing to be without Champions League final player of the match Amandine Henry, Lyon club-mate Eugenie Le Sommer and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kheira Hamraoui sparks. It does not feel a happy camp, but if they can somehow direct four weeks of creative tension towards Wembley on July 31, you never know.

Italy (on July 10), Belgium (14th) and Iceland (18th) are their opponents, with the group winners staying for the quarter-finals.

With ticket sales on course for half a million despite some family-unfriendly kick-offs (six 8pms in South Yorkshire), publicity campaigns plastering images of the Yorkshire lasses around their home patches and having them promote products country-wide, the tournament certainly kicks off with enthusiasm behind it which as always when England or Great Britain play a major sporting event, will continue at least as long as they do.

That may not have been the case all that long ago but Wiegman has given that most precious of commodities: genuine hope.