Inside Sarina Wiegman’s gameplan to save England from Women’s Euro 2025 embarrassment

When the England players got back into the dressing room after Saturday's defeat to France, they were very quiet, until Sarina Wiegman felt she had to do more than say the right words. She had to deliver the right message. “We win on Wednesday,” she said.

England, of course, must win on Wednesday, and they will be already out of Euro 2025 with a defeat. Yet, as simple as that message was, and as simplistic as the idea might sound, the words have worked.

England feel in a much better “headspace” ahead of what is essentially a knock-out match against Netherlands in Zurich. A little bit like the more direct football that they played in the final minutes of France game, that sense of clarity helped. It’s brought a focus, where there was previously uncertainty.

Insiders state that Wiegman’s squad were much more nervous before the France match than they had let on. As defending champions, they felt a new pressure, with that compounded by how it wasn’t really the same team. They weren’t certain of how they were going to play, and training sessions in the build-up hadn’t been smooth.

Then, the worst happened. England weren’t just beaten by France, but often looked a shambles. The tactics, with Lauren James at the top of midfield, didn’t work.

At full time, England came into the dressing room extremely agitated, which was why Wiegman’s message was effective. A line was drawn, and the challenge is clear. It’s win or bust, and the first ever women’s European champions to go out in the group stage.

Wiegman, of course, hasn’t been playing up any of that. “We don’t talk about consequences,” the England manager said. “We talk about our gameplan.”

Training has been more focused, but not due to any sense of panic. Alessia Russo spoke of how they are more “chilled”.

Beside her, Wiegman was in conspicuously good form at the pre-match press conference in Zurich’s Stadion Letzigrund, laughing a lot. You wouldn’t have thought this was a manager facing up to unprecedented first-round humiliation.

That’s just as well, because this match has so many strands and stakes beyond the finality of the circumstances. Wiegman even joked about whether she should speak Dutch, which is of course one of the main narratives.

If the England manager is obviously far too accomplished a coach to even ask about whether her nationality will come into it - “it won’t”, she said - that isn’t the case for everyone else.

The Dutch are really up for this, their motivation made all the more intense by how intertwined the two football countries are and so much of the noise around the entire campaign. “For many players, it’s a very special game,” Dutch star Vivianne Miedema said.

It aggravates some in their camp that Wiegman decamped for what could be perceived as a “bigger job”. You’d wonder what current Dutch coach, Andries Jonker, thinks of that. He’d no doubt tell you if asked, given that he has already turned the Netherlands Euros into his own personal theatre by rounding on critics.

Wiegman's deadpan description was that he is “more emotional” than her. The usual term would be “irascible”. Only adding further edge to this is that Jonker was an influential figure in Wiegman’s development as a coach, but his contract is not being renewed after Euro 2025, and he is set to be replaced by one of the England manager’s own proteges. That is Wiegman’s current assistant, Arjan Veurink.

Some close to the England camp even believe a bigger discussion is warranted about how the Football Association could be criticised for providing a pathway for Dutch coaches rather than their own, especially given the paucity of prospective candidates for the job.

That discussion might have taken place had England won on Saturday. Instead, the possibility of their elimination has only complemented other connections and storylines. Miedema was naturally asked about taking on her partner, Beth Mead. They’ve faced each other before but not like this.

“We both know what we’re going through,” Miedema said. “I will do everything possible to win the game.”

Miedema pointed to how she is one of numerous Dutch players with many friends in the England team, having joined Manchester City from Arsenal, with the added twist that she then saw them win the Champions League.

Jonker, typically, put it bluntly. “You don’t want to hurt your friends… but this is a fact. In football, you have to play against each other and you want to win.”

It’s maybe just as well the stakes are so clear. The players would otherwise have a lot swirling around their heads.

And that’s before you even get to the idea that they are again playing for the healthy future of the women’s game itself. For all the progress of the last three years - mostly driven by this English squad - viewing figures are down and the game is facing new financial difficulties.

Even Euro 2022 was a slow burn that steadily grew with the public. It’s been similar here, especially with the sheer amount of sport on at the moment, from Wimbledon to the Lions. By contrast, the Euro 2025 knockout stages will almost have a window to themselves, making it all the more imperative to get there.

Georgia Stanway did mention “remembering that we’re playing for the little girl that wanted to be here” but that inspirational thought is just about all they need in their heads right now from that kind of thinking. Wiegman knows they don’t even need the stakes of the game in their heads.

“The outcome of course has consequences but that was the same in the finals of the Euros and World Cup. So we talk about how we do what we want to do.”

Russo revealed that the squad have had conversations about “playing without fear”. That makes clarity of play all the more important, which is why the final minutes of the 2-1 defeat to France may be influential.

England went back to a direct style, and they suddenly began to play with speed, and intent. It was the one time they looked like themselves. That perhaps explains Stanway’s comment about “wanting to be ‘proper England’… back to what we’re good at”.

Except, the Dutch are very different to France. If Wiegman will not go with exactly the same formation, there is an argument that the approach from that game is better suited to this match.

England need to be on the ball more, but not get panicked when the Netherlands have it. Opposition players who have faced Jonker’s side have noticed how they get frustrated when facing a low-mid block.

Wiegman also conspicuously mentioned “how we can exploit spaces the Netherlands leave behind”. She has long had a gameplan for this match, for obvious reasons. “We have bounced back before,” Russo said. “I think everyone’s ready.” England, however, need more than words.