As a showpiece occasion to send England off to the European Championship, there was no shortage of pomp and ceremony in their 7-0 win against Jamaica.
Fans inside Leicester City’s King Power Stadium were treated to pre-match pyrotechnics, a giant England flag display and a ceremony after the game to hammer home the Lionesses’ status as they head to Switzerland.
For anyone who has not been paying attention in the past three years, Sarina Wiegman’s team are one of the dominant powers in world football.
And for the first time — unlike at the World Cup two years ago when they reached the final — they have something to defend. The Euros trophy was in the stadium as a visible reminder of the expectation this time around.
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The win was as comprehensive as you might hope against a team 35 places below them in the world rankings. Goals from Ella Toone (two), Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo, Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead sent England off on a high.
Even though the players looked baffled by the on-pitch ceremony at full time, the scale of the spectacle showed the Lionesses are bigger and more popular than ever.
But are they better?
There is a case to be made for the current squad being in a stronger position now than when they travelled to Australia and New Zealand for the World Cup two years ago.
Young players look primed to step up. Beever-Jones, who has scored four goals in three England games, Grace Clinton and Michelle Agyemang are all compelling options to use from the bench and the blend of youth and experience feels right.
Players who were in that kind of position three years ago — Alessia Russo, Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly — are now all firmly established as senior members of the squad.
When it matters, this iteration of Wiegman’s England has the potential to be more dynamic, even if the hallmarks of the identity of the team from their past tournament campaigns are plain to see.
Sarina Wiegman is aiming to win the Euros for the third time in a row, after triumphs with the Netherlands and England (Harriet Lander – The FA/Getty Images)
On occasion, when playing in tricky Nations League matches and Euro qualifiers, England have been challenged for being too predictable and one-dimensional. Belgium twice had their number and pulled off surprise results in the past 18 months.
Determining just when a clear identity becomes a tactical straitjacket is a fine line to walk.
There have been times in the past few years when England and Wiegman have not got that balance right. But when it matters in major tournaments, such as against Spain at the last Euros or Colombia at the World Cup, England have regularly shown the ability to adapt or find a moment of individual brilliance to break free.
They undoubtedly still have their weaknesses. A disallowed goal for Jamaica in the first half, which would have taken the score to 1-1 but for a VAR ruling of offside against Kiki van Zanten, highlighted how England can sometimes be caught napping. Being exposed on the break, as well as opponents using pace down the wings, also look like vulnerabilities.
“We played a good game, we expected to be in the final third a lot because we knew over the week that Jamaica had a few players not available,” Wiegman said. “So we expected to have the ball a lot. We scored seven goals, which was really good. It could have been more with a more patient final pass and being a little bit more composed. But at the same time, scoring seven times and having some more opportunities to score is really good.
“The first half, they scored from the corner and we wanted to do that better but that was disallowed. We were lucky there and we did better in the second half. We know that next week we have to take our game to the next level. But we wanted to play a good game and entertain the fans, get everyone ready for next week and get everyone fit out of this game.”
Despite the unexpected absences of Mary Earps and Millie Bright, this England squad is as strong as could be hoped for. The same could not be said for the World Cup squad when Bright was patched up after a knee injury and captain Leah Williamson and Beth Mead were among the injury absences.
England look like the England we have come to know under Wiegman, a team that has thrived in the past two tournaments. While some might see that as a sign of weakness and evidence of a lack of evolution, Wiegman’s players will hold on to that identity as a strong foundation. It brings with it a weight of expectation that they will compete at every major tournament.
That is an evolution in itself since the wide-eyed wonder and element of surprise — tactically and emotionally — that came with winning the last Euros on home soil. For a long time, that change of mentality to develop a winner’s ego was the topic of discussion. Now they know their status and embrace it.
Is this England team the best yet under Wiegman? The definitive answer will come if Williamson gets her hands on the trophy again on July 27. For now, the signs are encouraging.
(Top photo: Harriet Lander — The FA via Getty Images)
