Sarina Wiegman is turning England into ruthless title contenders

Sarina Wiegman seems fond of repeating two words in particular: ruthless and execution.

England’s manager invariably studs sentences with those favourites as she urges her players to display increased attacking incision but neither characteristic is exactly alien to a woman rarely prone to dithering indecision, let alone sentimentality. Wiegman’s ice-cool clarity of thought under pressure persuaded her to ignore some emotionally compelling reasons for including England’s former captain Steph Houghton in her 23 strong Euro 2022 squad.

In the course of an apparently difficult conversation on Wednesday, Phil Neville’s successor told the 34-year-old Manchester City centre-half her recovery from an achilles tendon injury was not sufficiently advanced to justify inclusion in that elite group and she had failed to make the final cut.

“The girls are feeling the pain Steph will be feeling,” said Leah Williamson, England’s new captain before kick-off against Belgium at Molineux. “We share it.”

At only 25 Williamson is a young captain but her maturity, articulacy and sheer emotional intelligence suggest Wiegman has picked a worthy successor to Houghton. Importantly, Williamson is also a highly adaptable footballer, well suited to the in-game positional rotation being gradually instilled by her national manager.

Primarily a defender at Arsenal, she has settled into a midfield role with England and impressed on a night when she not only forced Nicky Evrard’s own goal but often astutely dropped back to fill in at right-back as Lucy Bronze marauded forward down that flank.

With a Belgium side unbeaten in their previous seven games succeeding in isolating the usually influential Keira Walsh in central midfield, England were initially