Russo fires England to four wins from four – Women’s Football Weekly podcast

0:00This is The Guardian.

0:14Hello, I'm Faye Carruthers and welcome to The Guardian Women's Football Weekly. It's another Lionesses landmark reached 500 games and most importantly, another win on the way to World Cup qualification. Alessia Russo's goal was the difference in Iceland. We'll assess the game and maybe talk about Susie's scuba diving exploits too. The Republic of Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland all won and Scotland drew but stayed top of their group. We'll review all the action as well as preview the Champions League semifinals with Arsenal hosting Lyon. Plus we'll take your questions and that's today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly.

0:48What a panel we have today. Susie Rack, lovely to see you. Listen, we have to get straight into the football but tell me very quickly what scuba diving in Iceland was like.

0:57Suzy Wrack:It wasn't scuba diving, it was snorkeling, but it was fantastic. It was between continents, between the Eurasian and North American continents in what is supposed to be some of the clearest water in the world with 100 metre visibility and it was beautiful. Well, it looked incredible. Emma Sanders kept her wetsuit off. You didn't partake. How are you? Yeah, I'm amazing. I was doing well watching instead. So I got to see like about 11 humpback whales, dolphins, profins. I had basically the greatest day of my life. I went with Rach and Soph. So, yeah, it was obviously I'm in love with Iceland. I wish I was still there.

1:37I have huge FOMO. I reckon Marva Creel might do too. Yeah, I was moving house in Tottenham. So not quite as exciting as it was to you two. Wow. Right, let's get straight into the football, which was the real reason you were there, by the way. The Lionesses wrapped up their second World Cup qualification camp with a dogged and slightly nervy 1-0 win away in Iceland. There was late pressure from the hosts, although not enough to spoil England's 500th game celebrations. Alessia Russo's first half finish maintains their place at the top of the group going into the final window. How do you reflect on the performance, Susie?

2:13What does it say about England's ability to grind out results when not quite at their best?

2:17Suzy Wrack:I was colder at the game than I was in the two to four degree water, which was funny. It was a game of two halves. I think it's fair to say. The second half was really, really tough and Iceland really frustrated them. We know Iceland are really, really good at home and defensively solid and we saw how difficult they can be to break down in Nottingham. But they really went for the game in the second half and England were really put under pressure for not having built on that lead more. But I think there's a big difference in this campaign, this World Cup qualifying campaign, compared to the last two years of Nations League.

2:56Suzy Wrack:Obviously, it follows the same format as the Nations League, when England have really struggled against some of the teams that are difficult to break down, like drawing against Portugal, losses to Belgium in both years. and that's a big change that I think is really a really a significant one because you know they're the only team who are three points clear at the top of their group and being able to grind out the results when you know you're coming off the back of a big game against Spain at Wembley and the pitch quality wasn't great and things like that I think is a is a little bit of a shift regardless of the performance not being ideal.

3:34That's a really interesting trend so they've got over one hump but there seems to be another one that they're struggling with at the moment because they did start the game brightly several chances but just not more of a cushion going in at the break and that was similar to the Spain game as well Marva should Serena Vigman be concerned about that? I think it's hard to say for this game because I do think you have to take into account how draining that Spain game would have been not only in terms of tired legs but I think just mentally as well like they knew they had to win that game to then not really switch around the team we know Serena Vigman likes to do that I think that's played a big part you saw tired eggs especially in the second half there has been a problem like Susie said over the last few years out of major tournaments and actually sometimes in them as well in starting to to play well and I think this campaign has seemed different in that sense I think they've seemed a bit more knowing their roles.

4:29I don't know if that's a case of we haven't, Touchwood, had any sort of big injuries that have affected the starting lineups that we've seen at major tournaments in the same way. I think we've kind of forgotten how much Lauren Hemp brings to that side and forgotten how much that we weren't with her in the lead up to the Euros. And she just brings such balance to those wings, which has been really, really helpful. And we've seen in both games how that's helped the team. But yeah, should have finished it more. I'm actually quite critical of England usually, but I'm going to step back and not be as critical in this performance because I think they got it over the line after a really, really difficult, hard performance against Spain.

5:07So we'll see in the next round of fixtures, particularly against Ukraine, because I think that's the one where you do need to step up on your goal difference. But I can't be too critical of those two performances. And playing in the heat of Spain, which is going to be interesting additionally. But the front line is exciting, Emma. Alessia Russo got her 30th goal for England. And as Marva said, Lauren Hemp back in the front line. Lauren James also fit. I mean, that threesome is just wonderful, isn't it? Yeah, I think it really works. And actually, I did a piece sort of debating where Lauren James' best position was before, you know, the first game of the camp.

5:45For me, it's definitely on that left-hand side. I think Lauren Hemp now has got such a good ability to switch between the wings. that I think we saw, particularly against Spain, how well that balance worked with LJ on the left, Hemp on the right and Russo in the middle. Because I think the two wingers, they're willing to change during the game anyway. But I think when you have LJ on that left-hand side, she has the ability to cut in and she can shoot from anywhere around the box and she can use both feet. So I think if you're a full-back defending that, a lot of left-wingers will cut inside, whereas LJ will do that effectively.

6:19But then she can also just whip it in with her left foot and her left foot is a fantastic delivery of the ball. So I think England really have strength in those areas. I think that was never a question. It was just how to get the balance right. And I just think it worked completely in this camp. Even against Iceland, it was choppy, I think, is a nice way to say the game. But still, going forward, England were really, really exciting, particularly in that first half. And yeah, if I was sort of any opponents coming against England, I'd be terrified if that's front three. I think it's probably the best in the world.

6:59I think Spain have an argument and France as well. Difficult to know kind of the consistency of the USA at the moment with their sort of attackers. But I think certainly England is right up there. Just got to keep everybody fit. There's a long, long time to keep everybody fit. We've still got a year to go. Or just over. You said it was a game of two halves, Susie. So how did Iceland's tactics enable them to switch the momentum in the second half?

7:26Suzy Wrack:I think they just really frustrated England. I thought it was interesting watching them water the pitch at half time, which really did not need watering. That felt like a tactical move in and of itself. Firstly, you know, England have always struggled a little bit against low block. That's what they started out in. But they were kind of probing, able to carve out a few opportunities. Also, you know, obviously to get the goal. But then second half, they came out of that low block a little bit. They brought it forward a little bit and were really good at kind of being so compact in the middle that England really, really couldn't find a way through.

7:59Suzy Wrack:And didn't necessarily make the most of the wingers as well in the space that was created by Iceland moving up a little bit. But I think that was just because Iceland were really, really on it and wanted it and like were really kind of battling to get something from that game. They could sense that there was a point to be got, at least, I think, from it. And so it was just a really, really robust defensive performance, really compact middle, difficult for England to get through there. And yeah, a real kind of hunger at home to do it in very difficult conditions to travel to. Like I say, the cold, the pitch quality wasn't amazing.

8:37Suzy Wrack:Then they wore it at halftime. It was a clever tactical game plan all round. Well, I mean, we needed Hannah Hampton to keep out some of their chances, didn't we? And she's had a bit of a topsy-turvy season with Chelsea, but made quite a few big saves to make sure of the three points. This is what she said, which made me giggle, actually. It's my job, isn't it, really? We're in it as a team. I can't be the one scoring goals, but I can stop them. Yes, that is your job. All right, Joaquin. what is it about her though that makes her as important as she is to that defensive unit Marva I just think her ability on the ball as we know adds so much to a team that especially in moments like that where we were pin back and I still were pushing and pushing and I think to have that confidence in your keeper is so important but to see her growth in shot stopping I thought But, you know, some of those saves that she made towards the end, I think, even though she's had some very good seasons for Chelsea over the last few years, but I think some of those stops, maybe she wouldn't have pulled off in previous years.

9:45Because I think just her growth in confidence in being that goalkeeper for England, I think is really showing, which is so great to see as an England fan. And you want that confidence in your goalkeeper to know that they feel confident in that team and that they can be the person to win you points. I think she maybe needed that after the season that she's had. I'm sure she won't dwell on it too much, but as you said, it has been a bit topsy-servey. So I think to have some moments like that where she can go away from this camp knowing she contributed massively to those three points, well, six points in the end, I think will be a big confidence booster for her.

10:21Yeah just quick last one on Iceland Emma what did you make of them as a whole because they've actually played in the last five Euros so they're a constant feature on the European stage but you know how good are they? Yeah I've been impressed by them both times I've seen them play against England and the bits that I've kind of seen of them over the last two years I think Serena Viedemann was very strong after the Spain game that just because they've won that doesn't mean that England are going to qualify automatically for the World Cup. I think she knew that this Iceland test in particular was a really, really difficult one, as obviously has been shown in that second half.

11:00I think people will always look at their organisation and their physicality with the height that they have in the team and say that they're their strengths, and they absolutely are, but there's a lot more to them. They have real quality on the ball as well, and I think maybe that's an area that was probably underestimated was that people might have looked at it as England just have to break them down. But actually, you've got to be really careful of what they can do on the ball as well. And I think they showed that in patches throughout the second half. So, yeah, a good side. Unfortunate for them that they got drawn in a group with Spain and England.

11:35Yeah, very much so. And as you said, Serena Veedman not getting carried away. Pragmatic in post-match, as she tends to be. She said, as always, we play to win. We've played four, have 12 points and are in the best possible position. So that's absolutely positive. You know, as Marva said, six points in this camp, four wins from four going into the final match window. They're three points above Spain. They both share the same goal difference. I mean, they're in the driving seat, Susie, but that Spain game is massive.

12:07Suzy Wrack:Yeah, it's huge, but it's also, you know, a great place for them to be in. well the best possible place for them to be in in that they've worked out quite a good game plan for getting the better of Spain now they're happy out of possession happy to frustrate the Spanish players and kind of catch them on the counter and things and really take advantage of the space out wide, force them central I mean that's what they did at Wembley and they go to Spain not having to score if they keep a clean sheet right A draw is enough. So in a sense, they've added to the strength of that game plan. If they stay defensively resolute, then they'll be all right.

12:54Suzy Wrack:But that's a really, really tricky ask, obviously, against this Spain team. Although without Itanobo Mati, who's obviously injured, they kind of look a very different side. That's not fair because they're more than just one player. But she's a player who can get something when times are really tough or they're really struggling. She's the one who finds that little bit of magic to make something happen, to get a goal, to carve an opening from the tightest of spaces. And they don't quite look like they've got someone who's stepping into that role. So it's a good time at the moment to be playing them.

13:28Suzy Wrack:And yeah, I think England are going to go to that game full of confidence. They've got back-to-back wins against them, one of them in a Euros final. So there's nothing to fear, really, in that game. No, and a cushion as well. It almost feels too... I think this is my problem. I can't feel too relaxed about it because I'm like, no, no, no, this feels too easy. This can't be this easy. And, you know, where it's not been easy for Serena Wigman is the injuries that she's had to deal with. She played around with her back line in both these games, gave opportunities to Lucia Kendall and Laura Blinkhilda-Brown.

14:02But what do you think she's learned overall from her team in the course of the last fortnight, Marva? Are we still a little bit too reliant on some of the older players? I'm kind of thinking Lucy Bronze as an example. I would say Lucy Bronze, definitely. Whereas I think actually this camp showed us we're less reliant on some of the other positions that maybe we thought we were in terms of centre-backs in particular. I think where there have been difficulties with injuries, especially with Leo Williamson, and just also not knowing exactly what that balance is like in terms of the two centre-backs.

14:36I think Esme Morgan and Lottweb Moy have done a brilliant job over this camp of just really cementing their place and either one of them, or if Leo Williamson was out, that I think everyone would have a lot of confidence in those two players and the ability that they bring. It's also nice to see them bring something else as well. It's not just a step in into those roles. It's that Wimbamoy can play that through ball. I think it was to Russo who then cut it back to Stanway, which could have been a goal. So it's nice to see them grow their confidence in that sense. However, yeah, I would say how much we rely on those overlapping runs from Lucy Bronze, especially at her age.

15:10I hope she doesn't mind me saying, but knowing that it relies on her getting forward and then having to get back. And for the last few years, we've seen that as a weakness in the England side. And I think, you know, we've still got a year and a half to go. She was playing on that awful injury in the Euros, and I don't think she'd be able to do something like that again. so that is also worrying knowing that we don't have a direct replacement that we see really growing enough has got that experience even at club level there's no one that massively stands out in the exact same profile to be able to make those overlapping runs and then get back and do some heroic acrobatic defending of course she has through her career just been a world-class player so that's always going to be hard to replicate and cover for but I think the fact that even in And, you know, this game against Iceland where you've gone, OK, she's played full 90 against Spain.

16:02Is there someone else we can play? The fact that we're still so reliant on her, I think, is probably my only worry taken from this camp. Yeah, it's going to be fascinating, isn't it, to see who might come out of the shadows in the next year or so. Not that I don't want Lucy Bronze to be going out to Rio because I absolutely do. and she's such a warrior, I'm sure she will be, but just to be able to save her in many ways so she's not playing every single game and kind of wrapped up in cotton wool bandages and goodness knows what else just to get her through would be really useful. Anyway, right, that's it for part one of the Guardian Women's Football Weekly.

16:42In part two, we'll catch up on some other key World Cup qualification matches and we'll look ahead to the Women's Champions League, the semi-finals of this weekend.

17:01welcome back to part two of the guardian women's football weekly there was delight for carla ward in the republic of ireland they beat poland for the second time in a week this time in front of their fans at the aviva stadium sunderland's marissa sheva scored the only goal of the game to put ireland safely in third in the group just two points behind leaders Netherlands. Carla Ward understandably delighted with their performances over this window. This is what she had to say. I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't believe we had the potential to get to the World Cup. So we have to believe that we have to get there and I'm obsessed with it.

17:34That is what we work for. How the girls executed the game plan in the last two games has been nothing short of sensational. They take messages on and they deliver it in a way like no other group I've ever worked with. 15 months she's been in that role now, Emma, which has absolutely flown by I mean I've got zero concept of time nowadays anyway but what have you made of her impact on this team they've obviously got France and Netherlands to come next which are big yeah they're they're the two big ones and I think that was always the tough task for them was obviously being in in that group but look I think she's done a fantastic job I think you know maybe took a little bit of time for the team to to kind of react to her her way of management and I think you could see in the first couple of months, it was a bit, maybe a bit scattergoate in terms of the performances, but they're delivering the results.

18:23And I think even when she speaks there in her quotes, Carla's got this ability of making every team feel like they're the best team she's ever worked with. And she stays there about them being a team that have taken on messages more than any team she's ever coached. Pretty sure if you go back to all of her jobs, she would have said that at some point in each job. But that's the beauty is that, you know, She really gets the best out of the players that she has at that moment in time. She's always been someone who likes a challenge. And I think it was a challenge to take on this group and get them to try and be in a position where they can at least compete to qualify for the World Cup.

18:59I'm just shocked that Katie McCabe didn't score a goal in the last game because she seems to score in every game for them at the moment. But yeah, I think it's helped that Ireland's key players have been really stepping up. You look at the likes of McCabe and Denise O'Sullivan have been really important for them going forward. I do worry a little bit in the next game, obviously, without O'Sullivan and Emily Murphy, I think there will be losses for them. But yeah, they're in a great position. They've kind of done everything that they would have liked to have done by this point. So yeah, really impressive and good job by them all around.

19:35And let's just hope that they can get over the line because that would be such an incredible, incredible achievement if they can. Yeah, really would. Wales also in a decent position. They beat the same opposition capably earlier in the week and dug out a scrappy 1-0 win over Albania in Elbasan. Rhiannon Roberts scoring the only goal of the game to make sure Rhiann Wilkinson's side remain in lockstep with the Czech Republic at the top of the group. As with a lot of the games this window, it wasn't pretty, Susie. We tend to get that, don't we, in this April window. But how much will it do for Wales' development to be able to dig out those kind of victories away from home?

20:14Suzy Wrack:I mean, it's huge. It was a similar problem to England's in that sense. Different game, obviously, but Albania set up in a low block, sat really deep, and Wales just struggled to find a way through that. And that's a problem that every team has when they come up against a team that's going to bank back against them, right? Like, it's hard to put a ball through that many bodies. so to come away with that from that with a win and to be still neck and neck with the Czech Republic is hugely significant and as long as they do okay in the next game against Montenegro I think it is then everything is on that final game of the group against the Czech Republic which will be really interesting because it was a 2-2 draw between them in Wales so it's an exciting time an exciting group they're doing some good things Yeah, the performance wasn't great, but they had the 150th cap of Sophie Ingle to celebrate, which is obviously a nice bit around it.

21:12Suzy Wrack:I thought it was interesting to hear Helen Ward saying on the radio that they're just missing Jess Fishlock, who can do something special at a special moment to just, you know, kind of when you are playing a team that is being particularly tough to, you know, kind of extend a lead and take the pressure off yourselves a little bit as the clock ticks down. But, you know, they got it over the line in the same way that England did. I didn't think it was too critical of that. But particularly, you know, they played Albania back to back as well. So that's always tricky. A team figures out and, you know, kind of comes up with a different game plan to play you.

21:49Suzy Wrack:So it can be a lot harder, particularly if you've won the first game. Yeah, we talked about that last week, didn't we? It's very difficult to do. I'm not a fan of it in the slightest. Understand that scheduling is an issue and these things are not an exact science. I'll tell you what, though, Northern Ireland are doing very well because it's two wins from two now under new boss Michael McArdle. And they got their first away win since July 2024. And one of the things he has seemed to fix is scoring goals. It finished Malta 2, Northern Ireland 4. And previously they were really struggling in front of goal, but they've now got eight from their last two matches.

22:26How much confidence, Marva, is that going to give them as they head into their final games against Turkey and Switzerland? I think that's the main thing that they can take away from that, given that they didn't score against Turkey or Switzerland previously, but obviously you'd expect Switzerland to be leading the group, which they are, and Malta is the team that you do want to beat and you want to make sure you bring up that confidence. To get four goals against them in both ties I think is really important because Turkey and Switzerland only scored, I think, over three goals and four goals. It wasn't like this is a team that's getting battered 8-0 and Northern Ireland weren't able to do that.

23:01They've managed to match the other teams and they've had narrow losses against the other teams as well. So I think they can take a lot of confidence from this going into the next set of games, thinking why not go one further and be able to get something against the teams that maybe we didn't expect to get something against. Turkey got a point of Switzerland as well. So it's going to be an interesting one. Yeah, it certainly is. There were some significant results elsewhere across Europe as well. Scotland drew 0-0 with Belgium, an important point away in Leuven, secured them top spot in their League B group, heading into the final two match days.

23:36In League A, Denmark and Italy played out a goalless draw as Sweden secured a 1-0 win over Serbia. The Netherlands earned a valuable point away in France to maintain their lead at the top of their group. Norway just about took advantage of Germany's goalless draw with Austria with a 3-2 win over Slovenia. That was a 92nd minute winner from Cigna Gapsit. As it stands, it means that no one has yet claimed any of the four automatic qualification spots for next year's World Cup, which in a way is really good. Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany all hold narrow one-point leads in their respective groups heading into that final round.