Sarina Wiegman must underline her best in world status amid England's conundrums
Sarina Weigman has been voted the world’s best three times - now it’s time for the Dutch coach to prove it.
Feted far and wide for her performance with Holland and the Lionesses, the hour has finally arrived when those credentials are put to the test.
Wiegman has built her reputation on two European Championship successes and a World Cup final appearance. If she is to improve that return, she is going to need to come up with a plan - just as successful teams find a way to win, so too must successful coaches - particularly when they're up against it.
The prize would be a jolt of electricity bolting through her squad at exactly the right time - but problems are piling up. In truth, they have been ever since the European Championship victory, from retirements and long-term injuries to key players - culminating in the latest - the loss of Lauren James for the last-eight clash in Sydney for a moment of petulance.
Keira Walsh played for almost two hours but walked on to the team coach with a huge ice pack on her right knee. It won't be known until kick-off if she has aggravated her injury, or not. All of which leaves England’s coach with puzzles to solve.
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Does she play three at the back now James is suspended? The system was employed to accommodate her, after all. Or does she go back to a four? Does she gamble with Walsh’s fitness? Has striker Alessia Russo done enough to keep her place? Will Beth England start?
Barring one moment against China, Russo has failed to convince up front - and England, who is used to spearheading attacks at Chelsea and now Spurs - may be a better foil for Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly.
Wiegman could push Georgia Stanway into the position vacated by James and re-introduce Katie Zelem alongside Walsh. The permutations are endless. The 53-year-old needs to find one that counts.
England advanced to the last eight after winning on penalties (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Earlier in the tournament, she appeared to have done exactly that when James was moved to a more central role against China - and the Chelsea playmaker responded by running the show at the Hindmarsh Stadium in the final group game.
But then, pressed in the pre-match press conference ahead of Nigeria as to whether she had an answer should the Super Falcons details someone to track James, she responded: “When players are marked you find ways to build and create and score goals. We’re aware of that and we’ll be prepared for that, yes.”
It was clear from the first ten minutes that Halimatu Ayinde positioned herself no more than five feet away from James at any time. Not only did Wiegman fail to act at all, James only touched the ball seven times in the first 30 minutes. It was that accumulating frustration that finally boiled over when she was later sent off.
In her post-match de-brief, Wiegman said: “You try to turn over every stone and think of a solution if things happen. “We’ve had so many set backs. We re-organised straightaway after Lauren was sent off. We didn’t need more than a minute to do so. We have had moments like this when questions were asked. You try to find a solution, every time.”
It hasn’t been pretty - but England’s players have so far ground their way through. If they are to progress, their coach needs to dig as deep as her players did against Nigeria to earn her cash and help them reach another successful conclusion.
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