The power failed and the lights went out on England’s Fran Kirby on Tuesday, for what you might say was the second time in three days.
The flick of a switch re-illuminated the darkened room at a hotel on France’s Normandy coast where the No 10 was talking, though the problem was more profound when England ran out of steam in the Stade de Nice against Scotland, the world’s 20th ranked nation.
Kirby’s own mobility as the Scots came back into the game was not good and her player rating from the notoriously tough L’Equipe — a five — reflected a disappointing opening to the tournament by her own standards.
England's Lionesses displayed a lack of stamina in their tense win over Scotland
Kirby, whose domestic season at Chelsea was plagued by three injuries, said the humidity was suffocating in the stadium on the French Riviera. ‘You did feel like you couldn’t catch your breath,’ she said. ‘But we trained in it up until the game and everyone knew it was going to be hot.’
There is a fear among some who know this England team best that the creation of a fully professional Women’s Super League, running in tandem with the men’s season, may paradoxically make winning this World Cup more difficult. ‘This is the first time we’ve gone into a tournament on the back of a winter league,’ Alex Scott told the BBC. ‘I have question marks over how tired England looked.’
Kirby responded to that in the way you may expect. ‘We don’t think too much about it,’ she said. ‘Whether it’s in the summer or the winter, we just want to play football. Everyone has had a tough year. A lot of games, a lot of travelling. Some people playing more fixtures than others.’
Yet there is a very distinct change in philosophy. Neville’s predecessor Mark Sampson put a capacity to run to the last above all else. The current manager does not.
Manager Phil Neville puts emphasis on passing over non-stop running in training
‘Before, [under Sampson], it was long-ball orientated,’ Kirby said. ‘It was: “Make sure you are fitter than everyone else when you run after the ball.” Under Mark, we had that thing: Be the fittest team at the [2017] Euros. Now, I’d say we are more conscious of how we are playing on the pitch. I’d say the volume of training is more touches on the ball, possession, more than 11 v 11 and trying to get your legs going. I’d say it is more technical work. That’s probably been the difference in training.’
Neville is making the very bold assertion
