Sarina Wiegman facing first crisis as Lionesses limp towards Le Crunch

The Lionesses were feeling very disappointed after their defeat to France on Friday, as it now means that they have a bigger challenge ahead of them in their efforts to qualify for Euro 2025. England has now fallen to third place in Group A3, with France and Sweden being in the lead - Sweden having won 3-0 against the Republic of Ireland. This has happened midway through their qualifying campaign.

There are some challenging games coming up for England, starting with a match against France in Saint-Étienne on Tuesday. To guarantee a spot in next year's tournament in Switzerland, England need to finish in the top two of their group. If they finish third, they risk being forced into a playoff to qualify. Currently, England have earned four points from their first three games and are five points behind France. They are level on points with Sweden, but Sweden has a slightly better goal difference.

Sarina Wiegman needs to assess the situation at a crowded St James' Park and determine how England can fix the issue with only three matches remaining. This was the first time the Lionesses lost in a World Cup or Euros qualifying game since they lost to Germany in May 2002. Although this marks a low point, it was evident from the start that this journey was going to be challenging.

This year, the European Championship qualification will be determined by the highly competitive Nations League format. England have been grouped with some tough opponents, including France, who were the runners-up in the Euro 2022, Sweden, who won the bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup, and the Republic of Ireland, who are the only team in pot four to have qualified for the upcoming World Cup. This group has been dubbed the "group of death" due to the level of competition.

The matches are scheduled to take place soon after the challenging club seasons. The next series of games will take place in July, which is typically a time when players from the winter leagues are on their break. This campaign also has some additional challenges as FIFA has decided to eliminate the July and September windows beginning in 2026.

Last Friday, England's inability to convert their opportunities and their inability to create chances in the last third of the pitch was penalized by France, who remained patient throughout the game. Although the English squad was delighted to have their Euro 2022 captain, Leah Williamson, and her assistant, Millie Bright, back on the field, it was the first time they played together since February 2023 and their lack of recent match practice was apparent.

It was a brave move to bench Alex Greenwood and field someone else, especially since she played a crucial role in England's World Cup journey and was possibly the most dependable and competent centre-back in the Women's Super League for the past couple of years. Sitting on the sidelines, her ability to score from set pieces was definitely missed by the team.

However, it was France who benefitted from set pieces. England managed to score in the first half thanks to Beth Mead, but Élisa de Almeida's unstoppable volley brought France back into the game. The winning goal was scored by Marie-Antoinette Katoto from a corner. Having both goals come from corners is worrisome and something to address before the next game.

Georgia Stanway, the midfielder, expressed her view on the two set pieces that were executed extremely well. She stated that they are going to analyze it carefully and determine strategies to handle such situations in the future. They were cognizant of the threatening nature of these set pieces beforehand, and therefore, should have done better in addressing them during the game.

Although England controlled the ball more often, they were unsuccessful in producing many opportunities to score, having only two shots on goal out of 58% of the ball possession, whereas France had four. Their offense lacked originality, missing the valuable unpredictability of Lauren James.

James won't be able to play in Tuesday's game due to a foot injury. It's important to find ways to overcome this challenge. Even though Fran Kirby came in to attack during the last 11 minutes of the game, it wasn't enough to make a difference.

It is possible that England will not have their top goalkeeper in the Saint-Étienne game. This is because Mary Earps hurt her hip during the match at St James’ Park and is now being evaluated. She had to use crutches to move around.

Wiegman held off on making alterations since it can affect the team's chemistry. She explained that although introducing new players injects fresh energy, she believes the team performed excellently regardless. However, after conceding, a discussion took place on the kind of midfield they required, which caused a slight delay in any changes.

The boss is right, England did a decent job in holding the ball, but there is a distinct difference between performing well and appearing as if you're on the brink of scoring.

Kirby joined the game with Chloe Kelly, the player who scored the winning goal in the Euro 2022 final. The team on the field had many players who had won in the Euros before. However, were Kirby and Kelly the best choices? They haven't played regularly this season, with Kirby possibly leaving Chelsea soon and Kelly having a hard time and being replaced by Mary Fowler at Manchester City.

The incredibly remarkable offensive threesome of Grace Clinton, Aggie Beever-Jones, and Jess Park, who aren't really well-known globally, were placed in reserve. Wiegman has to determine if the upcoming batch of talented players is prepared to step up, however, England has to recover their aggressive groove and integrating new blood and lively energies might revolutionize the team's characteristics.

To get back in the game and avoid the playoffs, England must secure a win in France. It would be a major blow to their reputation if they cannot qualify directly from the group, especially since they are striving to defend their title. The upcoming matches will be the most challenging assessment of Wiegman's leadership so far.

Stanway confidently stated that everyone's attention is solely on Tuesday. She vowed to give everything she has got to secure their position in the Euros.