The third round of matches in the 2023/24 Barclays Women’s Super League are nearly upon us, with West Ham United women’s team heading across London to take on champions Chelsea.
The Irons are heading to Kingsmeadow off the back of two wins from their previous two matches. Having beaten Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 last Sunday, picking up their first points of the season in the process, the team then came from behind to beat Charlton Athletic 2-1 at Chigwell Construction Stadium on Wednesday to get off to a winning start in Continental Tyres League Cup action.
Now, manager Rehanne Skinner is hoping that the team can continue moving forwards in a positive way when they face off against Emma Hayes’ team on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
Speaking to the media on Friday ahead of the fixture, Skinner spoke about the challenge of facing off against the Blues, an update on team news and the importance of squad depth in what has been a busy schedule over the past week…
Reflecting on the past week
It's still a work in progress, we're only three competitive games into the new season.
We've started in a way that's really positive, and we want to keep building our attacking play and our effectiveness at moving through the thirds of the pitch.
Certainly, when we're in and around the goal, the players have been really positive. We probably could have had a couple more goals to be honest, but I've been really pleased with how we've played so far.
There's definitely lots of positives to build on!
Using the squad to its fullest
I think the depth of the squad is hugely important.
The opportunity to play in the way that we're trying to play and to practise that and to ensure that, no matter what we're doing, who starts or finishes the game, everyone is up to the task.
It was a chance to get some of the younger players onto the pitch on Wednesday. Princess [Ademiluyi] started her first game for the Club, and I think we saw some really good glimpses from her, particularly in the second half.
It's just about continuing to get everyone on board and up to speed with the way that we're trying to play, and to be able to do that, they've got to be able to get minutes in competitive games to keep evolving.
Chelsea and the challenge they pose
At the moment, we're going through a process and building up the way that we want to play. Ultimately, it's another opportunity for us to work on that against a really good side.
We know what we're up against, but every game in this league is really difficult. So, for us it's about trying to do the things that have been working well for us consistently, regardless of who we're playing against.
That's how we'll be approaching the game on Saturday against Chelsea.
Chelsea are a really difficult side to go up against. They find ways to get points and they find ways to grind out wins don't they...
So for us, it's about continuing to try and develop the confidence that we have on the ball. I think if we try and control the things that we can in possession better as well, there's definitely areas that we can look to try and utilise in the strength of our own squad as well.
The flip side to that is that we've always got to be on our guard because Chelsea are capable of scoring against everybody.
We've got to be really resolute in the way that we try and defend and make life as tough as possible for them, whilst also playing with confidence and bravery on the ball when we get those moments.
A blend of youth and experience
Every squad has a little bit of a balance to it, and here at West Ham, we want to bring on talented younger individuals to keep developing them.
But you also need the calm, cool heads that have been there, seen it and got the T-shirt. You need to be able to utilise both sides in games, particularly tough matches like this.
There's a slightly different energy that the younger players bring, but then the more experienced players are very good at managing certain periods in games.
You're always trying to find the right balance to try and get the best results possible on a consistent basis.
An update on team news
We're in a good place at the moment, but we do have a couple of longer-term injuries.
Jess Ziu has been recovering from the injury that she sustained last season, whilst Emma Snerle hasn't featured yet this season.
Snerle picked up an injury in a pre-season match and she's going to be out for a little bit longer. Other than those two, the rest of the squad are looking really good at the moment.
