Lucy Bronze praises England Women manager Phil Neville
Tuesday 28 August 2018 17:52, UK
England Women manager Phil Neville's "raw opinion" has been refreshing for the players, according to star defender Lucy Bronze.
Neville's appointment at the start of 2018 was met with criticism in some quarters due to his lack of experience within the women's game.
However, Bronze, who captained England during regular skipper Steph Houghton's injury-enforced absence for much of last season, has enjoyed Neville's lack of preconceptions.
"It is new but it's quite refreshing to have someone so different," Bronze said. "He's not worked in women's football before so he has such a different opinion on so many things.
"He's not already got a ready-made opinion on everyone just because he's read something about them or watched a YouTube clip. He's got such a raw opinion and it's really refreshing.
"He's got such an amazing experience that I don't think we could have got off another manager. The guy's worked under the best manager that's ever been in Sir Alex Ferguson. Phil's got that experience that he can bring some of those things to us."
England play their most crucial match thus far under Neville on Friday in a winner-takes-all World Cup qualifying clash with Wales.
Both sides can guarantee automatic qualification for next year's tournament in France with a win, while a draw would keep England in control of their own destiny.
At fourth England sit 25 places above Wales in the world rankings, but the sides have both gone through qualifying unbeaten to this point, drawing the reverse fixture 0-0 at St Mary's in April.
Bronze, who joined Lyon from Manchester City last summer, refuted the idea that her side might be content with a draw.
"For this team we want to qualify on Friday, of course," Bronze said.
"We wanted to already have qualified. We wanted to have won every single game. All the top teams want to win every game.
"We could be playing Germany and be saying well of course we want to win. It doesn't make a difference to this England team and that is something that's changed for us."
The team that comes out second best at the end of the group stage will likely have the chance to qualify as one of the four best second-placed teams through a play-off stage.
