Football Daily - Women’s Euros: What do England change against the Netherlands?

Episode Date: July 6, 2025

Ben Haines, England women’s record goal scorer Ellen White and The Guardian’s Tom Garry dissect where it went wrong for England against France. Ellen shares her insight into how England and Sarina will respond to the defeat and what needs to be different against Netherlands, which has become a must win game. Tom talks selection and who struggled against France but also how the Lionesses have been able to bounce back from defeats in the past. Ellen was at the Wales game in Lucerne as they made their debut at a major tournament and what the atmosphere was like as Viv Miedema scored her 100th goal. The team also reflect on how the tournament has started and how Switzerland have embraced the Euros!Timecodes: 01:00 Welcome to Zurich! 04:20 VAR 15:30 England bouncing back 24:30 Viv Miedema gets her 100th goal! 30:30 What can Wales do now? 36:10 Switzerland as hosts

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The Football Daily podcast with Ben Haynes at UEFA Women's Euro 2025. Hello everybody, welcome along to the Football Daily, the day after the Lioness' first match of Euro 2025 and their first defeat too, beaten 2-1 by France, defeat also for Wales. They went down 3-0 to the Netherlands, so lots to get into today. And joining me in, what a bustling Zurich fan zone, is England record goal scorer Ellen White and the Guardian's Tom Gary.

Els, how are you? I'm good, thanks. Great to be joined by both of you here in Switzerland. Loving it. It's been really interesting. Over the course of this first week you're waiting for England to play aren't you? You feel like everything is just absolute optimism and excitement, you're going around the fan zone, everyone's buzzing and then it feels like

you hit slap bang with reality after that first game Tom. It's a really unusual feeling for England right? I mean it's 10 years since they hadn't won a group stage game in a major tournament, right? Since playing France in the Canada World Cup, they've been on this wonderful run of performing well in major tournaments and then bang, yeah, reality hits and suddenly there's a quite a lot of like nervous, dejected England fans around, worried about maybe have they got trips that are going to be cut shorter and it's a new feeling that we're just not used to. Well, we all knew with Group D, didn't we, that it was going to be a very very difficult group and that it was not going to allow

much wiggle room in terms of slow starting and growing into the tournament but that reality has been brought right into focus. Absolutely yeah I feel like we spoke about this group a lot haven't we obviously France have been in unbelievable form scored a lot of goals, haven't conceded many, but then when you think about France in major tournaments they've always been quite underwhelming and then you look at Netherlands, obviously previous winners, they had a great result against Wales and then Wales obviously debutants at the tournament so it's an interesting

group but like you say England had to start fast. And we did start fast for 38 seconds and we could have scored and then for the next 15 minutes, it was promising. And then, yeah, it was a lot of disappointment after that. And just I think a lot of frustration probably from England fans as well. We just didn't get going. And that was a disappointment to see. Yeah, it was a really bright start and two probably decisions that we need to

look at first. England denied a goal through VAR and I'm still trying to work out which part of Beth Mead's body was technically offside. I think everyone is to be honest. I wasn't at the game so I watched it on TV and from the naked eye I was like when they did the replay of it I was like Beth me is offside and then I was like was Russo offside though it's a beautiful finish for Russo and then I feel like when you're watching on TV the refs just like yeah offside and then it was it was like maybe a minute or so later they show you the replay and I'm literally like this I'm literally going up to the TV screen and I've got absolutely no idea was it her toe was it her shoulder was it I just I don't

understand like is it because it's been automated that that's it that's just black and white but I guess I can't for the life of me know which part of her body is offside. Well, a colleague suggested to me that it was her hip, but I can't see that from the frozen image that we've seen of the VAR replay. And I find this frustrating because the technology surely doesn't have accuracy enough that the margin for error can measure that to be certain that once you're getting down to those minuscule millimeters, how accurate is it on when the ball has actually left the foot of the pass as well because when we're going down to those five margins I think there has to be a bit more common sense applied

here. That's not what the offside rule was invented for to rule out a goal like that. I can understand why England were really frustrated with that because up until that point they had been the better team and looked wonderfully on top. I suppose I don't want to mean that it sounds like we're sour grapes here because France deserve very much to win the game. Nonetheless, it is a completely different conversation if England go 1-0 up, completely on the mentality. I don't think I've I don't know have you ever seen Serena Vigman that level of

frustration particularly after what she thought was a foul on Alessia Russo for what was France's second goal. Yeah no I've never seen her that animated before and just so passionate she is a passionate person but she doesn't tend to show it in in those moments But obviously, yeah, she was talking to the fourth official and making it quite clear that it was pretty clear and obvious. I feel like that. You thought it was a foul on Alessia. Yeah, from Lacroix. She does win the ball, yes, but she takes Alessia's leg first. So there is contact first. But obviously, they don't, obviously, are not overturning the referee's

decision and obviously France go on to score a beautiful goal but yeah I feel I can see her frustrations but I feel like it is one of the first times you've just seen her so animated and obviously the it panned in when the first goal went in and she she obviously swore and you just don't see her doing these types of things so I feel like she has been rattled and I'm sure France will rub in their hands going this is exactly what we want but from an English point of view it's disappointing to see but also for me watching it I'm like I kind of like seeing her like that at the same time like passion, desire and wanting to obviously fight for your team at the same time but not in those circumstances.

Do you think, Tommy, it was because she had the knowledge there of just what that meant at that point in the game, it being so soon after the first goal? Yeah, perhaps the double whammy of the 1VAR decision going against England for their goal that wasn't given and then now this as well, But I think it just speaks to how cross Serena Begman was about the fact that that wasn't given as a foul on Alessio Russo. I completely agree with Ellen. I have never seen Serena Begman be that cross with a fourth official, particularly. I mean, I've been very lucky to be in the stands for almost every single one of the games she's overseen as England manager. And I have never before seen her argue like that with a fourth official It was so unlike her. She's normally this sort of level-headed serene and calm thoughtful coach and

She was really shouting at the fourth official wagging a finger In ways that we've never seen before does it suggest that everything else was building up and adding to frustration? perhaps I I just thought it was more just the rarity of her anger was around how strongly she felt that that should have been a foul and she was asked about it in the post-commerce afterwards and didn't really want to get into like a world where she simply sort of said I'm not the referee and tried to sort of leave it at that but you could tell how supremely crushy was and it's really important that England don't linger on that but they need to put that

behind them. Unfortunately that is just the nature of sport and you can't try and you don't want to be sitting here in a few days time saying well I wish they disallowed that goal, take matters into your own hands, make your own luck and and now kick on and recover from that defeat and I guess we have to remember that there are several players in that team who have not played a lot of football so far. Certainly in the last few months, take players like George Stanway, Lauren Hem, Alex Greenwood, played hardly any football in 2025. Lauren James with her first start since April. And perhaps that was an even bigger factor than we anticipated. I think there are quite a few people out there who didn't look 100% match fit or

certainly not 100% match sharp. When you're playing somebody of the caliber of France, I think maybe got away with that when they came in with injuries into the World Cup and they played Haiti because you could still be at 80% and you can still win the game 1-0 and then build into the tournament. There's been no chance for that with the quick start against someone as good as France. Were you surprised by the team selection Tom? I think it was a bit, yeah a little bit. It was a big gamble to start with Lauren James.

Maybe not so much to start with her but to start with her in the central number 10 role where there's, where against a midfield as good as France is there was going to need to be a lot of defensive off the ball duty. I thought Lauren James looked dazzling with the ball but she didn't look fully fit without the ball and. I thought Lauren James looked dazzling with the ball but she didn't look fully fit without the ball and eventually that became a real problem for England because Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh looked like they were not quite getting enough. They were getting overrun a little bit weren't they? And I asked Serena Vigman in the press conference afterwards whether she felt that was a mistake to go with it. She said no, she defended her

decision and I respect that strength of conviction but it was a huge decision and I would have felt more reassured if Lauren James was out on the wing for example, maybe she could kind of maybe just do her thing, bit of freedom to run at the full back and had more of an eight, you know, a deeper midfield to try and win control of the midfield. Very easy to say with hindsight isn't it but that was a surprise in the lineup I thought and it clearly backfired. Left Georgia and Kira with a lot of work to do, didn't it? Absolutely. The France midfield were a joy to watch. Their physicality, their technical ability,

Karthialli in there was just everywhere. Gaioro, Jean-Francois, Cascarino, Baltimore, you could just keep talking. Just their movement, their connections, their athletic ability. And I just felt like they just completely overrun England. And like you say, if you haven't got a number 10 that can do the defensive role,

you are massively exposed then. So then Kiera Walsh, Georgia Stanway, had a lot of ground to make up. And then obviously it's massively overloaded on your back line as well Then they were just moving the ball into the out into the wide areas crosses into the box Just can't deal with the just the athleticism and just the physicality and then just those 1v1 jewels I felt I feel like when we've the England I feel like I'm used to watching is You never let

another team, someone like France, physically outplay you. You put in big tackles and that's where you win most of your, maybe not on the technical ability but now we've got technically gifted players but physically we cannot let another team overrun us and that's what I feel like we saw last night and that was disappointing to see. When now the players go through their recovery and review sessions, will that be something that's brought up?

Because I feel like that's probably quite a, again, it's quite an old school thing, isn't it? This idea that you go and you don't lose your physical battles. But will that be something that Serena will bring up? I think she has to because it's true, isn't it? I feel like there was just so many balls that were, well first of all they lost to possession too easily but

then when they were making decent passes we saw it with Lucy Bronze she just couldn't make the 1v1 challenges which you never see Lucy Bronze, Georgia, Stanway, Lauren Hemp was knocked off the ball, even like Alessia Russo that we know can hold up the ball, they were just smothering everything and I just thought that they, you've got to give your flowers to France because they were unbelievable but I think that's something that England need to discuss, that physicalness that they need to bring to the games now. Completely hit it in the head. France had 152 individual draws, England only 137 and

it felt like more than that during the game. I was surprised how attacking England set up. In the first sort of half an hour, Lucy Bronze was pushing so high up the pitch and Especially on those goal kicks as well. Yeah, which was not I mean, I like seeing the attacking intent but you have to remember that we've got Sandy Baltimore down one wing, arguably the best player in the WSL last season or certainly maybe Chelsea's best player and on the other side you've got Delphine Cascareño who has the most assists in the end of a cell so far this season and it felt like we were a little bit naive to that England in terms of those threats. What you did see as well is that it ultimately became a battle of

who could get their most threatening players in the more dangerous areas and it felt as though every time England were in a position where you thought, okay, could be a four on three here, the execution of passing just was just on a level that you're so not used to seeing from a lot of those players. But it then allowed the Almeida, for example,

to just step in and drive forward, intercept a pass and for Kototo's goal, suddenly completely flip on its head what was meant to be England's kind of biggest threat to getting Lauren Hempe on the ball, for example, undercook a pass and then suddenly France were in. Yeah, and that's what was, it was quite hard to watch at times,

but I feel like in that first 15 minutes, you saw some lovely intricate play, some like really great weight of pass, the connections. You saw Beth Meade into Lesi Russo into Lauren James, you saw those triangles working really well, but then suddenly when you misplace a pass, France were on you so quickly and the pace at which they can play and then obviously England, like Tom just said, were so attacking, the spaces were then so obvious that then France could exploit and that was clear for the Kototo goal, that the spaces were just

there and they just, the execution of the pass and the movement from Kototo was, she's one of my favorite forwards and to see her back fit in a tournament was so amazing to see but obviously not as an England fan but it was amazing movement and disappointing that we conceded in that manner I feel. And then the second goal as well Tom. Yeah I think that was poor defending. I mean Lucy Bronze has been this phenomenally good performer for England for such a long time so I'm sort of reluctant to be too harsh on her after just one disappointing game but it was a poor game from Lucy Bronze you know one of England's elite you know reliable

players for such a long time she was one of several players who probably was under par yesterday and you can get away with it if maybe one player is having an off day or two players having off day but this was like five or six players. You mentioned Stoke Bend there that I thought I think is an interesting point you know England looking vulnerable when they lose the ball in that kind of quick transition moments after that we've seen it in the away games against Belgium when they've lost there we saw it in the Germany friendly at Wembley when it was 4-3 and every time the Germans won the ball They look like they were going to score

We have also to be fair to England seen them look really well organized and compact without the ball in the clean sheets against I'm thinking about the USA goal of straw the win against Spain at Wembley and when they went to Sweden and got that really important Draw to secure the qualifying last summer. So they can do it but it's almost been this sort of jekyll and hide hot and cold which England will turn up and when the one turns up that really struggles when they lose a ball we've seen for the last couple of years that a result like this has been on the cards sadly but I do want to stress you know if the England turns up that has produced with other performances they're still good enough to go deep into this competition. You wrote in your review of the game, Tom, that consistency is another thing that England

are wrestling with at the moment. And there is a version of England that turns up against the Netherlands and absolutely blows them away. I think that is still possible. It was hard to imagine it last night, but what we should stress is how good England have been at bouncing back and reacting to losses under Serena Vigman. If you think, for example, when they had the disappointing draw in Portugal earlier this year, they bounced back straight away and beat the world champion Spain. You know, they went last summer and lost to France at St James' Park, and then just a few days later,

they went and put in a magnificent performance to go and win in Saint Etienne. They have shown that bounce-back ability, they just need it now more than ever don't they because they're into knockout football already now, with one game gone in the tournament much earlier than you would ever imagine them to be in it and they'll know that, the players will know that. This is now the big test of that team spirit, the regrouping, get everyone focused. Because if they put in a performance that they're capable of, they can still turn this group around. How quickly can you get it out of your system as a result of that?

I think you've got to have a day just to dwell and then that's it. I don't think you can start thinking about it too much. I think they'll be reviewing the game. They'll be looking at what worked and what didn't work. And then you've got to focus on Netherlands, because that is the priority now. I think as much as it was a disappointment, and there was lots and lots of things that England needed to work on, it's a must-win game

against the Netherlands. Can you tell us a little bit about how Serena will process this? Because this is not something she's really faced with with England in terms of her... Maybe we've seen performances that weren't quite at the level that she demands, but a result like that, and were it not for Keira Walsh's goal at the end of the game, could potentially have been looking at something that was a little bit more negative as well? I think obviously she's going to be disappointed in the manner in which they lost. I think you can take a lot of heart in the last maybe 15 minutes.

I think maybe if you kept going for another five or ten we probably would have got the draw. But I feel like for her, obviously yes it's a loss but we're still in the tournament we still got two more games and I think for her the priority now is the Netherlands game and I don't I don't want to sound like boohoo or anything like that but if we don't win I don't even think a point is really good enough it's not good not good enough. We have to win against Netherlands. And as much as we can look at this France game and think of all the things that went wrong, that's great.

But the girls have to now have a mentality where it's all guns blazing. You've got to show up in your physical jewels. You've got to show up in your technical ability and you've got to be clinical. They didn't create enough opportunities going forward. You know, apart from that Rousseau goal, I can't obviously hear a score as well, but there wasn't many opportunities where they were in front of goal and were putting the

French defence under pressure. So that's the frustration for me as well. So I think for Serena, she will remain positive. She has to. You have to keep the group together. But it's now about all guns blazing and you've got to, you have to beat Netherlands now. And they look good.

Very good. Yeah, they do look really good. We'll come onto that very shortly. We are competing here a little bit with fans that are playing the piano. As I'm sort of looking around, we've got people buying food. We've got lots of kids running around as well. It's because Switzerland are playing, even at got lots of kids running around as well. It's because Switzerland are

plenty. At the time of recording it's just started to build up just a little bit. And Tom you were at the opening game weren't you as well? Did you go to the opening games? I went to Germany, Poland on Friday night but not the opening game. Right so you have had a chance to see some of the travelling fans. It's definitely felt as though there are pockets of real excitement and pockets of real atmosphere. And I'm really looking forward tonight to seeing, again, whether the Swiss fans come out in force

because it looked like on that opening night they were very much ready to cause a bit of an upset. Yeah, well here in Zurich on the opening night, I went to go to the fan zone when Switzerland were playing and they were queuing out of the door and there was like a long snaking queue and once you eventually got in you had to wait for someone to leave before you could go in and it was over subscribed. It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm from the home crowd for their games. I sense the fan park's been a lot quieter for the games not involving the Swiss but

you'd expect that. But what has been different about this tournament compared to three years ago is the traveling numbers with the pandemic out of the way now are fantastic. Like the, I was in St. Gallen on Friday which is about 15 miles from the German border so almost a home game for Germany and they came down the street on this fan walk with about 10,000 Germany fans all with the flags and singing and there was a drum and it was just like this is fantastic and then they've I think I believe after the Swiss the Germans have sold the most tickets across the UEFA site upwards of 50,000 there's also good numbers traveling in support of the Netherlands

as well for example and England and it's it's building into something really special at the moment I think that will kick on later into the tournament when we're only using the big big grounds that's the slight shame tomorrow I'm lucky to be going watching Spain's game it's in turn it's quite a small beautiful but small stadium but the atmosphere in general has been very good and can I just say the sight behind you Ben that's smelling absolutely delicious I've never got some food after this time I think it's sort of, you know in cartoons where there's a pie on the window and there's just like a little trail of smell going towards, I'm getting that just out of one nostril at the moment. What's been really interesting as well, you saw the Netherlands fans, I don't know if you had a chance to see it up close to Perst or Ellen, but it looked like those Netherlands fans travelled incredibly well. It means England will be up against another difficult atmosphere

there was a great amount of England fans there last night but they'll be up against a tough opponent in their second game. Yeah I was at Lucerne for Wales Netherlands and Netherlands do that amazing march or walk all in orange and the Wales fans join them so you had the Red Wall and the Netherlands in orange and it was just amazing to see over like 4,000 Welsh fans. I just think that was just so special obviously so historical as well. Netherlands have done it for so many years haven't they? So it was amazing to see and watch and witness and from one side of the stadium you had the

Netherlands fans, the other side you had the Welsh and yeah I think they just create an amazing atmosphere and it was so lovely to see after the game the noise that the players came over celebrated with the fans but then it was also lovely to see the Welsh players with the Welsh fans as well so it was a really kind of lovely atmosphere but you know for England versus Netherlands again it's gonna be an amazing atmosphere and Netherlands have Experienced a 3-0 win so they'll be jubilant and very excited and it is it's an amazing kind of rivalry

I feel now especially with Serena at the helm her assistant Irons obviously going to Netherlands as well After this tournament, so it's a really interesting rivalry and I'm really excited to watch the game. Just quickly, while we wrap up on England, who will you be looking at, Elz, in terms of leadership now, to go out there and maybe lead by example a little bit in that second game? I think you, you know, I know Lucy Bronze probably had a disappointing game for her standards, but she is a huge leader. I think she has to be someone that is going out physically, winning her physical duels. Leah Williamson, I think she's got a step up now. Alex Greenwood, they have to step up, they have to be big voices.

And also I feel like you've got to look at someone like Keira Walsh. She's got a number of catches played in a lot of major tournaments. These type of players have to stand up and be counted. And a lot of the youngsters will be itching to get involved and want to showcase what they can do to Serena and be like, no, I want to prove myself. They'll be in training, they'll be throwing themselves around, they'll be so energetic and so enthusiastic that they'll want to be on that pitch and make a difference. Welcome to the Inside Track with me, Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One like never before. And I'm Matt Magindy, and thanks to my exclusive access,

I'll be getting up close and personal with Red Bull Racing this season. This week we address the Verstappen Mercedes rumors. You want to be with the very best car next season. And look forward to the British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton loves Silverstone. He does. Could he challenge?

Experience Formula One like never before by tuning into the inside track, wherever you get your podcasts. Five Live has the perfect lineup of podcasts to accompany the Euros. All the latest analysis, interviews and debate from Switzerland in the Football Daily podcast. We have them experienced players

that have experienced winning with England. Welsh passion, we never know when we're beaten. Hello, I'm Maisie Adam. And I am Susie Ruffall. And together we host the women's football podcast Big Kick Energy. The award winning? Oh yes, award winning. Yes, very much so. And join Lionesses, Ella Toon and Alessia Russo in the Toonie and Russo podcast.

I know where I'll take you for your hen-do. Benidorm. Oh yes. I would like that. Take the Euros with you this summer. Search Women's Euros on the BBC Sounds app. The Football Daily podcast with Ben Haynes at UEFA Women's Euro 2025.

Tell us a little bit about how England's next opponents, Netherlands, got on. What did you make of them against Wales? I really enjoyed watching them. I've watched quite a few of their Nations League game. They've been quite up and down really. They had a really disappointed result against Germany but they looked good. Their midfield, their rotation, you've got the light to pull over. Some of her movement was quite phenomenal. Roard was very good. I think she hit the bar in the post three times. She absolutely had a rocket. The volley at the beginning was stunning, wasn't it?

Van der Donk looked unbelievable. Keptain, she's so young. She looks so energetic, enthusiastic. Groenen, she was dropping into the back line. She was coming back into the midfield. And then Miedema. She literally doesn't touch the ball. I thought Wales defended so well against this, she didn't have a sniff and

then literally into added time in the first half, she does two chops and scores her 100th international goal. What an amazing world class player. And it felt as though up until that point Tom that Wales have managed to marshal things quite well. Gemma Evans was absolutely fantastic and even from almost before kickoff the Welsh national anthem the players absolutely belted that out. There was this reverse camera angle just before the last line where the camera focused on their backs and you saw them take this huge intake of breath to belt out the anthem you thought wow they are really on this they get to 45 plus two and they just couldn't get over the line to half time and it felt like maybe that was the moment that just

was the first domino for the Netherlands. A really cruel time to concede so late on isn't it? The passion was wonderful to see there have been so many Wales fans having the time of their life here. I think they set up really well and compared to how Portugal set up, for example, against Spain, it was night and day. Wales were significantly better organised and better coached, you know, without the ball. They were a much better unit than that. And I just keep going back to my sort of sadness, I suppose, of the group that Wales are drawn in. I really feel they have been drawn the three toughest sorry I really feel they've been drawn the toughest trio of opponents that any team has ever had in women's Euro's history like you know you

go back through the tournaments you can't find anyone who's had three harder opponents and Wales in their first tournament get that. We really need to stress the kind of anomaly of that because you expect to have at least one hard game, but they've got three teams who would be qualifying from any other group in this tournament. So I feel a bit sorry for them in that sense. I hope that their fans aren't too disheartened. Even if we get to a stage in a week's time

where they've not got any points, I really hope they're not too disheartened because what they will learn from this experience of playing against these top sides in this environment they you know it's they're not forgive me I'm not saying that out yet but you know the quality that France have last night it's really hard to see how Wales can beat them you know so I just hope that it continues on an upward trajectory and we're not we're not too sad about the fact they've been outplayed by such high calibre sides.

Particularly when you look at the way that they approached the game, because they played with Jess Fishlock as almost like a false nine and she worked incredibly hard but you did definitely feel that on the counter attack there was a little less there for them in terms of having someone in the box to try and finish things off? Yeah, I feel like they used the whip that worked a few times on that right hand side with Kerry Holland, but then when you are crossing balls into the box, it's not necessarily one of Jess Fisklock's strengths is like heading the ball and being that number nine presence.

You needed a bit, if you are going probably more counter attack, you need a bit more speed and Hannah Kane was slightly a bit deeper. You needed maybe someone like Hughes to maybe hold the ball up but then you're obviously not playing Jess Fishlock so it was a tough afternoon for them but I think you've got to give credit to their endeavor, their passion and the way that they did perform for that first kind of 47 minutes and I just feel like it just sucked the life out of them. I could imagine that team talk was completely different than what you would have gone in at 0-0, and then they come out and concede

in three minutes later. Rhea and Wilkinson made a substitution in the back line, so I don't know if there's maybe a little bit of confusion there. But I feel like they worked so hard and they will learn a lot from this and I don't want this to be their last major tournament. You want this to be a stepping stone for them qualifying for a number of major tournaments in the future, growing their game, inspiring a generation but learning from these world-class, like Tom said, top three teams in their group which is ridiculous to have but what it takes to win a group stage game, score a goal, that type of thing. So I feel for them and their

fans they put on a good performance for themselves. It's just this it's a real uphill battle for them now in this group. You hinted at one of the big differences there. I mean, I saw another debutant, Poland, who still lost 2-0 to Germany, but they created four or five really good chances. And they have that outbore with the pace and quality of Peo from Barcelona. Quite helpful to have the Barcelona star striker up front. But that's the big difference, really, that I thought, yeah, Wales working really well as a team but just not

having that elite star quality in the final third to help you get out and and to break away with speed in the way that the Poland did which is such a shame. I think as well it was just being able for them to retain possession they maybe had one two passes three at most but then they were smothered by Netherlands maybe they went a bit longer they just weren't able to hold the ball, give themselves a breathe and move the ball around, use their sixes in someone like Anne-Harrid James and Hayley Ladd. And that's what Rhian Wilkinson wants, she wants that fluidity of being able to move the ball around and being able to change formations, but they just couldn't quite do it when you're playing the top opposition

like Netherlands or France and England, but it's a massive learning curve for them and I feel like it will do them good now moving into the future. How will Rhian approach the game against France because there's not a huge amount of room for error and they no doubt will have watched that France performance against England last night and will be thinking well there's a lot of threats here that we're gonna have to try and nullify. Absolutely, I honestly don't know if I'm being perfectly honest. I think for them, they've just got to be more compact and they've just got to be able to retain the ball as much as they can when they get it, but they've just got to be as hard to beep as possible.

I don't really know too much of what they'll do, but I feel like they've just got to first and foremost, I think they've just got to chunk it up. Don't concede in the first 15 minutes, don't concede in the first 30, don't concede in the first half and just move on from there and just keep building blocks from there but just to be as compact and use their desire and strength and passion that they have. Their fans will be on their side 100%. And you'd imagine as well, I mean, just give people a little insight into Rihanna. She's a phenomenal talker, isn't she? Yeah.

Yeah, she's an amazing humanian. She's a phenomenal talker, isn't she? Yeah. Yeah, she's an amazing human being. She's a great person, and she'll be using so many analogies. Obviously, I can't pronounce it. I don't want to butcher it, the name of Snowden. But she used that as an analogy of, obviously, their journey and climbing a mountain. And she'll be telling so many stories and dreaming big,

and obviously, how historical it is for them to be at their first major tournament. And she'll be gal so many stories and dreaming big and obviously how historical it is for them to be at their first major tournament. And she'll be galvanizing the group. And if you've got the likes of Jess Fishlock, there's so many, Sophie Ingle, they're so experienced and they love their country and playing for their nation. So it'll be about heart and passion and desire and putting on a showcase for those fans.

Could I say something about that? That really beautiful thing they did with the squad announcement at the top of Snowdon, which was one of the most creative ideas I've seen from a comms team for a while. I love the analogy that Wales were using about that being their mountain top, right? But I had a slight sort of burning frustration inside me. For those of you who've ever climbed up Snowdon, it's a really difficult walk isn't it, but there is an easier way to the top on the train. And in this analogy, the equivalent in football of reaching the top on the train would have been the Welsh FA investing in women's football 25, 30 years ago. That was an option and

unfortunately you know you go back to the qualifying campaign to previous tournaments like 2005 and they're not providing the money to even go and take part. There's so many generations who have been denied this chance and I'm so glad now that they are really starting to get behind it but I was thinking of that and I was thinking what a shame that this couldn't have happened like 15-20 years ago and hopefully now this group can inspire others to follow. It would be easy to look at the time of that first goal that they conceded and think, oh maybe just a concentration slip or they just got a bit leggy or they just got a bit

tired towards the end of the half. But when you consider that Viv Miedema had touches in the single figures, Ellen, and then she goes and chops the ball twice and then feeds it into the top corner, unfortunately sometimes you just come up against someone who is world class and in a moment can turn a game on its head. I couldn't put any better myself, to be honest. Yeah, absolutely.

She's just, she is absolutely world class. And yeah, Evans, Roberts, and Morgan really nullified her. But then when you give her that half a yard yard, when she can chop left, right and have the ability to bend it into the top right hand corner, you just got to look at yourselves and go, I'm coming up against a world-class talent. It doesn't matter if you touch the ball once, she can create something out of absolutely nothing. And that's why she is so special. 126 caps and 100 goals for her country, that is a ridiculous stat. And

I was kind of worried for her coming into this tournament that she hadn't had enough minutes, obviously she's had a lot of injury problems. She doesn't look at the outside, she's been out for that long, does she? She just looks on it and she seems to just be loving it. She looks happy and just free and just healthy and also to score, she literally had all the Netherlands fans in front of her, it was a really special moment for her. Dangerously close to a celebration as well Tom? It was a little bit actually yeah. That might be the happiest I've ever seen her after a goal.

So true. No one has ever been more nonchalant after scoring great goals than Medabar but she looked really happy, I was so pleased for her and she's had to overcome a lot of frustrating injuries. And I mean you mentioned getting to a hundred international goals. When you think of how many big opportunities internationally she's had to miss with injury, it's a remarkable achievement to be on that many goals for her country. She's still quite young. I'm fascinated now about the matchup in that she's going to come up against two centre halves who have played with her for their clubs in Lear Williamson and Alex Greenwood and that's fascinating right, the kind of inside out info that they'll know about each

other vice versa. What a phenomenal forward, one of the best we've ever seen in the Women's Super League and privileged to watch her play and I was looking at it as a neutral I was so happy to see her get a tournament goal like that it was great. She will cause another set of problems for England because she will at one moment be on the shoulder and then suddenly will be dropping into almost central midfield positions it's going to be a really really tough night for Leah Williamson and Alex Greenwood. Yeah it's going to be a tough night because that rotation of the midfield but then also the full backs in Brutus and also Kasparait, they're just so attacking but then also that's a strength but also I feel like something that England can obviously exploit as well

if they are able to move the ball quickly and get past that attacking prowess and move the ball so quickly, there's a lot of space to play in but I feel like that movement of Captain and Rourke and Van de Donk when when Miedema does come a little bit lower there's always someone stretching so then she creates a lot of space for herself and not only can she score a goal she can assist as well her range of pass in a technical ability so it's gonna be a really kind of tough evening for Leah and Alex but I feel like Tom said they know a lot about her so you have to be on it you have to be switched on but then I think also

you've got to nullify the ball to her you've got to put more pressure on you've got a press you've got to get the press right first and you've got to get that mid midfield right and if she's starved of the ball she'll be very very frustrated. Just to finish up we're a full match round into the tournament now. Has it lived up to the expectations that you had for the tournament and how have you found the atmosphere at Games Elves? I've really loved it, I've really enjoyed it. Obviously I covered the Switzerland-Norway game and unfortunately I wasn't out here for that one, but just watching it on TV, that atmosphere,

I was so gutted for Switzerland that I feel like if they won or got a draw, that would have been amazing for them, but obviously they've got another chance tonight to obviously get some points on the board. But I just feel like it looks amazing. It looks exciting. The fans have turned up and I think maybe being at slightly tighter stadiums at time and filling the stadiums has really had a huge impact. But for me personally, I've really enjoyed watching it. I've been waiting for it for ages but now that it's here and we've had the first round

of games, which has gone so fast by the way. It has, hasn't it? There was a weird sort of four or five days that we had in build up before the England game where it felt everything was so calm and so serene and for people that don't know I mean it feels like everyone is down at the lake all the time here people are like commuting to work on the current and things like this it's just absolutely incredible and then suddenly the football started and it feels like everything's gone into sort of four or five times speed I I don't know if you found that Tom, since the games got underway it suddenly got very intense, very fast.

Yeah and that, particularly from an England point of view, the build-up's always quite agonising isn't it, you just want the football to start and I feel like that, since it has kicked off here, that everyone's really starting to really embrace it and it's lovely. I just think it's an idyllically beautiful country. As a reporter who spends Sunday afternoons at places like Wharton Hall Park and Boreham Wood or Leigh Sports Village, to be sitting in St. Gallen with these beautiful green rolling hills in the background. And as you said the atmosphere down here by the lake, it has that summer tournament feel. The weather's helped as well, the fans are all enjoying themselves.

I was quite skeptical when Switzerland were appointed as hosts, largely because it was an all-male voting panel on the UEFA exec committee that chose the hosts, because there was only one woman on the exec committee at the time who was French, couldn't vote because France were another contender, and that just felt so bizarre to me that only men got to vote on who was hosting this fantastic tournament and the stadiums are relatively small compared to what we had in England but they've managed to sell more tickets than what England's tournament sold overall three years ago and because the smaller grounds are sold out and compact the

atmosphere has been absolutely fantastic. I also say from a female point of view and also a mother coming out here with my daughter I feel like it is accessible. The trains have been great, I feel like the stadiums have been made for females. I know this probably isn't exciting what Women's Football Weekly want to talk about but they have like baby change. I feel like it is here for female fans which is predominantly who are coming out to support. Obviously it's families as well, obviously yes men and young boys and children as well. But I feel like it is very accessible to everybody and you feel like there's a whole range of demographic that are coming out to the tournament.

I feel like that's been lovely to see and for me to kind of witness as well from a different kind of point of view, in a different angle, it's been really lovely to see. You definitely felt arriving at the stadium last night, I don't know if it's the same for you Tom, I mean you've covered countless tournaments, but you almost forget just how nice it is to turn up to an international summer tournament, a women's Euros or women's World Cup,

and you just remind yourself of that lovely atmosphere as you arrive, don't you? It's people sort of milling outside, there's a real buzz and a real vibrancy but just very excited, very welcoming, very open and just really warm energy around the place. Yeah, I think that's such a privilege of being able to come to a tournament like this and I say the lack of hostility amongst the fan bases is so refreshing. We always see that in the women's game, of course

we do, but there's no one getting drunk and smashing glass bottles around, there's no one tearing apart restaurants and the chairs going flying everywhere with hooliganism, it's just this lovely atmosphere. But still with a younger younger demographic it's not all families it's it's a real mixture of ages and a lot of young fans in Switzerland getting in into it as well which is also really lovely to see because I think there's a misconception maybe that it's like a family-friendly only sport it's all ages getting into it and I'm I'm so pleased that the organizers have offered free public transport for anyone with a ticket that's really nice message to send out in terms of sustainability and from how

busy the trams and the buses and other trains have been, everyone's been taking up that offer which has been really good to see. Yeah it has been wonderful and there has been such a lovely atmosphere. I was almost a tiny bit skeptical last night as I arrived to the stadium and saw that running track and I thought I wonder whether the atmosphere will still carry. But it did. The France fans were excellent, the England fans were excellent and they were treated to a really good game that unfortunately England came out on the wrong side of. It's certainly been a really fun start to the tournament but it's almost crunch time already as we move into the second round of games. Two huge

matches to come for England and Wales. And that is where we'll leave it on the Football Daily. Thanks so much to Ellen White and to Tom Gehry and we'll see you all next time. Welcome to the Inside Track with me, Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One like never before. And I'm Matt Magindy and thanks to my exclusive access I'll be getting up close and personal with Red Bull Racing this season. This week we address the Verstappen Mercedes rumors. You want to be with the very best car next season. And look forward to the British Grand Prix. Louis Hamilton

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