Spain 4-0 England: Analysing the fallout from the Lionesses' heaviest defeat under Sarina Wiegman

Is it over the top to stage a post-mortem after Friday's heavy defeat to Spain?

England have won so many games under Sarina Wiegman, there is no need to panic after one loss.

But this wasn't just any old loss. The Lionesses were battered on every level by Spain, their spirit crushed as readily as their World Cup qualification campaign.

England have played poorly before under Wiegman but nothing like this. Going behind is something fans are used to seeing. You could even argue the team barely only had one complete performance en route to winning the Euros last summer.

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But you usually see a fightback, a scrap and a sense of desperation to win on the biggest stage. That 'proper English' mentality earned them their second major trophy in three years.

When England conceded four goals to Germany at Wembley in the build-up to the Euros, they at least went down swinging, losing 4-3 on the night.

On Friday night in Mallorca, England failed to muster a single shot on target. The spirit of Switzerland had faded to dust.

'We weren't good enough' and 'we have to do better' was the message from the players immediately after the final whistle at Son Moix. That, however, feels like an understatement.

England were outplayed on every level. They struggled to keep possession or to react to first balls and were tactically all over the place.

Senior players, heralded as some of the best in the world, made error after error, most of them inexplicable. This wasn't just an off-night, it was something of a nightmare.

Should England have sent out Lucy Bronze, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all of whom are coming back from injury, against the best in the world? It's easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback but Wiegman's insistence on trusting a small pool of players in big games will again be questioned.

Jess Park was a spectator on the bench, Aggie Beever-Jones wasn't even selected to be a substitute and Freya Godfrey is still waiting to make her debut despite being part of the last three international camps. And that's just the forwards - you could list players in every position desperate for a chance.

Those opportunities are unlikely to come before the World Cup thanks to last night's result.

Wiegman will almost certainly go to her tried and tested players to get England through an unwanted play-off campaign in the autumn. There's too much on the line to start taking risks now.

But there are longer-term problems. The immediate puzzle that needs solving is how to get a reaction on Tuesday against Ukraine.

England were supposed to come to Palma, get the point they needed to qualify for the World Cup and send a statement to their many rivals by securing a place on the billing of Brazil early.

They leave Mallorca, however, riddled with questions, doubt and disappointment.

This team has been at its best when written off in the past. Wiegman will hope this bout of adversity will make the team stronger again by next summer.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Spain 4-0 England: Analysing the fallout from the Lionesses' heaviest defeat under Sarina Wiegman