Lauren James is the most naturally gifted footballer in the country. Those were the words of Chelsea manager Emma Hayes last month when James scored a hat-trick against Liverpool.
Hayes was right. James does so many good things on a football field and sometimes it is a pleasure to watch her. At the age of 16, she was told by her then Manchester United boss Casey Stoney that she could become the best player in the world. But on Sunday we saw the sulky side of James, which threatens to keep her from realizing that potential.
With Chelsea trailing Arsenal 3-1, James was penalized for a foul on Lotte Wubben-Moy. The referee's whistle had blown and Arsenal's Lia Walti had picked up the ball. But as James continued to run forward, she deliberately stomped on Walti's foot. James was lucky to escape a red card.
Had VAR been in use in the women's game she would have been sent off. The incident was no different to when James saw red for England when she deliberately stepped on Nigeria's Michelle Alozie during the World Cup.
Write in her column for The times during the World Cup, Stoney said: “I've seen that element of emotional immaturity in her in the past, so I wasn't overly shocked, but she's come so far, she's matured so much.”
Lauren James was shown a yellow card last weekend for stamping on Arsenal's Lia Walti during the Blues' 4-1 defeat to the Gunners
Had VAR been in operation during the match, James' penalty could have been upgraded to red
The Chelsea forward currently sits second in the Women's Super League top scorer rankings after scoring six goals so far this season
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People have suggested that James is someone who plays on the edge, but that is not the case. People like Georgia Stanway and Katie McCabe play on the edge. They are aggressive and fly into tackles that sometimes go over the line. That's not James.
What both stamp incidents have in common is that they occurred in games where James struggled to make an impact. Her actions come from frustration.
There has never been any doubt about James' talent. You only have to look at the first half of England's recent victory over Scotland to see that she can play football at a different level to everyone else. But there have been times when she hasn't started in big games for either club or country.
This is partly because there have been questions about whether she will get the hard yards off the ball. But there have been signs lately that she was improving this side of her game.
After her hat-trick against Liverpool, Hayes said: 'What she did out of possession was outstanding – the way she counter-pressed, counter-pressed, dominated her games, she did it for 90 minutes and was very selfless in her work.'
Because soccer is so effortless for James, it can sometimes seem like she isn't trying. This and the irritable actions feed the idea of a bad attitude, which is not the case. It's because James cares so much that these moments of madness occur. They happen when she is frustrated with herself. This is where she has to learn and mature.
James has been fortunate to have supportive managers in Stoney at United, Hayes at Chelsea and Sarina Wiegman at England. She is a player who does not like the spotlight and has been protected from a young age. But if you want to be the best in the world, it's very difficult to hide.
It's important to remember that James has faced some challenges. She was out for a year due to injury and regularly faced disgusting racist abuse on social media.
Hayes has been a mother figure and it's clear that James took the news of her departure hard. After her hat-trick against Liverpool, she stressed that everything she does between now and the end of the season will be for her manager. But Sunday's petulant act was not.
Hayes will not stay at Chelsea after this season and Wiegman will not stay at England forever. They won't always be there to protect her.
James is only 22, but in football you have to grow up quickly. If she does that, there is no doubt that she can become the best player in the world.
The 22-year-old has impressed at the start of the new season, most notably scoring twice in England's recent 6-0 win over Scotland.
James' former coach Casey Stoney told the Chelsea star when she was younger that she could become one of the best footballers in the world
Emma Hayes has also praised the forward as one of the most naturally gifted players in the country
Women in football need more men like Chris Wilder
Football can be an intimidating place for women and over the past week we've seen why. But it is important to remember the people who have made us feel welcome over the years.
The first press conference I attended was when I was a student at the University of Sheffield. It was a championship match between Sheffield United and Leeds. There were no other women there, so it was hard not to feel slightly intimidated.
I also got lost trying to find the room, which didn't help. Chris Wilder was the manager of Sheffield United and after doing his radio and TV interviews he came to the writers' table.
He made a point to say hello to me and smile – he was actually the first person to say anything to me that morning. After answering about twenty minutes of questions, the club's press officer put an end to the matter.
Wilder stopped him, looked at me and said: 'Did you want to ask me something?' It may seem like a small gesture, but he didn't have to do that and it immediately made me feel better.
It's nice to see Wilder back at Sheffield United and I'm sure all the students who attend his press conferences will feel as welcome as I did.
Last week Chris Wilder was appointed manager of Sheffield United and guided the Blades to a 1-0 win against Brentford on Saturday
The Scottish FA have handed Pedro Martinez Losa a new contract, with the Scotland women's team manager now set to remain in charge until 2027.
Questions are being raised about the Scottish boss's new contract
There are questions to be answered at the Scottish FA about why they gave manager Pedro Martinez Losa a new contract until 2027 earlier this year.
The new contract came after Scotland lost the World Cup play-off to Ireland and have since finished bottom of their Nations League group.
Scotland have regressed since qualifying for Euro 2017 and the 2019 World Cup. Martinez was a strange appointment in 2021, but handing him a new contract was an even more baffling decision.
Scotland were woeful against England and probably should have lost by more than six goals.
It's not just Martinez who's the problem. Not enough money was made available for women's football in Scotland after 2019 and we are now seeing the effects of this.