With tough games following one after the other there has been no chance for respite between important European tiesThere is often discussion and debate, friendly and fiery, over which league tops the rest in terms of competitive balance, investment and the quality of the product on the pitch.In many ways these are abstract discussions to which we will never really have a clear answer. That is in part because women’s football is not a static beast but a living, breathing creature with its development constantly in flux and uneven, which means finding a fair barometer is close to impossible. Continue reading...
Things looking up for Manchester City, United need signings, Reading on the rise and Carter has a big job at Birmingham Manchester City’s dominant 5-0 defeat of Aston Villa was their third win in eight league games. After suffering a tough 4-0 loss to Chelsea at the Academy Stadium and then a League Cup defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday night, the second-half goal-fest against Villa could be the start of a turnaround in the club’s fortunes. However, the biggest wins for Gareth Taylor’s under-pressure side this weekend came elsewhere. The defeats suffered by Brighton, Tottenham and Manchester United mean last season’s runners-up sit just five points off third and only two behind their derby rivals. Suddenly Champions League football...
Questions for Gareth Taylor at Manchester City, serious progress for Spurs, and a wasted opportunity of a weekendGareth Taylor said he believed his Manchester City team could still be playing Champions League football next season despite two wins from seven league games. “We know we’re up against some strong opposition especially when we’re probably – well, no probably about it – not strongest in terms of our squad depth,” he said. “But nothing changes. The attitude is still to be in Europe. We still believe that we can get there. We know that today if we had won the game, we would have been a lot closer. But I still think there’s plenty to come.“ City’s bruising 4-0 defeat by...
Manchester City have struggled with injuries while Everton have faltered, leaving unbeaten Arsenal looking the most likely threat to champions ChelseaAs the Women’s Super League season pauses for the international break, unbeaten Arsenal top the table after five games and are on a mission to reclaim the title from the back-to-back winners, Chelsea. Meanwhile, there has been the first managerial casualty, with Everton’s Willie Kirk out after a slow start to a campaign when his team was expected to be serious challengers.The Gunners’ strong summer spend on and off the pitch, with Gary Lewin’s arrival as head of medicine and sports science among the backroom recruits that have perhaps been as important as players such as Mana Iwabuchi and Tobin...
Are Manchester United being left behind? Eidevall’s plans pay off for Arsenal while Brighton’s brief tenure at the top is overManchester United’s 6-1 home defeat by Chelsea was a stark reminder that there is no scope to coast for clubs in the Women’s Super League. United landed on the scene with big promises and big ambitions in 2018, they launched with a statement and no-nonsense manager in Casey Stoney and last year recruited the services of the US forwards Christen Press and Tobin Heath to aid the team’s bid to break the stranglehold of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal. Stoney is gone, frustrated by United talking the talk more than they walked the walk when it came to facilities and...