The 'proper English' mantra & how it's lifting Lionesses

BBC News

17 hours ago

The Lionesses have adopted a new mantra - 'proper English'.It's a phrase that's been repeated by players in post-match interviews and press conferences, while manager Sarina Wiegman has referred to it herself.But what does it actually mean and how have England used it to drive their performances in the group stages of Euro 2025?Wiegman's side are attempting to defend their title in Switzerland, but got off to the worst possible start with a 2-1 defeat by France in Group D.It was a disappointing performance, but the players bounced back to beat the Netherlands 4-0 and revive their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
'Showing fight, desire and being hard to beat'
The phrase was first used by their 2023 World Cup captain Millie Bright in February when she described their victory over Spain as 'proper English'.Defensively solid, tenacious out of possession and dangerous going forward, it was England coming close to a complete performance in the Women's Nations League.It was also the perfect response to an underwhelming 1-1 draw with Portugal a few days earlier."After the last game, we wanted to be even more connected. We spoke about just being proper English," said Chelsea defender Bright at the time."I mean that fight, and that desire to defend for each other, to work hard for each other and to be hard to beat. It's so important to be hard to beat."Wiegman said the team had "fought for every yard" and it is those messages that are now being repeated in Switzerland.In the press conference before the crucial Netherlands game, midfielder Georgia Stanway vowed to show a 'proper England' performance following the France defeat.After the victory, Lucy Bronze likened the display from defensive duo Jess Carter and Alex Greenwood - and their team work - as demonstrating exactly that.So where did the mantra come from?"We speak about it a lot. After that disappointing result [against France] it was a bit more reinforced," said England forward Lauren Hemp. "We took a step back and remembered why we were all here and how we got here and the journeys that we have been on. We touched on that a lot. "We're here to win and we want to do that. It showed the mentality of the group that we were able to bounce back in the way that we did. "We didn't just beat them 1-0, we beat them convincingly and put in a great performance [and one] that this England team wanted to show."It's about that fight in us, that we all have, and will show in different ways. Everyone on that pitch did their jobs."
All about the playing style
'Send it long', 'if in doubt, kick it out' and 'get stuck in' are the types of phrases you will hear in playgrounds and grassroots clubs across the country.While the Spanish have their 'tiki-taka', the English have 'route one' football.Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton produced such goods in the win over the Netherlands, playing a perfect long ball to Alessia Russo, who teed up Lauren James for England's opener. It set the tone for a dominant display. It's not just the Lionesses who strive to play to their identity. The Football Association hired a manager for the men's team who continued to instill the fundamentals of the English DNA, bringing in ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, despite his rich German philosophy.With Dutchwoman Wiegman in charge, however, the Lionesses' DNA has morphed slightly. Their English fight remains, but their style has adapted. There is no rigid 4-4-2 with this team, but a midfield three, and sometimes three at the back.They are more possession-based and attempt to build up play from the back, using Keira Walsh as a pivot in midfield. If anything, Wiegman's side strive for 'total football' - a Dutch identity from the Johan Cruyff era - a dynamic and creative playing style, which relies on the versatility of players. But in order to do that, England's basics must remain.Stanway's rallying cry earlier this week was to "stop talking" and do their business on the pitch."Sometimes it's about blocking out the noise, getting on the pitch and getting stuck in," she explained.England striker Russo was one of the standout performers against the Netherlands, picking up three assists. Asked what being 'proper English' meant to her, she said afterwards: "It means we'll work hard until we can't run any more and stick together."We know that we are very dominant on the ball. We wanted to return to our roots and we know we're capable of performances like that."
Going back to their roots to revive Euro hopes
England had less possession in the Netherlands tie than against France (57% compared to 52%), but they won the ball back twice as many times in the final third.The energy from the players was clear to see, with England applying 'high-intensity pressure' in the Netherlands final third on 87 occasions, up from 69 against France.They won 46 out of their 48 duels, having only come out on top in 37 out of 89 in the French encounter.James dribbled past players at will to provide the creativity, while Ella Toone snuck into pockets of space to link up with the frontline.The versatility was there too as James, who started as a number 10 against France, played out on the right wing, while Carter moved to centre-back and Greenwood went to left-back.And yet mixed among the flair was the 'proper English' traits of hard work, tough tackling, caution and countless crosses into the box.Hemp said discussions this week, reminding each other of their roots, what it took to get here and their personal stories, played a valuable part in the Dutch success, which has left them now needing to beat Wales on Sunday to confirm a last-eight place."We want to find out everything that we can do. They're our family here and we're together as a group," added the Manchester City forward."It's been important. You can know every single bit about someone to help you through everything."