Sarina Wiegman's options after Kiera Walsh concern in Women's World Cup clash
That moment of doom when Kiera Walsh lunged for the ball quickly turned into a disaster for England fans all over. She instantly hit the deck, pushed away any support from fellow teammates and signalled to the bench that her tournament was over.
England looked significantly lost without their talisman Walsh, clutching on the end of their 1-0 win over Denmark like trying to catch smoke with their bare hands. Fans were not fully sure how they did it, it was chaotic and panic-stricken, and the future looked bleak for this side minus their midfield maestro.
But the show must go on, Sarina Wiegman ushered the team forward, plugging the Walsh-shaped hole with tournament debutant Laura Coombs - talk about square-peg-round-hole.
As the play progressed, Georgia Stanway slotted into that holding role to let Coombs push slightly higher up the field, but neither offered the glue-like adhesion or the impending threat to the opposition that Walsh brings to the table.
Former Lioness number four, Fara Williams, reviewed the game on BBC One: “If you look at the two halves [of the game], a lot goes through the middle for England having Kiera there. But it also affects the opposition too - without Walsh in the middle, the opposition joined Pernille Harder and pressed Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood, so they had less time on the ball compared to the first half.”
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It explains the chaos forcing Bright’s hand to aimlessly hoof the ball long in a desperate attempt to clear the line. So, who is available to take Walsh’s place?
Honestly, it calls for a reshuffle of the entire line-up rather than a straight swap. The Lionesses don’t have a replacement player of her calibre - fact. So, what or who are their options?
Middle-of-the-park players - Stanway, Coombs, Katie Zelem, Jordan Nobbs. are the obvious selections but Esme Morgan has also played as number four at Manchester City, so Wiegman is not starved of talent.
To consider link-ups, it would benefit to have Zelem hold and service Ella Toone and Alessia Russo instinctively, having so much time together at Manchester United who have been an attacking machine last season.
Manchester City's option to link Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly with Coombs or Morgan also looked beneficial, however, Coombs is more of a workhorse chaser than a playmaker - Stanway 2.0 if you will. If Wiegman persists to use a middle three, then Coombs is a better option, she plays that formation week-in-week-out for her club.
Morgan needs more experience before sticking her among the top talents on the global stage plus, it's not where Wiegman sees her play. That leaves Nobbs, a valid, well-experienced option but again, she's more of a number 10 than four, so not an ideal straight swap. All this being said, this may call for a formation change.
Previously a 4-2-3-1 line-up has gone well, Stanway and Walsh in front of the back four - Stanway does the dirty work and Walsh dances around the space. Could Zelem work with Stanway and spray the ball for her country as she does for her club? She's looking like the most viable option.
England's midfielder Katie Zelem warms up with teammates (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)That would hopefully result in slightly more stability in the forward line. With Russo and Toone in front of her, maybe England's attack can benefit from familiar services up top, especially through the middle where options have been lax.
Zelem has been faultless last season with Manchester United. She enjoys playing herself out of tight situations and switch the play with ease. So, Wiegman, if you’re listening, Zelem’s name is in the hat for the sitting two midfielders in front of the back four. Toone, James, Hemp and Kelly and the alternate three in front of them and Russo, Beth England or Rachel Daly as the nine.
“What Kiera can do alone no other player can do that alone, they need two players in the middle now,” noted Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall. He’s not wrong. The Stanway-Zelem duo could prove a better partnership over the other options currently on the bench. B players possess quality, are willing to do the dirty work and get rough in the middle of the park. But honestly how much do these players have to suffer before we decide enough is enough?
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“[it calls for] more research, the pitches we discussed today, was it watered enough? Menstrual cycle? So many things come into it, there are so many factors that contribute to that big injury,” said Former Lioness and European Champion Ellen White “But we need investment to get the right resources in nutrition and recover in between games,” added Eidevall.
“I’ve been at the top of the women’s game for 10 years, the science hasn’t kept up but the amount of games. The demand and the intensity have increased so much over this time,” retorted the Gunners’ boss. England have days to figure out their next move before their final group clash of the tournament, against China on August 1.
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