Bayern Munich midfielder Georgia Stanway says it is “inevitable” England would “plateau at some point” having raised expectations.
The Lionesses were crowned Euro 2022 champions and reached the Women’s World Cup final in Australia last year.
However, criticism has increased after a disappointing Women’s Nations League campaign and their failure to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.
They were beaten 4-3 by Germany at Wembley in a friendly on Friday – the first time they conceded four goals in a match under manager Sarina Wiegman.
“When the expectation is continuous we are probably not able to live up to it. I think it’s inevitable that at some point you are going to plateau,” said Stanway.
“We have been with Sarina [Wiegman] for four years now so we will get to a point where we can’t continuously win because teams will figure us out.
“That’s where we have to work together to reinvent ourselves – change a little bit of tactics, bits here and there, and get the one up on the opposition again.
“As much as teams are evolving, we also have to evolve.”
The Lionesses take on South Africa at Coventry’s CBS Arena on Tuesday (19:45 GMT kick-off) as they continue their preparations for Euro 2025.
Stanway told BBC Radio 5 Live the team have “gone up” under Wiegman and a “dip in the road is normal”.
“Facing adversities is normal. The Germany game was interesting. We couldn’t get control but it was an opportunity to keep growing,” she added.
“Outside media think us having a good game is the result. We need to become performance-driven.
“Playing for England is another level. We drive the standards, need consistency in emotion and set an example. People forget we lost a lot of big characters.
“Myself, [Ella] Toone and Alessia [Russo] were born in 1999. We’re not experienced leaders yet but I’m only 25. I’m also trying to learn every day.”