The happy chat from the post match press conference, following England’s dismantling of Sweden (4-0) at Hartlepool Utd’s Victoria Park…
FARA WILLIAMS on making it to 130 caps:
It’s the team I’m concentrating on. The performance was fantastic, one of the best performances I have experienced. The girls put a shift in and made a very good Sweden team, at times, look average. Credit to Mark and how we set out and Fran did exceptionally well for us and Jodie too, two debuts, and for me that’s fantastic. It’s up there with the performance when we beat USA.
On the potential of the squad:
For me, being in the squad for such a long time, this is one of the best squads I’ve been amongst. Credit to Mark, he’s trying to balance the team with experienced players, along with some good, young, exciting players. This is definitely a squad of players that can achieve something.
On the boost it gives the side before the Wales game in Cardiff:
We knew that going into this game that it would be a challenge. We matched them in every area and got a great result. It gives us great confidence going into the Wales game, which if we win we qualify and if we draw, we qualify, which is fantastic. There is competition for places and in the squad and that’s something we’ve probably not had, over the years.
On whether this could be a landmark result after the disappointment of last summer, having soundly beaten a top team:
Mark is looking at how we can work as a team, there’s been some formation changes and having two up front is definitely good for us. With me sitting in and allowing players like Fran, Jordan and Kaz to do what they want, and me holding, it’s exciting and I’m sure we can go to Wales and get what we want.
On the possible pressure to perform, given the level of competition in the squad:
I think it is important that Mark is picking on performance, not on name. I think he showed that, Fran playing and starting an international game, coming from WSL2, probably wouldn’t have happened a few years ago and credit to Mark for doing that and to Jayne Ludlow for the work she is doing with her and we’re seeing the benefits of it in the national set up. So, for us, it’s exciting. Mark said to us that no place is guaranteed. Competition is good. You see the exciting and talented players that we have, it’s only going to make us better.
JORDAN NOBBS on playing at Hartlepool (where her dad was a playing hero and still works in the coaching/community department):
Yeah, it was nice. Just to get England games all around the country is a plus for us but there was a great atmosphere out there and that definitely encouraged us. As soon as we walked out we could feel the vibe and I think that showed in our performance.
It was a great performance and I’m just glad to have got 90 minutes and been a major part of the team.
Not to be biased but it’s been one of the best [atmospheres]. I think the girls will tell you, when we came out it just felt lively and every attack you could hear the crowd, which is something we want as players and that added maybe pressure but good pressure, to finish.
Whether there was one person in the crowd or 4 and a half thousand, it wouldn’t have made a difference. Playing for England is massive and to be around my home and my family and friends is a massive bonus.
On the fact that if she’d scored she would have equalled her dad’s scoring record at Victoria Park:
Yeah, luckily my dad was a defender and he only got one goal. It would have been nice to get on the scoresheet but we have to take the positives of the team and the different roles we had to take up today. Maybe I wasn’t able to get into the box as much as normal but I think it showed with the team performance, how difficult it was playing against us.
FRAN KIRBY, on nearly scoring with her very first kick in an England shirt, on her debut:
Obviously, in the first minute, when you mess up like I did, anyone would think that would put a downfall on my performance… but I’d been speaking to Marieanne [Spacey, Sampson’s assistant] and she said to ‘always be positive’ and that’s what I did throughout the game.
On the challenge of facing world class players like Seger & Fischer:
I really enjoyed it. In the first 5-10 minutes, I was trying to find my feet a bit and getting used to the pace but once I got the hang of it…now I have the memory of it and will look back on it and think, “Yes!”
On working well with Lianne Sanderson and fellow debutante Jodie Taylor, in the front three:
We got told the team a few days into camp so we’ve had quite a while to work on the different ways we can work together but we know each other’s strengths and what each other is good at, so we just use that in our game and yeah, I think we played really well together.
(Images by SW/ TGSPHOTO.CO.UK)
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