BRONZE GOES FOR GOLD!
ENGLAND WOMEN Lionesses up for fight
LUCY BRONZE reckons England’s rivals are running scared.
Phil Neville’s reign in charge kicks off in Ohio tonight with France first up in the four-team She Believes Cup.
Bronze, a key member of the Lionesses squads which reached the last four of the 2015 World Cup and last summer’s Euros, has seen England rise to third in the world rankings.
Neville is breathing new life into the squad following ex-boss Mark Sampson’s controversial sacking.
So 26-year-old Lyon star Bronze says the world’s top two sides, USA and Germany, need to watch out.
“I know from playing in Lyon with different nationalities that people are little bit scared of playing England,” said Bronze, who will captain the side with Steph Houghton crocked.
“In the past, I wouldn’t say we were a joke as such but people disregarded us a bit. They didn’t have a huge amount of respect for us as a from STEVE BRENNER in Columbus, Ohio football team. They knew we would be physical – we still are – but they didn’t think we could play football.
“Now, they’re aware we have more angles to our game and I think teams are a little bit scared.
Ignore
“Climbing up the rankings is not the same as beating teams, but we have beaten all the best teams at some point over the last couple of years and we’re up to third.
“You can’t ignore that. We are not here just to make up the numbers.”
New boss Neville has been quick to make his mark.
He admits he has been trying to impose the same standards laid down by his former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Neville, 41, was furious at the end of his first training session when a player left a water bottle on the pitch. He ordered the culprit to get off the coach and pick it up.
“Leaving the kit man to pick up a bottle of water is, for me, as big a crime as giving the ball away,” said Neville.
“I’ve tried to raise the bar in terms of every facet of performance.
“So far what I’ve seen is that they have risen to every challenge that I’ve set them.
“Doing that is unheard of, so we talked about the standards I want from them as a team, the kind of thing which was instilled into me from my parents and from the managers I played for.
“The little things matter. I’m a stickler for standards.”