Phil Neville has made a quietly impressive start as manager and Lucy Bronze has grown in stature but there are still faults to be ironed out in time for next year’s tournament in France

The World Cup is just days away and while Gareth Southgate’s side attempt to write a more cheerful chapter to the long Three Lions story, in the background the Lionesses are cruising to qualification for the Women’s World Cup next year.

On Friday Phil Neville’s team leapfrogged Wales to once again top their qualification group with a comfortable 3-1 win against third-placed Russia. It was their fifth qualifying win (fourth under Neville) and Elena Danilova’s strike to reduce a 2-0 lead was the first goal they have conceded.

But what have we learnt about the Lionesses and what are their chances of success in France in 2019?

Up in the air

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First, England can score headers. After they drew a blank against a resolute Wales side made up primarily of part-time players at St Mary’s, Neville’s approach to corners was questioned. As Fran Kirby, Ellen White and Jodie Taylor were crowded out by the Welsh backline, it seemed a set piece could be the answer. Yet time and again short corner after short corner frustratingly failed to create anything.



After the match Neville explained that fewer headers are scored from set pieces in the women’s game and said: “I wanted us to take short corners because we’ve got fantastic players technically.”

True, the side do have very talented technical players. However, Russia showed that headers are a viable option. Nikita Parris’s and Jill Scott’s headed goals came from open play, but when you have the quality of Lyon’s Lucy Bronze and Barcelona’s Toni Duggan at your disposal pinpoint crosses and flick-ons are a given. Scott has been injured and hasn’t played since England put five past Kazakhstan in November but her 5ft 11in surely gives the Lionesses the option Neville has experimented going without.

England forged in Bronze

Not her finest performance in an England shirt by any stretch. Her failure to clear the ball before Russia’s goal will be eating up the driven right-back. The assist for Scott won’t have cancelled out the mistake in her mind because Bronze is a perfectionist and honest about her performances. Yet Bronze is critical to the success of this Lionesses team.

Before the game Neville said she had the ability to play in the men’s game and with a league and Champions League double in her first season in France she is one of the side’s most hard-working and talented players. Captaining the team in the absence of the njured Steph Houghton, Bronze is the only player to have started every World Cup qualifier. Keeping her fit and rested will be vital to success in 2019.

Depth

The manager has options aplenty. With Houghton out and Manchester City’s player of the season Izzy Christiansen and Arsenal’s midfield engine Jordan Nobbs off the plane too, you could be forgiven for thinking the side could struggle.

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Neville has said he wants to expand the number of top players available for selection, and has welcomed the birth of the new fully-professional top tier because it will increase his talent pool. But let’s not be dismissive about the depth currently at his disposal. Neville has used 31 players for his four wins and a draw in qualifying since taking over from Mark Sampson in September. Only five of those who started on Friday were in the XI that kicked off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in their previous tie, and yet the side don’t look flustered with big absences.

Neville has also begun to gently weave some of the most promising young players into his set-up. Manchester City’s Keira Walsh and the Arsenal forward Beth Mead are getting more minutes and rewarding Neville’s trust with solid displays, while the 21-year-old Arsenal defender Leah Williamson got her first cap when she came on to shore things up against Russia.

Neville’s No 1

The manager has used three keepers in qualifying but with Chelsea’s Carly Telford preferred to 73-cap Karen Bardsley and Siobhan Chamberlain in the last three games, his preference is becoming clearer.

The problem? Telford is firmly second choice at the double winners. She started only five league games in the 2017-18 season. With the Swede Hedvig Lindahl, voted into the FIFPro XI of the year, unlikely to be usurped any time soon, will Neville be content with his goalkeeper playing second fiddle at club level, albeit for the best team in the country?

The boss

The new (ish) man in charge is likely to always have an asterisk by his name. The handling of the process to appoint Mark Sampson’s replacement left a lot to be desired. However, Neville was not at fault, he took an opportunity presented to him and has come across very well.

New to women’s football, he has come in with fresh eyes. The manager has been unafraid to look at players outside the top teams and cliques and bring players into his squads on merit alone.

The Russia game was a good test. His team showed complacency for Danilova’s effort and surely will have felt the pressure of conceding their first qualifying goal while being without crucial players. However, rather than buckle they quickly restored their two-goal lead and resumed the game with a new focus. Neville is likable. When he collected Ellen White’s FA player of the year award on her behalf he described women’s football as “real football”. He is winning over the doubters, is working hard to build a team of winners and if he leads the team to a major trophy that asterisk will become less and less significant.

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Talking points

• Liverpool have announced that Alex Greenwood, Amy Turner and Martha Harris will be leaving following the expiration of their contracts. They follow Caroline Weir, who has joined Manchester City, goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain and Kate Longhurst. Meanwhile manager Scott Rogers has left his position at the club.

• Former Northern Ireland captain Sara Booth and Wales’s most-capped player Jess Fishlock have been awarded MBEs. Booth was director of the Women’s under-19 European Championship in Northern Ireland and was awarded the MBE for services to women’s football, while Fishlock, who plays for Seattle Reign, was given the award for services to women’s football and the LGBT community.

• Casey Stoney has finally been unveiled as the manager of Manchester United’s new women’s side and said: “I truly believe Manchester United has the ability to change the face of women’s football forever.”

• Matt Beard, who won two league titles with Liverpool before he headed to Boston Breakers, has been announced as the manager of West Ham and will lead the team into their first season in the top flight.

• Uefa’s club rankings place Manchester City (seventh) and Chelsea (10th) among the top sides in Europe. Wolfsburg lead the pack, with Champions League winners Lyon second ahead of PSG.

• After losing Becky Spencer, Chelsea have signed keeper Lizzie Durack from Everton. Durack joins Hedvig Lindahl and Carly Telford as the club maintain three strong keepers.