As the seconds ticked away in the Nations League match between England and Spain, Mariona Caldentey rushed into the penalty area with the ball at her feet. She was being chased by an England player who stretched out a leg to make a perfectly timed tackle, sending the ball flying out of the forward’s path. But it wasn’t Millie Bright or Leah Williamson, or any of England’s defenders. It was Lauren James.
The rematch of the World Cup final between England and Spain on Wednesday must have held particular weight for James. The 23-year-old was arguably England’s best player in Australia 18 months ago, but her tournament was disrupted by the red card she received in the last 16 against Nigeria. It meant she missed the quarter-final and semi-final, against Colombia and Australia and, although available for the final, she was only brought on by Sarina Wiegman at half-time and struggled to make an impact.
It was a different story under the Wembley arch this week as James pulled out one of the best all-round performances of her career to help England win 1-0. The excitement that filled the ground when she first got on the ball was palpable. England fans had waited since April to see her play for her national team at home again, but everyone was aware of the kind of magic that James can create when she is on the pitch.
Criticism has in the past been focused on her defensive efforts. Like a lot of young, talented players James predominantly wants to be on the ball.
Speaking in October at a press conference, her Chelsea manager, Sonia Bompastor, discussed how she was working to understand what James needed in games to excel.
Lauren James was one of England’s standout performers in an impressive win over Spain (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“LJ is a player who needs to touch the ball, so sometimes in the game she needs to drop a little bit and touch the ball to make sure she’s confident. This is something we are learning from each other and making sure that she is in the position where she can have the most impact for the team,” the Chelsea boss said.
That desire to hunt down the ball can be a nightmare for opposition defenders, who are left unsure whether to leave their post to follow her or risk an unpressurised James having the opportunity to do as she wishes.
The flip side is that she can find herself caught out of position, particularly if the ball is turned over. Recently, Bompastor at Chelsea and Wiegman at England have moved James to the flanks, despite her being increasingly used as a No 10 last season. Deploying her out wide helps minimise the risk to the team’s structure if she does want to drift into different areas of the pitch — something that is often a net positive for her side thanks to her attacking threat.
But the match against Spain was a clear sign that James is developing greater in-game awareness. She won four of her nine ground duels, made two clearances and two tackles. But it was not just about the numbers — it was where she was on the pitch too, tracking the play, harassing Spain’s players when they were on the ball, and pushing to the final minutes to ensure that England kept their clean sheet and won.
That is something that has also been apparent at club level. When Chelsea played West Ham United in the League Cup semi-final at the start of February, Bompastor could be heard on the sidelines shouting at James to press, even with Chelsea 2-0 up in the final minutes of the match. A week and a half later, she praised James following a 2-1 win over Everton in the league. The forward had scored a 92nd-minute winner from the edge of the box — but Bompastor focused her admiration on James’ fitness and work rate.
“I want to mention that LJ in the last two games was able to play two times 90 minutes, so she’s getting into really good shape,” the Chelsea manager said. “But she also defended a lot for the team and that’s something we have been talking about together to make sure she worked for the team. I really appreciate that.”
James’ fitness struggles over 90 minutes is something that often gets neglected in discussions of her off-the-ball work. She has needed to manage injuries throughout her career, often being rushed back by managers who understandably want to make use of her incredible talent in crunch games. But with four full matches completed over the past three weeks — two for Chelsea and two for England — it is clear that she is confident in her body. It should be no surprise that her all-round performances have improved as a result.
Wiegman also singled out James’ defensive efforts in her post-match press conference after the win over Spain.
“The biggest step that she takes is in defence. She is working so hard and doing so well — I’m proud that she’s doing that.”
Wiegman and Bompastor mentioning James’ work rate highlights it is an area they have wanted to focus on. Her on-the-ball ability means James could be one of the best in the world. Developing her all-round game, as she showed she is doing against Spain, will be crucial to ensuring she gets there.
(Top photo: Harriet Lander — The FA via Getty Images)