Phil Neville still has 15 months left on his contract with England football. Photo: Peter Cziborra/Reuters Phil Neville still has 15 months left on his contract with England football. Photo: Peter Cziborra/Reuters
LONDON – Phil Neville could be set to end his two-year spell in charge of England women.
Though Neville led England to the World Cup semi-finals last summer, results since have been poor and the 1-0 defeat by Spain in Texas on Wednesday meant they have lost eight of their last 12 matches.
Neville has support in the dressing-room and enjoys an excellent relationship with his players but it is understood he is concerned about their development and does not want the pressure that they have been subjected to becoming suffocating.
It is expected Neville, who was appointed in January 2018 and has 15 months left on his contract, will meet FA officials, including CEO Mark Bullingham, next week for a debrief on how England performed at the SheBelieves Cup.
Last October, following a home defeat by Brazil, the FA made it clear Neville was the man to take the team forward and they wanted him to lead the Lionesses at next summer’s European Championship, as well as managing Britain’s team at the Olympics this year.
To help him, the FA appointed Dawn Scott, the highly-respected coach who had been a key part of the successful United States team, as physical performance manager.
There was no immediate improvement during the SheBelieves Cup, which England won for the first time 12 months ago, and it could be that Neville has taken the squad as far as he can. His future will be resolved after his meeting with the FA in London.