Sarina Wiegman seeks England reaction following 4-0 Spain thrashing
Manager Sarina Wiegman has challenged her England players to show their true character against Ukraine on Tuesday following a demoralising 4-0 defeat by Spain that leaves their World Cup qualification hopes in the balance.
The reigning European champions suffered their heaviest loss since 2009 during Friday’s bruising encounter in Mallorca.
Forward Lauren Hemp admitted the unexpected thrashing caused sleepless nights among the squad.
The national side must now better Spain’s result against Iceland to secure automatic entry to next year’s tournament in Brazil.
Qualification out of their hands
If the Lionesses fail to overhaul their group rivals, they will be forced to navigate a precarious two-legged play-off.
The Dutch coach insisted her immediate priority is atoning for the poor performance rather than scoreboard watching.
Staff members will monitor the simultaneous fixture involving the world champions, but updates will not be relayed to the pitch at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
‘A hit on the chin’
“We have someone there, so we will know, but we’re not planning on sharing that with players,” Wiegman confirmed.
The former Netherlands boss believes the true test of her squad’s mentality will be revealed in how they bounce back from adversity.
“We sat on the pitch straight after the game and said, ‘okay, this one is really hard to take’. It felt like a hit on the chin.”
“It’s really easy when things go well that everyone sticks together and we have conversations. But at moments when you’re having a setback like this, then we really see who we are.”
Sleepless nights in Mallorca
The manner of the defeat was uncharted territory for the majority of the current setup.
Manchester City winger Hemp revealed the psychological toll the heavy loss took on the dressing room.
The forward admitted she and several team-mates were unable to sleep following the comprehensive loss.
A decisive victory against Ukraine remains the sole focus as the team attempts to salvage an automatic route to the World Cup finals.