A question often levelled at those who go abroad to play is: “What have you learnt?” A 43sec clip online posted by the Lionesses of Nikita Parris passionately addressing the squad after their 3-1 defeat by France on Friday showed she has picked up a lot during her time at Olympique Lyons.
To speak to the 27-year-old you could be forgiven for thinking she is still a teenager, her exuberance and laughter making an immediate impression on the interim manager Hege Riise and the rest of the squad — vindicating the lengths taken to ensure she made it to the England camp after an outbreak of Covid at her club.
Against France, her movement and confidence were evident — although her misplaced header on the stroke of half-time was symptomatic of England’s wasteful finishing.
“The fine lines in football showed today,” Parris said. “The very fine lines.We had an opportunity here to go 2-2 [Ellen White’s goal ruled out for offside], they go to the other end and it’s 3-1. The transition is so fast against a tier one team, so we have to be ready for this and we will, we’ll build on it and learn [from] it.”
That leadership is an additional talent the pocket-rocket from Toxteth has nurtured during her time in Lyons since leaving Manchester City in the summer of 2019. If England are to bridge the gap and finally lift a major trophy, Parris will be crucial.
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Familiar failings
It may have been more than a year since England had played abroad, but some of Friday’s struggles in Caen were frustratingly familiar. Perhaps Phil Neville’s biggest failure when in charge was not solving the team’s fragility at the back, which was evident even in the heady summer of 2019 when they reached the World Cup semi-finals.
The problem is now one for Riise to fix. Admittedly, England were without the injured duo of the centre back Steph Houghton and the right back Lucy Bronze, but their replacements suggested that the issue is not down to individuals but a lack of organisation and belief.
Gillingham v Giants
There are several attractive ties in the fourth round of the FA Cup, which will take place from April 16-18, with teams from the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship entering the draw. The two ties with the biggest potential for giant-killing involve Gillingham travelling to Arsenal while Manchester United will play away at Burnley.
