Women's World Cup: Five reasons to back the Lionesses all the way

• Euro champions have the know-how and pedigree

• England blessed with firepower times two

• Difference-makers to make the difference

Can the Lionesses pull off a historic Euro/World Cup double this month in Australia and New Zealand?

Injuries to Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead have prompted doubts, while being placed in the tougher bottom half of the draw is far from ideal. Then there's the all-conquering USWNT to consider.

Yet Sarina Wiegman's side are not being heavily backed out of patriotic obligation. They have strengths and qualities in abundance and have every realistic chance of going all the way this summer.

It's time to believe again.

Tactical variance - England to Reach the Final

A preferred 4-3-3 formation has been much in evidence in 2023, one that can smoothly shift to 4-2-3-1 when deemed necessary. It's a shape that affords Lucy Bronze acreage to roam down the right, offers control in the middle, and allows freedom of movement from their wide players.

Yet, throughout Sarina Wiegman's successful era as head coach, England have displayed a tactical flexibility that has served them extremely well, even changing it up halfway through crucial contests.

Last summer, the Lionesses looked down and out against Spain in their Euro quarter-final but a treble substitution on the hour-mark, and a switch to three at the back, altered the course of the game dramatically.

Similarly, England are equally adept at keeping possession or going route one, depending on circumstance.

Having a Plan B is key to navigating the various challenges tournament football throws up and subsequently every side has one. Not all have such implicit trust in executing them, however.

Sarina knows the way

What does the last World Cup final and the last two Euro finals all have in common? Each had Sarina Wiegman in the technical area.
The former PE teacher's track record in international football has been little short of outstanding, first guiding Holland to Euro success in 2017, before taking them to the precipice of global glory two years later.

Last summer, her masterplan turned Beth Mead and co into bona fide superstars.

A stickler for details, the three-time winner of FIFA's best coach honour is acutely aware of what needs to be done to negotiate a path through the group stage and knock-outs and furthermore the players know this.

The confidence that must give them cannot be under-estimated.

A strong case for the Defence

Missing their captain Leah Williamson is of course a big loss but in Alex Greenwood and Millie Bright, England still possess a centre-back partnership with bags of experience, sharing 138 caps between them.

The pair have more than played their part in accruing a highly impressive defensive record since Wiegman's appointment in the autumn of 2021, the Lionesses conceding only 12 times in 32 games. With extra-times factored in that's a goal every 247 minutes across nearly a two year period.

In a touch shy of two-thirds of the fixtures Wiegman has presided over, England have kept clean sheets.

It's a formidable return only bettered at the World Cup by the USWNT, a team England cannot face until the final itself.

Reassuringly, the reigning Euro champions beat the reigning world champions last October at Wembley, limiting Rapinoe and the rest to just two shots on target.

Firepower

Six of the previous eight Women's World Cup winners saw their striker secure the Golden Boot. It's an obvious point but let's make it anyway that ideally teams need a proven finisher to fire them through the rounds. A number nine on a quest for personal glory, who can get their side out of tight spots.

For all of their other considerable attributes this is something the USWNT presently lack, due to the ever-prolific Mal Swanson failing to recover from a knee injury in time.

Granted, this still leaves them with Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Alex Morgan - fantastic individual talents all - but who from that trio can bag them five or six across the next month?

As sensational a footballer Morgan is, she has notched only twice from open play for her country in the last calendar year.
Elsewhere, we find several other nations missing their stand-out strikers, from Canada (Janine Beckie) to Holland (Vivianne Miedema) to France (Marie-Antoinette Katoto).

England don't only have one sharp-shooter but two, both boasting different traits that gives Wiegman all manner of options.
Alessia Russo scored five in four in qualifying and conjured up 56 shot creating actions in the WSL last season. All told, for Manchester United she scored one in two.

Then we have Rachel Daly and her incredible transformation from a left-back into a Haaland-esque, goal-scoring phenomenon.
The 31-year-old notched 22 in 22 last term for Aston Villa, a goal every 89 minutes.

Whoever starts against Haiti in Brisbane - and the gut says Daly - has every chance of keeping their place throughout. Whoever it is, it's England who win.

Difference-makers

No major tournament is won without teams possessing high-performing game-changers and difference-makers, players who can get the better of low blocks in the early stages and unseat elite defences when the going gets tougher.

Thankfully, England are well-stocked.

Between them, Manchester City's Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp contributed 27 direct goal involvements in 2022/23 in the league alone, the latter additionally winning possession more often in the attacking third than any other player.

Both have proven time and again they can terrorise and turn back-lines on a whim.

The growing influence of Ella Toone within the international set-up is another huge plus, the Manchester United star completing the most passes in the final third in the WSL last season.

Lastly, there is Lauren James, unplayable on her day and a winger Leah Williamson has previously called a 'cheat code'.

If one of these quartet can replicate Beth Mead's achievements last year in being awarded Player of the Tournament, the Lionesses will benefit enormously.