Neville: "I don't feel pressure at all. We want to keep competing against the best teams in the world and keep raising our performance levels"
Friday 6 March 2020 13:14, UK
England Women head coach Phil Neville insists his side are not regressing after being outplayed during their 2-0 defeat to USA in the SheBelieves Cup opener in Florida.
England's defence of the cup was dealt a blow when Christen Press found the net with a curled effort from outside the box on 53 minutes before Carli Lloyd sealed victory for the World Cup winners three minutes later.
Eight months on from their defeat in the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup at Stade de Lyon, the Lionesses produced a performance which suggested they had not learned their lessons.
This chastening loss revealed England are still making the same mistakes, but after being outclassed by the world champions, Neville insists the gap between themselves and the best is not getting bigger.
"The semi-final was six months ago, and in terms of the gap, it hasn't widened that's for sure," he said. "Our team is different, there's a lot of young players in there, we are building something new.
"The gap still hasn't widened. When we are playing, say for instance in that first half, I still see a team that are willing to go out there and play against the best team in the world.
"The biggest obstacle is always the final bit, the last one or two per cent and going above them to try and beat them."
The pressure is on England to overcome Japan and Spain in their remaining two games at the SheBelieves Cup.
"I don't see a team that lacked confidence in terms of the way that we want to play," Neville added. "I see a team that are trying to play the right way and it feels as if we are so close, yet so far, at this moment in time. That is how the players feel as well.
"We've got to overcome that, add that ruthlessness that we saw [from the USA], who had two chances and two goals.
"The first one was a wonder goal, I've got to say, I was stood behind it. The second was a lapse in concentration. It is that ruthlessness that sets the best teams above the rest and we need to develop that."
Neville has overseen just two wins in his eight matches since the World Cup semi-final against USA, while he was without the influential Lucy Bronze in Orlando on Thursday night.
"I don't feel pressure at all," said Neville. "I think what we do want to do is we want to keep competing against the best teams in the world and keep raising our performance levels.
"I think we knew when we came here that the game were going to be tough and tonight was no different, but I thought my players enjoyed it.
"They look like they enjoyed the occasion. They didn't look like they had any fear in them."
England's focus shifts to their match against Japan in New York on Sunday before Neville's side take on Spain on Wednesday in Dallas.
"Last year we started the tournament with a win that takes momentum into the tournament," Neville said.
"Now we've got to show resilience to come back from the first game that we lost and show resilience that we can go on to win the next two games, which is the objective."
Sky Sports' Jess Creighton in Florida:
"Granted England were underdogs going into this match against the world champions but it is still another loss on their record. That's six in their last nine games.
"The Lionesses lacked composure on the ball and did not create enough chances. Eight shots on goal compared to USA's 22 tells its own story. Defenders failed to close down both Christen Press and Carli Lloyd for the goals, leaving them with far too much space and time to shoot.
"But these are not new issues. These are the same problems that were being discussed during England's post-World Cup slump.
"England will need much improved performances against Japan and Spain in their next matches if they are to have any chance of retaining their trophy."
