Stanway States England’s Performance Plateau Was “Inevitable”

Bayern Munich midfielder Georgia Stanway has stated that it was “inevitable” for the England women’s national football team to “plateau at some point” given the heightened expectations surrounding them. The Lionesses previously secured the Euro 2022 championship and reached the Women’s World Cup final in Australia last year. However, the team has faced increased scrutiny following a disappointing Women’s Nations League campaign and their subsequent failure to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games. Most recently, they suffered a 4-3 defeat to Germany in a friendly match at Wembley on Friday, marking the first instance they have conceded four goals in a single game under manager Sarina Wiegman. Stanway commented, “When the expectation is continuous we are probably not able to live up to it. I think it’s inevitable that at some point you are going to plateau.” She added, “We have been with Sarina [Wiegman] for four years now so we will get to a point where we can’t continuously win because teams will figure us out. That’s where we have to work together to reinvent ourselves – change a little bit of tactics, bits here and there, and get the one up on the opposition again. As much as teams are evolving, we also have to evolve.” The Lionesses are scheduled to play South Africa at Coventry’s CBS Arena on Tuesday, with a 19:45 GMT kick-off, as part of their ongoing preparations for Euro 2025. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Stanway affirmed that the team has “gone up” under Wiegman’s leadership, and a “dip in the road is normal.” She elaborated, “Facing adversities is normal. The Germany game was interesting. We couldn’t get control but it was an opportunity to keep growing.” Stanway also noted, “Outside media think us having a good game is the result. We need to become performance-driven.” She further explained the demands of playing for England: “Playing for England is another level. We drive the standards, need consistency in emotion and set an example. People forget we lost a lot of big characters. Myself, [Ella] Toone and Alessia [Russo] were born in 1999. We’re not experienced leaders yet but I’m only 25. I’m also trying to learn every day.” Georgia Stanway scored twice in the 4-3 defeat by Germany on Friday. Manager Wiegman was questioned on her team selection with in-form centre-back Alex Greenwood and midfielders Grace Clinton and Jess Park being overlooked in the starting XI for Friday’s defeat. She confirmed there will be changes against South Africa but asked if she thinks criticism has been fair, Wiegman said it “doesn’t matter” because her side are only focused on improving. Wiegman elaborated on the team’s perspective, stating, “What we look at is what we do as a team and how we execute the plan and do our high press. In moments we didn’t do that right and against a top-level team like Germany, we will be exposed. That’s what happened.” She acknowledged the high expectations: “Of course we are so visible so expectations are really high. Yes, we definitely have to deal with that.” Wiegman concluded, “There is criticism from outside which is all right but we know exactly what we’re working on and where we want to go to. I think from the outside world it’s a bit too much results related. We always look at the bigger picture.” Sarina Wiegman has received a nomination for the Coach of the Year award at Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. Additionally, England players Lauren James, Lucy Bronze, and Lauren Hemp are all contenders for the players’ award. Last year, Stanway had expressed that it was “unfortunate” that female players could not attend the ceremony due to international duty. The same situation applies this year, prompting Wiegman to voice her disappointment at missing out once more. She stated, “It’s really disappointing because it’s a moment to celebrate women’s football and come together as a whole community so you want to be there. We have a job to do and we are here. It would be really helpful if [the awards were] planned on another date.” Wiegman informed BBC Radio 5 Live that the Football Association had approached the organisers to request a reconsideration of the ceremony’s date. She added, “I spoke to the players who were nominated. They are really disappointed we are here and they can’t celebrate. Nobody wants to take that away. We have a job to do, and they shouldn’t be put in those situations again.”