#Letakan iklan disini
Football Jun 19, 2026

Spain 4-0 England: Analysing the fallout from the Lionesses' heaviest defeat under Sarina Wiegman

đŸ‘¤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Spain 4-0 England: Analysing the fallout from the Lionesses' heaviest defeat under Sarina Wiegman

Is it over the top to stage a post-mortem after Friday's heavy defeat to Spain?

England have won so many games under Sarina Wiegman, there is no need to panic after one loss.

But this wasn't just any old loss. The Lionesses were battered on every level by Spain, their spirit crushed as readily as their World Cup qualification campaign.

England have played poorly before under Wiegman but nothing like this. Going behind is something fans are used to seeing. You could even argue the team barely only had one complete performance en route to winning the Euros last summer.

But you usually see a fightback, a scrap and a sense of desperation to win on the biggest stage. That 'proper English' mentality earned them their second major trophy in three years.

When England conceded four goals to Germany at Wembley in the build-up to the Euros, they at least went down swinging, losing 4-3 on the night.

On Friday night in Mallorca, England failed to muster a single shot on target. The spirit of Switzerland had faded to dust.

'We weren't good enough' and 'we have to do better' was the message from the players immediately after the final whistle at Son Moix. That, however, feels like an understatement.

England were outplayed on every level. They struggled to keep possession or to react to first balls and were tactically all over the place.

Senior players, heralded as some of the best in the world, made error after error, most of them inexplicable. This wasn't just an off-night, it was something of a nightmare.

Should England have sent out Lucy Bronze, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all of whom are coming back from injury, against the best in the world? It's easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback but Wiegman's insistence on trusting a small pool of players in big games will again be questioned.

Jess Park was a spectator on the bench, Aggie Beever-Jones wasn't even selected to be a substitute and Freya Godfrey is still waiting to make her debut despite being part of the last three international camps. And that's just the forwards - you could list players in every position desperate for a chance.

Those opportunities are unlikely to come before the World Cup thanks to last night's result.

Wiegman will almost certainly go to her tried and tested players to get England through an unwanted play-off campaign in the autumn. There's too much on the line to start taking risks now.

But there are longer-term problems. The immediate puzzle that needs solving is how to get a reaction on Tuesday against Ukraine.

England were supposed to come to Palma, get the point they needed to qualify for the World Cup and send a statement to their many rivals by securing a place on the billing of Brazil early.

They leave Mallorca, however, riddled with questions, doubt and disappointment.

This team has been at its best when written off in the past. Wiegman will hope this bout of adversity will make the team stronger again by next summer.

Tags:

football news

Share this article

Related Posts

World Cup 2026: Erling Haaland, Yan Diomande among players to have caught the eye in the first week of the tournament

World Cup 2026: Erling Haaland, Yan Diomande among players to have caught the eye in the first week of the tournament

Believe it or not, the first round of group games at the 2026 World Cup is complete.All 48 teams at this summer's tournament have played at least once...

World Cup 2026: England played tournament’s best football, says Gary Neville - but France remain favourites

World Cup 2026: England played tournament’s best football, says Gary Neville - but France remain favourites

Gary Neville believes England produced the best football of the World Cup so far in their second-half display against Croatia, but remains unconvinced...

World Cup 2026: USA's Folarin Balogun stars against Paraguay after rise at Arsenal and switch away from England

World Cup 2026: USA's Folarin Balogun stars against Paraguay after rise at Arsenal and switch away from England

Born in the USA and born for the big stage.Folarin Balogun was America's star on the opening night of their home World Cup, scoring twice in their thr...

Premier League 26/27 season start date, fixture release, final day, live Sky Sports games and match schedule

Premier League 26/27 season start date, fixture release, final day, live Sky Sports games and match schedule

Already thinking about the next Premier League season? Here are all the key dates you need to know...Not long now: The complete fixture list for the n...

Premier League kits 26/27 plus more football home, away and third strips from Nike, Adidas, Puma and others

Premier League kits 26/27 plus more football home, away and third strips from Nike, Adidas, Puma and others

Premier League done deals!All the ins and outs so far...ICYMI: Liverpool willing to pay 86m for Diomande after Munoz signingLiverpool have expressed a...

Yan Diomande transfer news: Liverpool sign Victor Munoz and move on to RB Leipzig winger

Yan Diomande transfer news: Liverpool sign Victor Munoz and move on to RB Leipzig winger

Liverpool have expressed a willingness to pay £86m for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande after signing Osasuna winger Victor Munoz for £34.5m.In a surpri...