Women’s Euro 2022 – Corinne Deacon on Katoto’s replacement: “I’m going to put Wendie in front”

From our special correspondent in Rotherham,

Obviously, Corinne Deacon was in a playful mood. Not as much as the Icelandic players, loud music and a smile from ear to ear when training at New York Stadium on Sunday, but just as happy to drive the journalists present at her press conference crazy.

The questions multiplied, all turned in such a way as to make the coach confess a little something but with a simple goal: to know who was going to replace Marie-Antoinette Katoto at the forefront of the tricolor attack for the last match of the Bleues in this group D (9 p.m.).

The post-for-post option with Sarr?

“I made two changes in the second game so the starting eleven weren’t the same, she explained when discussing a typical team. I work with a group, I don’t necessarily have starters or replacements. There are girls who start and girls who come into play. It’s a small difference, I’m not playing on words but I’ve already told you: all players can start, that’s why we had chosen them with my staff“.

On a reminder intended to make her talk about Ouleymata Sarr or Melvine Malard, in balance for the position, she tried to play the humor card. “I’ll put Wendie in front (laughs), she launched alongside her captain. There are plenty of options. You know me, I will continue to say nothing to you“. An Icelandic journalist tried his luck, without more success.

Finally, without really admitting it, she nevertheless delivered a small clue. Asked about the possibility of seeing Kadidiatou Diani used in this position, she reconsidered her logic when drawing up this list of 23, increased to 22. “I have real forwardsshe recalled. Kadi gives satisfaction on his right wing. When we had chosen the 23 players, we had doubled the positions. So it makes sense that the player who was second striker starts“.

In his unchanging 4-3-3, it is therefore Ouleymata Sarr who seems to be leaving with a small lead, despite his thigh alert on Saturday. Coming against Belgium (2-1), she had given of herself, with a lot of effort but a real deficit at the finish. Faced with Iceland, it is therefore a new chance that could present itself to it. History to reassure everyone as to the capacity of the group to react to the absence of Katoto.

“The girls are in their competition, they are focusedDeacon further explained. We celebrated our qualification and our first place so far since when we got back to base camp, we were a little less happy. We quickly moved on, at the request of Marie-Antoinette. She asked us to continue to make the effort and especially to go to the end for this group.“History, too, to have fun leading journalists on a boat.