Women’s progress ‘shattered’ by firing of Sampson
AN England player has told Sportsmail she regrets that Mark Sampson was sacked because the turmoil around the women’s team has ‘shattered’ the foundations built when he led them to the World Cup and European Championship semi-finals. Ahead of a parliamentary select committee today which is likely to shred the reputation of the former women’s team manager (below), midfielder Jade Moore’s comments reflect disappointment and confusion in the squad about the dismissal. There does not, by any means, appear to be a collective view that Sampson, 35 today, should have been removed. ‘The disappointment (surrounding Sampson’s departure) comes from the success we’ve had over the last three years, the stuff we’ve been building on,’ Moore said. The Sampson controversy meant the semi-final finish at last summer’s Euros was immediately forgotten and has barely been discussed — despite the side beating France for the first time in 43 years along the way. Their progress in the tournament saw England displace the French this week as the world’s third-ranked team. ‘The Euros were a foundation — a platform for us to build on for the World Cup in 2019,’ added Moore. ‘We had our foundation built and I feel that has been shattered. ‘Disappointment it definitely is, from a football perspective. What we achieved in the summer has been overshadowed because of what has gone on off the pitch. ‘We, as players, have stepped away from that and said it’s bad for us (and) we are at a disadvantage because of all that. We’ve missed out.’ There was stark evidence yesterday of the way the FA’s handling of striker Eni Aluko’s complaints has overshadowed the team, when the Daily Mail was the only newspaper to take up the chance to interview Marley and players about Friday evening’s friendly against France in Lens. The match is seen as a test of whether the side genuinely warrant the new world ranking. It is a coup to have leapfrogged France, whose development of an elite women’s academy alongside the men’s at Clairefontaine had put them years ahead of England on the development curve. Interim manager Mo Marley, who took over last month after Sampson was sacked over a safeguarding report, was asked by Sportsmail if the controversy and its timing had been a disappointment to players. ‘Absolutely,’ she said. Marley said she was working to maintain momentum in the squad. Brought in for this game and two World Cup qualifiers in November, against Bosnia and Herzegovina then Kazakhstan, she managed five of the current senior side at England Under 19 level. Four senior FA staff, including chief executive Martin Glenn, will be grilled today by the Commons committee led by MP Damian Collins. Collins has told Sportsmail he is dissatisfied with the governing body’s response to claims that Sampson managed the side in a bullying and casually racist manner. ‘We need to get to what has happened in terms of how the inquiry was set up and how it was authorised,’ said Collins.