'Workaholic' Wiegman v 'winner' Hayes' as England host USA

Players often spoke about being kept on their toes by Hayes and she would demand high standards from them daily in training and matches.

A big part of her coaching philosophy has been to create high-pressure situations so as to develop "mentality monsters" that were rife at Chelsea.

Fox said when Hayes arrived, the players wanted to "show what we could do" to return to winning ways.

"With Emma, the cohesion was perfect. She had players who were hungry and wanted to learn, with a coach who is also ambitious and wants to win," said Fox.

"It just worked and we were able to win gold. We knew it was going to be a grind. Each game mattered. We were up for it and wanted to be in the moment."

While Hayes is tactically shrewd and often reacts to situations in games, Wiegman has a clear gameplan and backs her team to see it through, no matter the opposition.

She did not change her starting XI once during England's Euro win and has not sprung many surprises in her team selections since.

"Everyone is on the same page so when things change it doesn't matter," Wiegman said after England beat Spain in the Euros quarter-finals.

On route to the 2023 Women's World Cup final, Wiegman had back-up plans for England's injuries.

Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo formed a partnership up front and Katie Zelem filled in for midfielder Keira Walsh when she suffered a knee injury.

Hayes' punchy press conferences and humour often dominate headlines.

She said her Chelsea side "purred" after they beat Arsenal to win the Women's FA Cup, days after opposing manager Jonas Eidevall admitted he was superstitious about black cats.

She also read out a poem in response to criticism over her remarks on player-player relationships and admitted to playing "mind games" when she conceded Chelsea had lost the WSL title with defeat by Liverpool.

In the build-up to the USA's game against England at Wembley, Hayes returned to her local Camden pub and held a news conference there, in between pouring pints behind the bar and chatting with friends and family.

Wiegman is a stark contrast in public.

She is understated, does not particularly enjoy doing media, usually says things how they are and does not interact regularly on social media.

In media conferences, Wiegman rarely singles out individuals and has said before that the "outside world" is too "results focused".

At major tournaments, she encourages the squad to cut themselves off from the public as much as possible, often referring to "our bubble" and sticking to strict plans.

Hayes was known during her time at Chelsea as a ruthless winner, leading them to five successive Women's Super League titles between 2019 and 2024, having been willing to make sacrifices and tough decisions along the way.

It was shown in the club's 2022 DAZN documentary how, when she delivered a team talk, she vowed to replace her players and "find better ones" if they did not deliver.

Off the pitch, Hayes regularly leads conversation on women's health, covering a range of issues such as the menstrual cycle and player welfare.

Chelsea captain and England defender Millie Bright once described Hayes as "a mentor, a friend and a life coach", adding it was "more than football playing under her".

There is a similar ruthlessness in Wiegman.

She did not waste time in naming a new England captain when she took over, handing the armband to Leah Williamson and leaving Steph Houghton out of her squad for Euro 2022.

But there is also pragmatism from Wiegman, a meticulous planner who was described as "a workaholic" by experienced Dutch coach Foppe de Haan.

Striker Beth England said in 2023: "She tells us when things aren't right and she's not shy to be savage and brutal when she needs to be."

Wiegman was a teacher before her coaching days and she is protective over her players, with some referring to her as a "mother-like" figure.

"The reality is my life before Sarina Wiegman and my life after Sarina Wiegman is totally different," goalkeeper Mary Earps said last year.