‘It’s all about performance’ – Wiegman hints on naming consistent England line-up for Latvia | OneFootball

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WSL Full-Time

·29 November 2021

‘It’s all about performance’ – Wiegman hints on naming consistent England line-up for Latvia

Article image:‘It’s all about performance’ – Wiegman hints on naming consistent England line-up for Latvia

England head coach Sarina Wiegman has hinted that she will again name a consistent starting XI to face Latvia in Doncaster on Tuesday evening.

Consistency has been a major factor of Wiegman’s team selections so far with six players having started every game for the Dutch coach. Those players who have found themselves on the bench have been made to work hard to prove their worth and gain minutes in the team.

England moved a step closer to FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 qualification with a 1-0 victory over Austria on Saturday. On Tuesday night, they take on a Latvia side who have lost 15 games on the bounce at The Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster.


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When speaking about team selection in the pre-match press conference, Wiegman hinted that she could keep faith with the majority of her starting XI and those players fighting for minutes may have to earn them from the bench after impressing in training.

“You start the game and you want to win so it is all about performance,” Wiegman told FAWSL Full-Time. “You want to start in the best way possible.

“You want to see some other players in their development but we will look at how the game goes.

“We also have the training moments, we see the players all week and with their club teams but when they are in our environment, we see how they relate to each other and how they compete in the training sessions too. I think our training sessions are so high level and so competitive that we see how the players perform and we identify the players who are really close to starting so we can get them some minutes.

“Within our team, we do want to see some players come in and assess what options we have and during matches we will see what changes we can make.”

Wiegman followed up her comments by saying that she is always aiming to get the best team on the pitch and that she prepares for each game with a similar approach.

“It’s World Cup qualification, this is the national team and we want to get the best team on the pitch,” she said. “If we have the opportunity to give players minutes or if there is the opportunity in the game, we have game changers.

“Everyone who is on camp earns minutes, they are giving everything they have but then still I look at the quality and what is needed in the game and how close someone is to being a starter or a substitute to come in. That is how I approach the game.”

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 qualifier between England and Latvia in Doncaster kicks-off at 7pm on Tuesday evening. Tickets remain on sale and can be purchased by clicking here.

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