Alex Greenwood and Jess Carter switching positions gives England’s defence better balance
Something strange happened at the start of the Lionesses’ goalless draw with the United States at Wembley on Saturday.
Alex Greenwood lined up as the left-sided centre-back, and Jess Carter at left-back. Georgia Stanway took the kick-off back to Greenwood, who launched the ball long, and then Greenwood and Carter nodded to each other, and immediately switched positions, 10 seconds into the game.
What was the point of that? Was it simply to get the left-footed Greenwood in a position to play the initial pass downfield? Was it to trick the Americans into thinking they were playing the other way around? Whatever the reason, Greenwood spent the rest of the game at left-back, and Carter in the middle of defence.
In an otherwise very right-footed squad, Greenwood is England’s only established left-footed option at the back.
Despite her experience and the fact she was arguably the side’s most consistent performer throughout the run to last year’s World Cup final, Sarina Wiegman has often omitted Greenwood from her starting XI. In the 4-3 defeat against Germany at Wembley a month ago, England used four right-footers — Carter, Leah Williamson, Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze — in the back four and their build-up play looked ponderous. Perhaps it also explained why they often found themselves dragged across to the right flank as Germany attacked down the opposite side.
Greenwood provided more balance. But if you have only one left-footer, where do you want to use them — stretching play from left-back or providing a balance for passing out from defence in the centre? A decade ago, you’d clearly say the former. But in modern football maybe the answer is the latter.
England’s approach last night, however, was slightly more complex than that. At goal kicks, Carter pushed higher, almost into midfield, while Williamson and Greenwood played either side of goalkeeper Mary Earps, offering two natural — and very high quality — passing avenues out of the box.
When England were in possession, Bronze pushed higher than usual, often providing their main attacking threat with her sudden dribbles inside — which doesn’t say much for the performance of the team’s wingers. Behind her, England formed a back three. Williamson and Greenwood were comfortable bringing the ball forward, or taking a touch wider when closed down.
“We went quickly to the back three,” Wiegman explained afterwards. “That’s something we wanted to try; to get a bit more security, but also trying to get Alex and Leah higher up.
“We want to go there (to a back three) at moments, and now we chose to just do that straight away. Sometimes we want to do that dynamically. It’s about what’s best for us to do when we go further towards the Euros (next summer)… we want to go forward, we want to play in the pockets. Or, when it’s really tight, to go around.
“The purpose of our possession game is, of course, getting in behind the defence and creating chances. And we thought, in this game, it will help to start like that and hopefully to (push) Alex in moments, and Leah in moments, higher up the pitch.”
The United States, however, caused problems at times with their pressing. “They generally build up in a back four, and sometimes in a three with Keira Walsh in-between (the centre-backs),” said the visitors’ English head coach Emma Hayes of the home team afterwards.
“I figured today they were going to go into a three, and drop one of the centre-halves — we actually prepared for what she did,” Hayes continued, visibly pleased she’d guessed Wiegman’s approach in advance. “They’ve got Alex Greenwood, Leah Williamson… they’ll hurt you in possession.”
Between those two, Carter swept up behind. On more than one occasion, she demonstrated good anticipation skills, and physical strength, by barging opposition attackers out of the way.
“I prefer centre-back over full-back,” said Carter later. “It suited the way we were trying to build today, using Alex’s attributes on the ball in tighter spaces. We both did a pretty good job with that.”
She was effectively preferred to her former Chelsea colleague Bright, who remains England’s best aerial defender but lacks the speed across the ground Carter offers.
The other defender who comes into the equation for the Euros in Switzerland in July is another Chelsea player, Niamh Charles, who enjoyed an excellent 2023-24 as an attack-minded left-back — albeit a right-footed one — and seemed to be establishing herself as England’s first-choice option in that position too. But she’s yet to play a minute this season because of a shoulder injury.
Further forward, there are more question marks.
England don’t have the midfield depth of Spain or the goalscoring options up front of France. But in Bronze, Williamson, Carter, Bright, Greenwood and Charles, they will arguably have the best options in defence — particularly in a technical sense — of any side at a tournament they’ll enter as reigning champions.
Wiegman must decide which quartet she prefers, and in what shape they will play. But it seems clear England are better when Greenwood, their only left-footer, provides some much-needed balance.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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