After England’s 2-1 loss to France in the 2025 Women’s Euro’s, manager Sarina Wiegman was heavily criticised for her decision to start Lauren James despite having recently returned from injury. This hyper-fixation and inaccurate dramatisation of the Chelsea forward’s role in England’s loss is not unique to her however. David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, and other star players have suffered the same fate. And as Lauren James’ performance in the next game vs the Netherlands showed, there is often not much substance in the reactionary and hyperbolic opinions of the English media and fans, which is why players should try their best to remain focused on the task at hand, rather than their public perception.
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