Rachel Daly’s evolution into England’s first choice centre-forward has been toyed with, hinted at – now the World Cup could be the moment the experiment finally reaches its apex.
Prior to Ellen White’s retirement after Euro 2022, there was no real need to shunt Daly up-field from left-back, despite her success in Houston Dash’s front line. Even with White’s departure, so extraordinary was the ascension of Alessia Russo it was assumed Daly would remain as little more than a slightly quirky alternative.
What followed was a remarkable season in the Women’s Super League, Daly winning the Golden Boot with 22 goals playing in Aston Villa’s attack. Her return to English football had been a triumph and as a reward, when the World Cup squad numbers were released earlier this month, she was unexpectedly given the No 9 shirt.
That there is even a debate about this is, at first glance, a tremendous luxury for England. Yet Sarina Wiegman’s decision, Russo or Daly – or even Beth England, rejuvenated by her move to Tottenham – comes with a little more urgency. The Lionesses have scored just one goal in three games leading up to the tournament, beating Brazil in the Finalissima on penalties, losing 2-0 to Australia and finishing with a stalemate against Portugal.
“I think she [Wiegman] will probably go with Rachel Daly in terms of the pace, the runs she can make and the energy she can give,” former England forward Rachel Yankey tells i.
“And you know Russo can come off the bench because she’s done it in the Euros and produced fantastic moments.”
The No 9 shirt may be irrelevant, Yankey suggests, because “you can never read into it, everyone’s trying to play a mind game against somebody else”.
When it comes to replacing White, however, goals may be the obvious temperature-taker but they are not the only one.
Russo has always drawn comparisons as the most physically imposing of England’s current options, but amid a summer of speculation which eventually culminated in her joining Arsenal, it is Daly that has the psychological edge.
“I don’t think we’ve got players that have scored loads and loads of goals, so quickly you’re going to need to get confidence,” Yankey adds.
“That’s probably why coming off the back of last season, you’d go with Daly, because some of her finishes, especially one touch finishes in and around the box, they’re so difficult to do. And she’s nailed that. She’s got that to a tee.”
Yankey, who played with White at the 2011 World Cup in Germany, adds: “The work Ellen put in was immense, so you’re defending from the front.
“I’d even look at Beth England. I don’t think she’ll start, but she’s got great attributes. When you think about the work Ellen did for the team, obviously she got goals, but had such a work rate for the team in terms of wearing defenders down. And if the wingers are to be Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp, two wingers for Man City that do like to cross, in the air Beth England is probably the best one. [Striker and top scorer] Bunny Shaw definitely reaped the benefits for City.”
Wiegman has previously emphasised her side “wouldn’t start with two” strikers, one solution which was mooted around the time of the Arnold Clark Cup. Daly’s brace against Italy in that competition only increased the headache.
It is worth noting that Villa’s Daly and Spurs’ England (if you discount the latter’s time on the bench at Chelsea in the first half of the season) were the only players whose clubs finished outside the top four to score more than nine goals in the 2022-23 campaign.
Russo, though, has been here before when it comes to game-changing moments at a major tournament, her Bramall Lane backheel sending England to the European Championship final a year ago was instantly iconic.
“She was a star at the Euros, she’s been there so I think she’ll be a leader in her own little way as well,” Yankey adds – though she insists that last summer’s success was not only about individual players, but the foundations that were put in place to grow women’s football in England.
That is pertinent now, with the squad currently involved in a dispute with the FA over performance-related bonuses that have not been added to the money set aside by Fifa to pay all players at the World Cup a participation fee.
“It’s disappointing,” says Yankey, who was one of the first group of female players to be given central contracts by the FA.
“We’re always back in the same place that female athletes are always having to battle and fight for things. When those contracts came out, the FA would have been one of the only associations to do that – we then saw how much the England team improved, how much Hope Powell fought for different things for us.
“So I stand with these players, because it’s not about the amount of the bonus, it’s about the principle of what’s right.
“It’s not just that those squad are 23 with the best footballers in Europe, it’s all the foundations that were put in place before. If we’re a nation that wants to lead and wants to say that actually, we’re always pushing the game forward, then there’s a reason why we’re European champions.”
Rachel Yankey OBE was speaking to i courtesy of Freebets.com, who are offering tips on the Women’s World Cup
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