da pixbet： Fran Kirby, Lauren James, Ella Toone, Grace Clinton and Jess Park are all options for the European champions. But who should get the shirt?

da spicy bet： Consistency has been synonymous with England's success under Sarina Wiegman. Be it in team selection, results or the calm demeanour of the Lionesses' staff and players in the big moments, it's helped the team win a first European Championship and reach a maiden World Cup final while becoming one of the best national sides on the planet. But as England begin a new tournament cycle, there is one position in the starting XI that is seriously lacking consistency: the No.10 role.

Perhaps nothing sums that up better than a quick glance at Wiegman's squad for the April international break, which opened with a 1-1 draw with Sweden at Wembley on Friday and will conclude in Dublin against Ireland on Tuesday. In Fran Kirby, Ella Toone, Jess Park and Grace Clinton, there are no fewer than four players who would be primarily considered attacking midfielders in this Lionesses team. Add Lauren James, who alternates between that role and one out wide, and the number becomes five.

While the array of options highlights the team's depth, and competition for places is rarely a bad thing, no one is yet to really nail down that final place in England's midfield. Friday's draw, which lacked creative spark, was the latest sign that the sooner Wiegman figures out who her first-choice No.10 should be, the better the Lionesses' chances of building up to their European title defence in the right way.

Getty ImagesConsistency

Most of the time, Wiegman's starting line-ups have been relatively easy to predict. While that has resulted in some criticism, it is an approach that has ensured familiarity for players in the XI, allowed on-pitch relationships to blossom and, above all, yielded results.

For the first year under Wiegman, which included the Euros triumph in 2022, it was Kirby in the No.10 role and Toone as her regular replacement from the bench. With Kirby struggling for fitness after that tournament, Toone became Wiegman's go-to in the build-up to the World Cup, and she got the nod in five of the Lionesses' seven games in Australia as they reached the final.

The two other teams Wiegman named in that tournament lined up in a 3-5-2 formation, and it was James who was granted the free role in midfield, one she ran riot in against China before a red card in the last-16 clash with Nigeria paved the way for Toone's return.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesChanging things up

That formation change messed with England's consistency for a while. Wiegman flip-flopped between it and her more common 4-3-3 during the Lionesses' UEFA Women's Nations League campaign, with that at least one reason for the disappointing performances throughout the competition.

She also regularly changed the player in the No.10 role, with Kirby, Toone and James all getting chances to start there. However, bar Kirby's impressive performance in the last of those six matches, a 6-0 win over Scotland, no one really stole the show or laid down a marker to be the Lionesses' first-choice playmaker.

GettyNew kids on the block

Now, there are two new faces competing for that position. Park's England debut came in late 2022, but it's in recent months that she has really hit levels that make her a contender to start on a regular basis for her country. Her form for Manchester City has been seriously impressive and, in truth, the energy she brings to the midfield was what the Lionesses were missing on Friday against Sweden.

However, it was another youngster who started alongside Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway in the middle of the park at Wembley, that being Clinton. The 21-year-old is thriving on loan at Tottenham from Manchester United, and her form was rewarded in February with two starts as England faced Austria and Italy in friendlies.

Despite those being her first senior appearances for her country, Clinton shone, and it was little surprise to see her in Wiegman's line-up on Friday, even if she didn't produce a performance of similar electricity.

GettyFinding the best fit

Most managers would love to have this problem. Here are five excellent footballers for Wiegman to choose from, all with different strengths and profiles. It's not particularly clear who of them is closest to taking control of the battle to be England's No.10, either.

Though Kirby has long been first-choice and has often justified her status, England have never got the best out of her massive talent – during and before Wiegman's tenure. At Chelsea, she is granted a free role and that maximises her skillset. With the Lionesses, she feels like a round peg placed in a square hole, though her natural ability means the chance of her being able to impact a game is always high.

Part of that is the difference between international football and club football. The international game is often more disciplined, owing to fewer matches and the requirements of tournament football. That means these free spirits can sometimes be a little caged, for the good of the team.

You could say similar of James, though probably to a lesser extent. She has shone as an attacking midfielder in this England team, but has openly stated that she prefers to play out wide, a position she's also done well in for her country. James is an option as a No.10, and a tantalising one at that, but given the sheer quantity of playmakers Wiegman has included in recent squads, it does feel like she is starting to see the Chelsea star more as a winger.