The defeat of Sweden took mind, body and soul. Can England renew ahead of Italy challenge?

Capped 138 times, Lucy Bronze will likely add another against Italy. Should they win Bronze can equal Alex Scott with joint fourth most caps for the Lionesses.

How do the English tackle putting together a piece of Ikea furniture? Hold my beer, said the Lionesses, as beating Sweden followed a similar blueprint. It looked good on paper, all the parts were laid out, with the team unchanged for a second time since facing the Netherlands. This has worked before and it will again, until it doesn’t. You feel your way through the project, with its early stresses and everything going wrong and think it’s over. Then, with the end in sight, it comes together. Somehow.

Lucy Bronze at the back post, Hannah Hampton between both posts, Michelle Agyemang off the bench.

At times it felt like watching the England side who fumbled their way through Olympic qualifying, and at others, the side who have held at seat at tournament football’s top table for ten years now.

Semi-finalists in Canada ten years ago, and again in France in 2019. Finally, the summit was in sight, but Spain, in Sydney, stood in their way of World Cup glory.

Intermingled between those tournaments has been an assault on and dominance over European tournament football. The miracle of Chloe Kelly, as England won the Euros on home soil off the back of coming third in the Netherlands in 2017, a culture shift in the national psyche for the women’s game.

The cracks and creaks have been there too though, most apparent in the Nations League, and could be heard as England came back to overcome a 2-0 deficit and take Sweden to penalties. The Lionesses failed to qualify for the Olympics during the last Nations League campaign, and their most recent one amassed the same points tally.

In these Euros, we’ve seen three versions of England. The first was undone by France, pressed and punished into defeat. Then came dominant displays against the Dutch and Wales. Ten goals, from all over the park, in total, one in reply.

But Sweden was the bellwether for this team, forced into transition so close to a major tournament starting. The absence of Mille Bright felt, finally. Mary Earps hanging the gloves up too. Serena Wiegman made a call to move ahead with Hampton and in Zurich, as her foes lined up twelve yards away from her, the decision was vindicated. Tinkering has been Wiegman’s greatest asset this Euro, responding well to the France defeat, where Jess Carter was exposed and failed to support Lauren Hemp in attack. Carter was exchanged with Alex Greenwood, whilst Lauren James, unbalancing the midfield in a central role, was shifted right. The Netherlands failed to amass a game plan in time, Wales were beaten over most parts of the park regardless.

But now Wiegman has found her best side, Sweden readied themselves and executed brilliantly in the first half. Carter lapsed on the ball for the first and was outpaced for the second. Mille Bright’s presence means Leah Williamson can sweep whatever goes beyond Carter, whilst the six-yard box remains protected.

Bright’s absence is understood, accepted, supported. It’s England’s problem they don’t have the depth. The signs with Carter were there in Australia, but the temptation was experience and physicality above all else in the years since. Two years on, that half a yard of pace lost has turned to two.

The temptation to rely on Fran Kirby, Carter, Mary Earps is what has exposed England. Heading to a semi-final with Italy, the underdogs are the favourites. A spent Lionesses side, whose character after half-time in Zurich was flawless, might not have the legs or the nous to finish the job.

Bronze heaved herself towards Chloe Kelly’s back post delivery to get England back into the game, before strapping her own thigh with a bandage from the medic’s bag as a teammate received treatment. The stalwart later channeled her inner Psycho as she rifled her sudden-death penalty home.

The mentality is there but the experience has dropped with the aforementioned absentees making way so close to the tournament. Ella Toone, now a starter, had a great group phase overall, but Alessia Russo has been the one to watch for opposition coaches. A winning team was found, but just as quickly Sweden found a way to exploit it, and playing the same side again creates the same risk. Italy will be ready to face that XI next week.

Rotating means bringing in Esme Morgan (12 caps) or Niamh Charles (28 caps) for Carter, or Agyemang (3 caps) or Aggie Beever-Jones (10 caps) for any of the front three. Starts for Kelly and Beth Mead are rarities.

What this means for England’s World Cup run, who knows, as several others may hang up there international boots after Switzerland. But first, Italy.

The opportunity the squad players may get will be the want they want, but a few more games together would have served them well. Some of the changes are forced, and the best XI between Australia and now was exactly that, until it’s wasn’t.

So it’s a stick or twist question. Surprise Italy or trust experience. Either way, express yourself, its eleven on eleven. It can be done.