'I am hoping for more' – Fans have their say after England's historic win in Euro 2022 opener against Austria

England got the job done in their opening match of Euro 2022 against Austria at Old Trafford, but fans were subjected to a very different Lionesses performance than they were expecting.

The momentous opening game at the Theatre of Dreams could not have had a better atmosphere. Not even the spitting rain could damper the spirits with the two official fan parks – one in the city centre and the other outside of the stadium – filled to the brim with boisterous and energetic fans hours ahead of kick-off.

Young children donned football shirts with Ella Toone’s name on the back, the 22-year-old who was born in Tyldesley and currently plays for Manchester United. Groups of friends flocked to the merch shops to purchase white and blue ‘It’s Coming Home’ bucket hats, while flags with the players' faces hung on the balconies of nearby hotels and apartment buildings. One mischievous fan even climbed up on the base of the United Trinity statue and draped a half-and-half scarf around the neck of Sir Bobby Charlton before being asked to get down by a volunteer.

All in all, England supporters were very confident ahead of the game.

“I reckon England will score three or four goals. If Austria score, it’ll be because of an England mistake,” one fan assuredly predicted to Eurosport.

Another mentioned England’s three warm-up matches ahead of the competition as proof that England are currently the best European team. The Lionesses took on Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, scoring 12 goals, and only conceding one. All three matches showcased a free-flowing attacking side, a dominant midfield, and an assured defence. The massive strength in depth certainly doesn’t hurt either.

Against Austria, however, we saw a different England side. In front of the 68,871 fans at Old Trafford, England created several chances, carving open Austria relatively easy in the first half. But the final ball, which usually comes naturally to this side, wasn’t there. England only just got the ball over the line in the 16th minute, when Fran Kirby’s pass was chested down by Beth Mead, who then lifted it over her Arsenal team-mate Manuela Zinsberger to score the sole goal of the match.

There was a slight delay in celebrations, with VAR taking a few moments to check if the ball entirely went in before Austrian veteran Carina Wenninger, Bayern Munich’s all-time leading appearance-maker, who just recently made a loan move to Roma this summer, slammed the ball up onto the bar.

Once the goal was confirmed, the cheers from the stands got even more deafening somehow, with the match-goers celebrating the first-ever goal of the 2022 Euros.

Irene Furhmann’s Austria came out much more direct in the second half and troubled England’s defence a few times. It could have been a different story if the visitors had been with a more assured goal scorer. But England held their nerve, and despite the pressure, they sealed the win.

After the match, flocks of England fans continued the party outside the ground. The majority of fans buzzed about the goal and maintained their stance that it was indeed coming home.

But some were left with the feeling of wanting more. One England fan said that the team needed to convert their chances to progress against more vigorous opposition.

“We had the energy, but we weren’t quite making the moves that [were] required. I can’t lie Austria was moving [the ball] fast.

“I was a little bit disappointed in our performance. Even though we won, it’s not quite where I expected us to be at the beginning of the tournament. I am hoping for more.

“What they need to do is score some f****** goals… Like that’s England.”

A French fan who attended the match hoping to scout the opposition was not impressed with the hosts, saying that despite the drama in the French camp with Corinne Diacre not calling up star players like Amandine Henry, Eugenie Le Sommer and Viviane Asseyi, England would not be a threat to her team.

“The only threat to France, I think, is America, but America are not in the Euros. They are the ones who kicked us out of the World Cup in 2019 in France, so I don’t have any worries.

“You are good, but the French are better.”

Two Austrian fans, who humbly accepted defeat, said that ahead of the match, they thought it would take a miracle to beat this England side. Their tune changed in the stadium, though, saying that the hosts were there for the taking. The two claimed that the atmosphere at Old Trafford pushed the Lionesses over the line. ­

“England has to be better if they want to win,” said one of them, while the other chimed in saying: “They are good enough [to beat] us, but I think they are not good enough for the other teams,” asserting that teams like Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands would defeat the Lionesses if they maintain this level in the latter stages of the competition.

The good news for England supporters is that the feeling in the camp is relatively calm. Sarina Wiegman admitted in her post-match press conference that her side “should have scored more and made it easier” and that England didn’t keep the ball well enough, but overall, she was pleased.

“The first game of the tournament, it’s so important to win and have a good start. We have shown different phases: some good, some not so good," said Wiegman.

“I’m not frustrated. I just think we can do better. After the first goal, we had a huge chance; we have to be a little calmer in the final stage.”

But they got the win. Tournament football requires a different mentality. It’s not about playing beautiful football or experimenting in between rounds. Wiegman and her team will solely want to get over the line against each opposition they face.

England’s victory against Austria has put them one step closer to lifting the team’s first international trophy at Wembley. If that happens, absolutely no one in their right mind will care about what the football played on the pitch looked like.