Siobhan Chamberlain says Lionesses can have no complaints and discusses what’s next for Sarina Wiegman

Former England goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain looks back at the Women’s World Cup, discussing Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman, Mary Earps and picking out her player of the tournament.

England can have no complaints after World Cup loss

It’s one of those games where you feel that England can’t really have any complaints. It always feels a bit harder to take when you feel as though you’ve been robbed, or there’s been an own goal in the last minute that’s robbed you of a place in the final, but I think, at the end of the day, the best team won.

It’s been a completely different tournament to the Euros last year. You look back at that tournament and everything just went like clockwork – everything went our way. There were no injuries, no real dramas, the home crowd advantage, the fact Sarina Wiegman could field the same starting XI… it just seemed from the very beginning that it was written in the stars that England were meant to win that tournament.

Whereas, even before the team left for Sydney, three key players were out injured: Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby, then you’re going in without Ellen White and Jill Scott, too. There was already uncertainty around what our strongest line-up was, which is a worry when you’re heading into a tournament. Then, you pick up injuries along the way, you get red cards…this tournament threw up all kinds of carnage. Big teams were dropping out, small teams were causing upsets, and the route you may have expected on paper all of a sudden looked slightly different. The changes in formation, too; that’s something Sarina never normally does, but she was forced into it.

But up until the final hurdle, England showed they had the ability and the mental strength to adapt to things and survive through all of that. They showed a grittier side, for sure. Unfortunately, they just came up short in that final game.

Sarina Wiegman has unfinished business with this team

I think Sarina is going to stay with England, especially after last weekend’s result. I think she’ll feel she has some unfinished business with this team. We’ve obviously got the Olympics next year, and that’s something she hasn’t won yet. I’m not quite sure how all of that political side of things is going to work, but if she were to go on and manage a Team GB side at the Olympics, that’d be a great opportunity for her. But I’m sure she still wants that star; that World Cup win. And she’s got a really good opportunity with England to get it. We’ve got some really exciting young players coming through, and there’s plenty of time for her to work with this squad and help them develop.

I can’t see her going anywhere any time soon. I can’t see the FA letting her go anywhere, either!

Mary Earps put in a performance worthy of a winners’ medal

Mary Earps did phenomenally well in the final. You never want to single out just one player who is unfortunate to lose at that stage of the competition, because it’s unfortunate for every single one of them. But Mary truly put in a performance worthy of a winners’ medal, saving that penalty, but then making all of those saves to keep England in the game… she couldn’t have done much more than what was asked of her. And that’s been her story throughout the whole tournament, she’s been brilliant for England. She hasn’t always had lots to do, but everything she’s been asked to do, she’s come up trumps. She’s made big saves, had great distribution, been calm and collected. She’s led from the back, with Millie [Bright] in front of her. She fully deserved that Golden Glove award for the tournament…it’s just a shame she couldn’t leave with a gold medal around her neck as well.

There’s no way anyone can criticise Lionesses

We’re talking about two different opponents in Australia in the semis and Spain in the final. Yes, Australia had the home crowd behind them and they performed brilliantly throughout the tournament. But they overachieved in that tournament. England could have performed in the same way against Spain as they did against Australia, but Spain just didn’t let them. Spain were just that step above, and understood England’s formation. They understood how to exploit it and play to their strengths – especially in that first half. You’re talking about a much stronger opponent in Spain, so the whole dynamic of that final was so different to the semi.

I think there’s always going to be disappointment when you lose; that’s natural, especially in a final. But there’s no way anyone can criticise this England team. I think the way they have gone about their business has been brilliant. The way adapted to everything was thrown at them, to everything that Sarina demanded from them, has been brilliant.

I think you’ve just got to hold your hands up and say Spain were outstanding. And what’s slightly frightening is that four or five of Spain’s key players weren’t even at the tournament! If those issues get resolved, and you look at the youth they’ve got within that squad as well, it’s a frightening proposition for the next few years.

Biggest surprise from World Cup and my player of the tournament

The biggest surprise, for me, from the World Cup is the sheer growth from those smaller nations – the ones who have been involved for the first time, who wouldn’t have been expected to do much…they’ve thrown up so many shocks. Everyone obviously loves an underdog story, and we’ve had so many of them over the last few weeks. Colombia were outstanding, Jamaica and Morocco getting through to the knockout stages…those were phenomenal achievements for those nations, and I’m sure they’ll only drive further participation within those countries in years to come.

The way that those smaller nations have come through this tournament has been brilliant to watch. I mean, after Germany beat Morocco 6-0 in their opening game, everyone thought ‘oh my gosh, Germany are firing on all cylinders here, scoring goals, creating chances, Morocco don’t look very good at all’. But Germany didn’t even make it out of the group stage; Morocco did for the first time in their history. You can’t really read anything from just one match anymore – there’s been so much growth from those smaller nations. We didn’t really have those huge scorelines we’ve perhaps been used to in years gone by – you don’t want to see those. Yes, you want drama, and you want to see goals, but you don’t want to see teams being annihilated.

It’s hard to look past Aitana Bonmati for player of the tournament. She stood out in every single game, and obviously with Alexia Putellas missing from that midfield, who normally gets all of the plaudits, it was on Bonmati to step up – and she really did that, rightly winning that Golden Ball award.