Keira Walsh is England’s biggest strength – but risks becoming a weakness

Keira Walsh was England’s puppet master against the Republic of Ireland – Getty Images/Stephen McCarthy

England’s victory over the Republic of Ireland was a timely reminder of how much damage Keira Walsh can do when she gets the time and space to operate.

Walsh was excellent, drifting into little pockets of space in the midfield, strolling around with her head up and a crystal clear picture of the game around her. She found holes, she threaded passes to the feet of the forwards and wingers. England’s puppet master was pulling the strings again on the international stage.

Ireland players chased her all evening but rarely got close enough to knock her out of her stride. Walsh looked confident, serene and, of course, dangerous. She also played a decisive role in the opening goal.

It has become a familiar sight for the Lionesses who always seem to be at their best when Walsh is at hers. But is England’s strength also in danger of becoming one of their weak points against the best sides? Has Sarina Wiegman’s side become too reliant on Walsh to dictate play?

As Sweden showed at Wembley last week, if you stop Walsh you go a long way to blunting England as an attacking force. Rush her, close her down, snap at her heels and starve her of space and time, and you can strangle England’s play and force mistakes.

Against Sweden, England coughed and spluttered like they had a cold. Walsh looked flustered more than once, rushed and even a little unsure. It is a template that all the best sides are likely to follow and it is becoming a recurring theme.

Everyone has had a long time to study and analyse how England play under Wiegman and they know Walsh is the midfield pivot the rest of the team move around. She is the link between defence and attack, and is vital to a team that wants to play out from the back constantly.

Back in August, in the World Cup final against Spain, Walsh was outclassed in Sydney. Outplayed by her Barcelona team-mate Aitana Bonmati, who did for Spain what Walsh is so used to doing for England.

There are not many better players in the world than Bonmati, but while Spain could out pass and out move England’s midfield, Sweden have shown there are more rudimentary, yet equally effective, ways to stifle Walsh.

Teams are going to get after her, not give her room to breathe. They will look to stop balls finding her from the back four, forcing England to go long and direct more than they would like. They will get tight, up close and personal, and force Walsh to play with her head down and in safety-first mode.

Ireland tried but were not quite good enough to close her down. Walsh was also intelligent with her movement. She looked like she had a point to prove after the Sweden game and was excellent.

Time and again she drifted away from a green shirt and made it look easy to take and give the ball. Great players play the game at a different speed to the rest and Walsh looked like she was seeing everything in Dublin in slow motion.

Not that it was always easy for the Lionesses against Ireland, whose threat in the game increased dramatically in the second half.

England got the result they needed and Walsh looked like the class act she is, but it will not be so simple against France or in the return game against Sweden in the summer.

As England look to defend their European crown in Switzerland next year, they need to work out how they can play when Walsh is not at her best or when the opposition crowd her out of the game. They cannot continue to rely on one player to make them tick.

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