Lionesses Diary - Day 5: England analyse defeat as Leah Williamson speaks out

As inquiries are launched into what exactly went wrong for the defending European champions against France on Saturday, the England team are doing some reflection of their own.

The first Sunday of the tournament will not be shaping out how the Lionesses would have hope, but with their families over to support them they will be looking to reset ahead of the Netherlands clash.

Here is everything happening in the Lionesses’ camp on day five of Euro 2025…

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Today in camp

The Lionesses held an open training session at their now familiar training ground of Sportanlage Au as both press and the public were invited down to watch.

With a substantial number of the squad getting minutes against France, those out on the pitch were mostly confined to a handful of late substitutes and those who did not get on the pitch at Stadion Letzigrund.

Players were taken through a number of one v one drills before breaking out into a small-sided high intensity game where Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones looked sharp in front of goal.

At the end of the session, Alex Greenwood was presented with her 100th cap before players headed over to engage with the fans who were out in their numbers.

With plenty to work on from a dismal display against France, the players were heading back for an analysis session post-training before enjoying some down time with their families.

“We had a tough game yesterday and it’s always nice to see your family in the stands,” said Lauren Hemp.

“We’ll spend a bit of time with them today but I don’t think we’ll be moving very far around Zurich that’s for sure, so probably have a coffee or something.”

Trending topics

It is hard to escape the inquisition into the Lionesses’ failings on social media as the potential for an early Euros exit hits hard.

A defeat to the Netherlands on Wednesday would likely signal the end to England’s title defence and leave them falling well below expectations in Switzerland.

But the noises coming out of the England camp are focused solely on resetting as their aim remains exactly the same as before Saturday’s defeat: to win as many games as possible.

"We lost the game with cheap one-on-one defending. We learned from those mistakes and grew in the game but we weren't good enough,” said captain Leah Williamson of the performance.

"We couldn't keep the ball in the areas we needed to keep it. We got better as they tired but it wasn't enough in the end.

"Sometimes it happens. It's really frustrating, but tomorrow we’ll be back on it."

The 2-1 loss to France marked Sarina Wiegman’s first defeat at a European Championships, and while concerning, that impeccable record is also something to take confidence from as she comes up against her former employers next.

What are the pundits saying?

Reviews of England’s performance have been unfailingly scathing, with their downfall pinned on individual errors and sloppiness in possession.

It is an assessment that the players themselves have diagnosed and for former England ‘keeper Rachel Brown-Finnis it was simply not at the required level for major tournament football.

“England started well against France but after having a goal ruled out for offside they were just not good enough in the first half,” she told BBC Sport.

“The Lionesses improved and dominated possession after the break but still didn't manage any shots on target until the closing stages.

“That defeat means this is a must-win game for them, but if they are going to beat the Netherlands, they will have to be much better at the basics.

“Too many simple passes went astray on Saturday night, and we didn't see the kind of sharp and polished England performance that we have become used to.”

For former Lioness Fran Kirby, England’s renewed impetus at the death, that saw Keira Walsh score an 87th-minute consolation, could have produced the game-changing moment if for an earlier substitution.

“Michelle [Agyemang] should have come on a little bit earlier,” she told 5Live Sport.

“She’s a very different type of player to what England have. She’s so strong and it really helps having her alongside Russo, it gives her more freedom to drift.”

Quote of the day

“If we play our game and we do our game to the best, everyone knows that sometimes we’re untouchable.

“It was tough after our goal was disallowed, the momentum swung and we just had to get back into the game.

“But it's tournament football and these things are going to happen and now we've got to take each game as it comes and win the next game” - Grace Clinton

Best of the rest

Elsewhere in Group D, Wales suffered a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands but the game was significant for more than just a home nation tournament debut.

Vivianne Miedema opened the scoring to mark her 100th international goal for the Netherlands in style.

Cutting back onto her left foot, Miedema opened up her body to guide a curling shot into the far top right hand corner and became one of the youngest-ever Dutch footballers to reach such a milestone.

Celebrated with a Netherlands shirt reading ‘Miedema 100’ for the achievement she posted on Instagram: “It’s been a long time coming. Scoring goals isn’t something you do alone so thank you to all my teammates over the years.”

The 28-year-old broke the Dutch women’s goal-scoring record at just 22 and achieved her century of goals in just 126 matches.

It puts her in an elite group of Europe’s very best players, and having captained the Netherlands on Saturday she presents a dangerous prospect for the Lionesses’ next challenge.