• Defensive weakness ‘persistent problem’ says Leah Williamson• Neville: ‘I’m being judged now. We have to win games’Phil Neville admitted his team have “got to be able to perform at home in front of big crowds” after
England suffered a bruising 2-1 defeat to
Brazil in front of 29,398 spectators at the Riverside. The first ever defeat to the Seleção meant the Lionesses have gone five games without a win, a run that started with their 2-1
World Cup semi-final defeat by the
USA in July. The last time England went as long without victory was in 2013. Hope Powell was sacked then, after a disastrous Euro 2013 campaign in which the Lionesses finished bottom of their group with one point.
The situation this time is very different – Neville’s team reached a World Cup semi-final and lost to
Sweden in the third-place play-off – but four defeats and a draw since beating Norway in
France have heaped pressure on the manager. England play Portugal on Tuesday night and the stakes are arguably higher than usual for a friendly.