'Bonjour tout le monde', says Karen Bardsley, breezing into the room. 'Are we good?' It's early and the response to her question is slightly muted. 'I feel the energy!' she grins.
It is as well that she is so self-possessed, given that we're in midst of another round of vitriol for women goalkeepers. The Thais have just shipped 13 goals against the United States and Spain keeper Sandra Panos's struggle to get near the chip which delivered South Africa's first World Cup goal has been on permanent loop in the Twittersphere.
As unconvincing acts of goalkeeping go, Panos's slightly inadequate leap cannot hold a candle to Rob Green's excruciating attempts to collect a tame shot in England's opening World Cup game against the USA in South Africa, nine years ago. That somehow doesn't fit the narrative, though. The old canard about women goalkeepers making Scottish shot-stoppers look impressive is alive and well.
England No 1 Karen Bardsley believes the latest round of criticism for female keepers is wrong
'It's a bit of a cop-out isn't it?' says Bardsley to the notion that goalkeepers are a shorthand for the supposed shortcomings of the women's game.
'Don't get me wrong. I've seen my share of bad goalkeeping. I've had my moments. But I've seen some excellent goalkeeping too.
'Whether [the women's game is a perceived] threat I don't know, but I don't know why people can't praise when they see something done well — even if it is by a woman.
'I'm not here trying to burn a bra or anything, but it does frustrate me when I see that [criticism] because I'm, "Come on! Let's see you do better. If you think that's so easy, get in goal!" One of my most important values is 'credit where it's due'.'
The credit is often due to the striker when the goalkeeper is being denigrated, she contends, citing as evidence a sublime Toni Duggan strike for Manchester City against Chelsea a few years ago. 'Everyone else that would watch thought, "What a strike!" but instead of celebrating it was "goalkeeper's on the floor".
'It always makes you laugh when a goal goes in. Everyone pans to the celebration, then the camera immediately turns to the keeper. "Are they sad?" Of course, they're sad — they've just conceded.'
In Le Havre on Friday night, Argentina goalkeeper Vanina Correa bore out 34-year-old Bardsley's argument with a performance of verve and technical class against England.
An instinctive second-half save from a swerving right foot shot by Nikita Parris surpassed the Parris penalty which she also kept out. Correa was unsighted at the back of a packed penalty area.
'We might make more errors than our male counterparts,' said Correa, the match's outstanding player. 'We [in Argentina] are not able to access training from a young age.
'Maybe we do make more mistakes but things are changing. Now we are able to have better training. It's not nice to criticise a goalkeeper. We are trying to change things for the better.'
For many of the nations at the World Cup, the very notion of a goalkeeping coach is novel. England have Mark Mason with them in France, though technical goalkeeping support at the newly professional Women's Super League clubs is patchy and some keepers still only get a couple of sessions a week.
Bardsley's deputy Carly Telford, who played against Argentina, recently described having to train with outfielders and asking manager Rick Passmoor to 'kick a few balls at me' at Notts County, before her move to Chelsea in 2017.
'I tried to train with the boys at the academy but it didn't make me a good goalkeeper,' said Telford.
Carly Telford kept goal for England as they beat Argentina this week, with Bardsley rested
Privately, many women in the game feel their credibility is not being helped by Chelsea manager Emma Hayes's insistence, repeated again last week, that there should be smaller goals for them, reflecting their physical stature.
'What are the social implications?' Bardsley has said of that. 'We've fought so hard to change the perception of female
