The Guardian's Women's Football Weekly - Manchester City blink first in WSL title race – Women’s Football Weekly

Episode Date: May 9, 2023

Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzanne Wrack, Sophie Downey and Marva Kreel to discuss a weekend of goals

This is The Guardian. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen. Hello, I'm Faye Carruthers and welcome to the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. It feels like there's something in the water. Goals flying in left, right and centre all across English football this weekend. Not just the WSL, but neither Chelsea nor Manchester United have blinked in the title race yet. City do though, as they have a surprise loss to Liverpool.

Brighton haul themselves up the table with a win against Happers West Ham. Arsenal edge past Leicester and Rachel Daly sets a new record. We'll discuss all of that. Take your questions. And that's today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly. Well what a panel we have today. Susie Rack

how's your book coming on? It's getting there. Getting there. Slowly and suddenly a lot faster than it was. Okay. But yeah, getting there. When's it due out? Oh, Lord knows. God, I've got a different book out before this one's due out,

so I don't actually know. I think it's 2024, this one I'm writing now. But yeah, I'm just churning them out. Basically, I never want to write a book again and ones that are just too good to turn down keep cropping up and ruining my life oh wow humble brag humble brag i think i think you should take a bow instead uh sophie downey a quiet week for you for a change that never happens basically we came quite weak but yeah it's quite nice i do like this time of year it's um starting

to get really exciting so yes it really is and none more exciting than um the life of an everton fan at the moment exciting slash stressful marva creel um by the way an apology from producer jesse who did not envisage a scoreline quite like the one we ended up with when they booked you but at least the men's team yesterday scored almost as many goals as the women conceded yeah I felt a slight personal attack there from Jessie who um asked me to come on a few hours before the Chelsea result and uh yeah I felt like she knew something I didn't know but there you go I don't think anybody knew that that was coming. Either result, to be honest.

But that's not where we're going to start. I'll save you that for now. We're going to start with Manchester City's title chances. They look pretty much over. And making next season's Champions League looks like a tougher ask as well after a surprise 2-1 defeat to Liverpool. Natasha Dowie opening the scoring early on before Lauren Hemp equalised for City, but a fantastic strike from Missy Bocchens gave Liverpool the win.

Susie, do you think the Champions League spots are done and dusted now or more twists to come? Well, I mean, you look at the table and they're clearly going to shift ground. I mean, is it gone for Man City? It's really, really, really difficult for them to get it. Those two games Arsenal have in hand should be too much. But nothing is over until it's over, right? It's so, so, so tight at the top despite the nine point gap between Arsenal and United what if United playing City and Arsenal playing Chelsea um

obviously in terms of the title race Arsenal City are pretty definitively probably out of it that was like pretty definitively probably is like yeah going going like 10 yards down the road and then turning around and taking a couple of steps back right a lot of contradictions in there cc exactly but champions league isn't isn't over i mean i think arsenal's performance on friday um the number of injuries they've got shows that City have hope, even if it's far, far, far from in their own hands. Were they to blame themselves though, Sophie? Because it felt like a bit of a sloppy display from Manchester City. Laura Coombe's poor pass allowed Dowie to sneak in for the first goal.

And then Ellie Roebuck had this really bizarre moment, didn't she? Walking out of her penalty area holding the ball I mean it was just a really uncharacteristic performance from them they didn't seem entirely on it it was it was pretty sloppy I do think it's maybe been coming um I I've not always been convinced by their plan b so when they get hit early and um you know and they get a surprise early on the game sometimes they can't figure it out I remember a game against Aston Villa earlier this season and it was literally Alex Greenwood was turning around in circles because she was out of ideas about what to do and how to break Villa down so I'm not entirely surprised that that result was

coming I sometimes think the players do a lot themselves to get themselves through games and Liverpool we saw them midweek and it's Chelsea right and they was such a different team to that team that turned out against Leicester and they had the full of energy and they just carried that on through the weekend and at home their home form is the one that's made their return to the WSL really impressive this season. And they're kind of different beasts with that home crowd behind them. So I'm not entirely surprised, but yeah, it does shake things up at the top for sure. Yeah, I was going to ask you about that, Marva, actually, because, I mean, Liverpool's season seems so up and down and weird

and really explained by this week, because they were trounced by Leicester. They were beaten really narrowly by Chelsea and then they have this win over City. And as Sophie said, they've got this fantastic record at Prenton Park, but they still haven't won away from home this season. But I wonder what Matt Beard said to them to try and get this performance out of them.

Yeah, I mean, I agree with Sophie. I think it was kind of coming for City. I think there have been warning signs, but there were warning signs against Chelsea in terms of Liverpool's performance as well. I think Chelsea are just inevitable, and we've seen that time and time again, whereas City aren't.

And they just seem to just sort of want it more. Like you were saying about City, their passing was lacklustre, and didn't really have any ideas whereas Liverpool they just on their when it came to their chance on the counter they took it and Missy Bo Kearns has been incredible all season and I think next season is something that Liverpool are really going to build on because obviously to start how they did against Chelsea but then they kind of dipped a bit questions about them in terms of relegation

were happening and they just sort of really built on that and just become a pretty solid side despite that odd loss against Leicester. Leicester are a team we can talk about later as well in terms of how great they've become. But I think it's going to be a really exciting season for them next year, unfortunately for me as an Everton fan. But I think they're really building on something special here. Yeah, it feels like that.

Just back to City quickly, Susie. I mean, everybody who listens to this pod regularly will know your feelings on Gareth Taylor and him not being up to the job as far as you're concerned. He is out of contract at the end of the season. Do you think if they miss out on the Champions League, that's that's going to be that for him I mean I think it's no accident that they've not given him a new contract yet or you know one hasn't been announced yet um you know I don't think that's unplanned um and I think they are hedging their bets a little bit and and playing it safe um and keeping their options open and almost waiting for the excuse to get rid rather than feeling like they are sort of throwing him out before he's had his time. I felt like I was watching a performance from one of the top three

of a few years ago, if that makes sense, in that previously the top teams could sort of coast in games like this um against teams a little bit further down the table like there was that there was almost allowed to be a degree of complacency that set in because the gap was so huge that it didn't really matter um and that doesn't exist anymore you just can't be that sloppy you just can't give the ball away the way City did anymore. Like, that's not a thing that can happen. And it was almost like they had forgotten that and stepped back a few years

and had gone into that game extremely complacent. I mean, 17 shots, three on target, is, like, speaks to just how, like, awry things were going for them. You know, I've made it clear that i don't think gareth taylor has proven himself as a manager like as someone who has is you know technically technically astute i think whenever sophie said it earlier whenever they get into trouble they don't seem to be able to find an answer uh very easily um like i don't feel like i feel like the onus is

very much on the players on the pitch to try and solve problems and there's little leadership coming in that respect we see little change um you know there's not there's there's not sort of switches of positions or uh or or personnel or formations to try and sort of solve a way out of a problem it's it's sort of like right the players need to up their level rather than necessarily you know kind of moving things around to to get a win um so yeah like i think the champions league will have a huge say in whether Gareth Taylor is there next season. I'm not convinced he should stay either way, to be honest, because I think that they have underperformed significantly this season,

even despite all the signings that came in in the summer, and that Barney Shaw's goals have papered over the cracks of a pretty average season. Yeah it's not been an average season on the other side of Manchester has it because pretty much that loss all but guarantees Champions League football for Manchester United after their 3-0 win over Tottenham, kept up their five-game winning streak. Goals from Leah Goulton, Alessia Russo and Nikita Paris. Tottenham had early chances in this one, Sophie, but it was pretty routine from United in the end.

Yeah, once they hit full flow, it's what we've seen from United all season, right? Once they get going and attack on Leah Goulton, I mean, she's absolutely amazing down that left side. I think Mark Skinner described her to me a couple of weeks ago as the best left-sided player he's ever worked with. And that is saying something when he's worked with the likes of, I think, Marta and stuff like that.

So, yeah, I think they are in their groove at the moment. It didn't help that Tottenham were defensively absolutely atrocious. I don't think that's too strong to say. It was really, really bad at the back. But I think, yes, United are in their groove at the moment. They've got their eyes set on the FA Cup now. They just keep winning. And that momentum, I think I always expected it to dip you know

at some point in the season and that when they kind of lost to Chelsea that was the end of it actually they just have this ability to to pick themselves back up and and their mentality this season is so different to what we've seen in other in other years as well so they're going to take it right down to the last I think I do still think it's Chelsea's but yeah they're going to take it right down to the last, I think. I do still think it's Chelsea's, but yeah, they're putting in some impressive performances. I mean, obviously Tottenham's defending was appalling. Like, the fall of Amy Turner from when she was playing for Manchester United a few seasons ago

and just the Turner-Turner axis had me kind of screaming that England should pick up on Amy Turner. And just really, really anonymous in that game. Yeah, poor. But Leah Goulton, I mean, my God, what a player. I mean, she always had this in her, right? She's always been this good. But she's playing some of the best football of her career.

And all the Man United fans are going to hate me with a passion for saying it. But if I'm Serena Vigman looking at my injury crisis, I am going to Leah Gorton and saying, look, just give me one summer. Just, like, I so respect her decision to step back from international football to like put her mental health above everything else to put club above country like I respect all of those decisions like so much I would just respect her if they've had that conversation and she's turned around and said no um but you you have to have that conversation like you just can't in a world where you've got so many players missing, not go and have that conversation with a player who has scored 10 goals, as many as Sam Kerr in the league,

and is third with Kerr and England and Russo in the scoring charts, up there with a whole load of strikers. You just have to like her link-up play her assists like just um yeah phenomenally good and you have to have that conversation she has something different doesn't she to what we know about England so far and especially down that left side where yes you play Lauren James occasionally but mainly Lauren Hemp um and it would just give give opponents a different problem that they haven't expected from from an England team before and how to deal with her because she has different attributes so I would definitely have that conversation I'm not sure how successful it will be and as you say I fully respect her too and her decisions but yeah definitely I agree with you Suze I have that conversation thirded and I'm sure fourthed by Marva as well who's nodding um Marva as I said pretty much

guaranteed Champions League football for United obviously they've got their eye on on the title but at least one big success ticked off for Mark Skinner. Natalie's tweeted in, how do you think Manchester United will do in the Women's Champions League? I mean, it does kind of depend on where they finish though as well, because we know that that third spot on the qualification spot for Women's Champions League is not an easy one. The teams that you can come against, you know, aren't easy.

Although I do think that um I do think they'll finish second I can't see them finishing third so in that sense again it will then depend on Russo um and what they do there and and Batier as well I think she's been incredible this season and they have they have the players to do well at Champions League um and they seem to have really built on the last few seasons of missing out on Champions League and they've become a lot more of a solid side so I feel

like they can do well but of course it's going to depend on if they keep those star players Yeah it really is, not to be outdone by Manchester United, Chelsea had a goal difference boosting win over Everton. Sorry about this, Marva.

Guru Wrighton, Sam Kerr, Penelope Harder, Jesse Fleming, Sophie Ingle and Erin Cuthbert all on the score sheet in a 7-0 win. After that nervy win over Liverpool in midweek, Susie, I mean, maybe it was all the hot dogs, possibly. But this is definitely more the Chelsea we're used to seeing, isn't it? Do you think that they've had a bit of a confidence boost, maybe, from those games against Barcelona in the Champions League? I know that sounds weird, bearing in mind that they were knocked out,

but they were good performances. Yeah, great performances. And, I mean, this win was phenomenal. Like, it was them back to their... I was going to say back to their best, that feels unfair because they've not been bad this season, they've just not been

as good but this was like watching the Chelsea of the past couple of seasons who just absolutely tear teams to shreds I mean yes there was like some really poor Everton defending almost like anonymous like presence but they just carved them open made it look easy made the defenders look bad

like it was it was just slick um and i mean having pan Harder come back and be so impactful following injury and such a, you know, lengthy part of the season now is just, you know, so enviable for like most teams in the league. You know, such a critical point for her to return in. I mean it speaks to the like problem uh the like injury problems that Chelsea have had this season that you know it's Kerr going off and Harder coming on uh you know you you still even with her coming back don't get uh Kerr Harder Kirby on the pitch obviously Kirby is not like out is out for the rest of the season has not played for a significant chunk of it as well but you can't even get two of them on the pitch together at the moment uh such as like the the crisis in that and like but it speaks to just how brilliant guru writing has been how like how cuff but has stepped up and yeah just a real uh just like a really enjoyable performance to watch like i really liked seeing that level of performance from them um because I feel like it's

it's not necessarily like being particularly enjoyable to watch Chelsea performances of late like and that's like we watch football because it's like entertaining right this was entertaining on a on a level that we would not seen for a season yeah Sophie it's great to see Penilla Harder as Susie said replacing Sam Kerr I mean the good news is it looks like it's just a precautionary taking off and was a knock for Sam Kerr after her exploits in the coronation procession which we should mention really actually because I that felt like yet another and I'm sorry this is on our banned list isn't it 100% banned list when we play women's football bingo seminal moment sorry to do it that's you gone fair you're off that's it sacked yeah sam car is just an icon isn't she and you know everything she does the way that she paves the way for herself and her

brand as well in terms of like this year being on the front cover of fifa now holding the the flag for australia at the coronation i think it is a huge moment for Australian women's football as well because, you know, it's a huge year for them, a huge summer coming up. And to have that kind of recognition for the women's game at such a world-viewing event, as it were, a global event, is absolutely huge. I think one thing I would say about Chelsea

is they're absolutely ruthless, aren't they? They had five shots in the first half and they scored all five of them. I mean, that's actually ridiculous. And whether Sam Kerr is a part of it, they just need to get her back for their pick-up final. But the fact that Pernilla Harder can come in and sort of take up their number nine role now as well,

which probably isn't her natural always. But yes, I think they're just hitting their groove as well so uh Chelsea and May are a different beast to Chelsea any other time of the year and uh that's kind of scary isn't it because Chelsea any other time of the year are a beast in themselves that's a really really good way of putting it actually and and so accurate and I mean when you see Penelohada it shows what Chelsea have been missing this season with her Marva as an Everton fan

not the most pleasant watch I know Everton conceded as many away goals against Chelsea as they had the entire rest of the season I mean what a stat that is

please tell us where it all went wrong but ultimately does it even matter at this point um no i think we're perpetually sick um and this we're we've been sick for i think as long as i can remember and we will be probably till the end of the season um so in that sense no it doesn't matter and seeing you know how tight the relegation battle is i just feel very thankful that we're not a part of it to be honest um but it did kind of feel like this season we were building on not having these batterings and then this is yeah put a bit of a damper on that but I think

we did have a few injuries uh Lucy Hope who I thought was brilliant against Reading um Gabby George obviously a big miss for us. And Jess Park, who, I mean, that is a slightly worrying sign for us that without Park, our kind of counter-attacking threat did not look as dangerous as it has been. And obviously she is a loan signing, so what that means for next season is slightly worrying. It's your entire team, isn't it?

Yeah, pretty much. But we actually started the game not badly we we started quite confidently and in possession but i think the way that we play we play as if we have players better than we have almost we sort of only have one way of playing pretty much which is you know five at the back playing out from the back building on possession and and that's great when you've got the players that can capitalize on that but when you don't have the players that can capitalize on it in that particular game and then particularly against a team who can play through those lines and it was between the sort of uh wing backs and and center backs that that space just kept getting utilized and then when

you're five nil down you you see Lauren James coming on. It's like, come on now, this has just taken it too far. And usually, like I said, I would have turned off probably about 3-0, but I was on the spot, so I had to keep watching, which was really, really enjoyable. So thanks again for that, Jessie. All we can do is apologise to you. But as a fan fan you should always

watch till the bitter end no matter what true true I sat through a goalless Luton Hull game yesterday believe me listen convincing wins for Manchester United and Chelsea this weekend Susie and they meet at Wembley in the FA Cup final

on Sunday could this game I mean we'll preview it slightly but could the game itself actually affect the title race in any way in terms of mentality shifts oh yeah I think it could be huge um like you can't underestimate the power of a trophy in your hands you know weeks before the the um the league season finishes um i mean you can see the impact of the conti cup final win on arsenal's mentality um like it completely shifted everything um which way it goes and you know which way it has the impact is the question right like if you know whoever wins it obviously has a degree of

momentum whoever doesn't is going to be incredibly frustrated incredibly probably angry at themselves um incredibly fired up for that title running right like it's your last chance at a trophy this season so like i i think you know rather than it being a double necessarily and a double defining um victory it could end up being that one wins one and one wins the other because there's just like a level of like change for the the losing team that that fires them towards the end of the season um just like angry like playing uh frustrated that said like I completely agree with Sophie earlier where she said you know Chelsea and May is is like a different beast because like I just you know a Chelsea double yeah likely that's the reality isn't it I mean when anyone regardless of how

anyone else is playing at any time you just can't look beyond Chelsea not slipping up. What do you say, Sophie? Who's winning? Who's winning on Sunday? I think it would be really interesting if United won it on Sunday because then I don't see the league going anywhere other than Chelsea, to be honest, whether they win or lose on Sunday. If it's Man United losing on Sunday, I worry for them a little bit

because whether that will be a massive shock for them, whereas Chelsea have been here before, right? They've won finals, they've lost finals, as we saw with the Conte Cup earlier in February, and they know how to pick themselves up and there is no way, I think, that they're letting this league slip. But for United, I would worry how that would affect their mentality.

But I think it would be amazing if in this league season, three trophies were divided out against three teams. I think that would just show the utter strength of this league and how well it's progressing and how tight it has been at the top, that it hasn't been dominated by one team all the way through. So whatever happens, that's the case. Yeah. Football is the winner.

Is that what you're saying? Yeah, exactly. I thought so. Marva, do you concur or are you going to rock the boat and go United? No, I concur. I would like to see United win, but I just think not only Chelsea and May, but Chelsea at Wembley, Chelsea in the FA Cup. It's just, again, inevitable. So I think it will go that way. But I would like to see United win. I think it would shake things up a little bit. I would add that Chelsea as well, I think are still United's bogey team, right? They're the ones that United haven't psychologically got past yet,

whereas Arsenal and City, they have. OK, well, everybody knows what our predictions are like on this pod, so congratulations to Manchester United on Sunday. That's it for part one. In part two, we'll look at what went on elsewhere in the WSL and lower down the leaks. data breaches and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen. Welcome back to part two of the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. Arsenal won Leicester 0-0.

Not necessarily a thriller this one, but Frieda Marnham pulled a beauty out of the bag. Susie, this game had the potential to be a big banana skin for Arsenal after news of a fourth ACL for Laura Wienrother this time, which we predicted last week, but was confirmed later on in the week. Arsenal got the points, though, and the City loss will have them feeling a little bit more relaxed, maybe, about the rest of the season.

Yeah, I mean, like I said earlier, you just cannot be relaxed in this league anymore, regardless of who you're playing. So I think there's an element of that. I think that City's loss has just breathed some life back into a champions league campaign that had sort of died you know i think a lot of a lot of people around uh arsenal a lot of fans were thinking that um finishing outside the top four was a top three sorry was a was a likely likely thing um the way yonasvall was speaking about um needing to qualify before talking about next season's champions league and things like that sort of

spoke to that like he wasn't ready to sort of chat about it in sort of present tense as a thing that was that was happening um and I mean god they made like i was sweating i was covering this game um from home because of some logistical child care issues and um oh my god i was i was struggling um with nothing happening until so i mean i say so late you know it was 64th minute or something like that. But it was just really, really difficult to watch. And it looked like this, like I say, would be the banana skin that would trip Arsenal up and sort of truly end the Champions League aspirations for next season. In some ways, I thought it was like a result that spoke to both Arsenal's resilience as a team when players are dropping like flies to the extent that you feel like

Eidevall is going to pop up in defence or something at any moment. His hair would be the best defence. I mean, the ball would just stick to it. Kelly Smith has got an injury. I was thinking they had got her back into the coaching staff as like like a potential a potential late like squad edition but no she is also injured so like that's like speaks to just how extensive the injury crisis is at arsenal so like that that they were able to get something from this game when it really was sort of going against them um and

like really really resilient uh Leicester performance speaks to the change in Arsenal that we've seen this season um but I also thought Leicester were phenomenal like really really good so well organized I think Willie Kirk is such a good manager I remember saying when he was dumped by Everton that it was massively premature and they hadn't given him enough time with the nine new signings or something that they'd got in in the summer and then got rid of him after

a few defeats. He's really, really good at organising a team and getting the best out of the personnel that he's got available to him. You can think, of course Arsenal should be beating Leicester but like that ignores the fact that Leicester got that phenomenal 4-0 win at Liverpool the preceding week so like it's uh I think it's a

result that speaks both to you know in any other day, any other season, where Arsenal are full strength, they're wiping the floor with Leicester, regardless of how good Leicester are, right? But, you know, the fact that it's so narrow both speaks to how depleted Arsenal are and how they're sort of having to scrape over the line, but also, like, how good Leicester are as well. Yeah, and Leicester head to Chelsea on Wednesday. They do have a tough run of games,

but it also feels, as you say, despite this defeat, that they're actually one of the form teams in the WSL right now. I've got a question for you, Martha. It's come on Twitter from Simon. I think it's Reyes is the surname and I'm just going to apologise if that's not right Simon but he wants to know is Courtney Nevin one of the most underrated

signings of the season she's been immense for Leicester in defence and provided a real attacking threat as well slotted in straight away and took no time to adjust to a new league what say you Marva? Yeah definitely I think Leicester won that Januaryuary transfer window to be honest um i think the players that they brought in have have given them that fight to

keep up it seemed like they were sort of dead and buried but willie kirk obviously and then the players they've brought in nevin but then also lightzig just absolutely ridiculous every time i've seen her play she just pulls off saves that I just thought were not possible. Obviously a penalty save in this game as well. But I think as a unit, Leicester have just improved so much. I thought Howard as well was great. Ruby Mace has been really, really impressive to play in that position at such a young age and just kind of not look out of place at all. So, yeah, one of the signings of the season,

but I think they've made quite a few, to be fair to them. Yeah, they really have. Willie Kirk's done a fantastic job, as you've all said. And talking of signings, just a quick one, Sophie, on Jodie Taylor. She really livened up Arsenal's attack and bearing in mind all the injuries piling up actually a really worthwhile deal yeah I think it surprised everyone that one but at the same time it does sort of make sense you know she has that experience coming to an Arsenal team that is so threadbare at the moment

and quite young as well if you look at the likes of Frida Mahnem and Victoria Palova who I thought was absolutely insane on Friday as well she's having such a good impact since she arrived. But Jodie Taylor, she's got that experience. She maybe is in the twilight of her career. I think we can definitely say that. But she can still add things to this Arsenal team. And she set up the goal, didn't she? I think it will be a slog to the end of the season for Arsenal.

But I've always thought they will get that Champions League place but they are threadbare. Bear in mind they lose all of their under-17s next week so half their bench is out because of the Euros, under-17 Euros so they are going to be calling on bodies from I don't know where or it's going to be a very thin bench

but I think they've shown this season that they're going to have enough to get through. They're just, whether they win 1-0 and edge it out probably every game, that probably will be the circumstance. But I do think they've shown that their mentality this season is so different to what an Arsenal team in this situation would have done last year. And with the likes of Jodie Taylor and now Kelly Smith back in the coaching team as well,

that can only help because that's a ton of experience right yeah absolutely um Reading nil Aston Villa five you fear for Reading now don't you goals galore at the select car leasing stadium a hat trick for Rachel Daly she actually becomes the first English woman to score 20 goals in the WSL she's had a phenomenal. Alicia Lehman and Kirstie Hansen got the other two for Villa. Let's talk Reading quickly, Sophie, because they've got Tottenham and Chelsea left in the league.

Two points behind Leicester right now, who have West Ham and Brighton. They were my prediction to go down, which just makes me feel really sad because I don't want to lose them at all. But is there any way they can stay up? It does break my heart but I think I wrote about this the other day and I was saying that Reading have always found a way or even when they've lost they've had some fight about them and what we know them as the comeback queens in this league so many times

where they've gone down at half-time and found a way back. And on Sunday, I was there in Reading, and it just looked like all of the fight had been kind of washed out of them. They were literally pieced together. You know, three players had tape all the way down their legs. It just, like, epitomised where they are at this season, practically being held together. And that game against Tottenham in a fortnight's time is absolutely huge. epitomised where they are at this season practically being held together and that

game against Tottenham in a fortnight's time is absolutely huge and I hope they rediscover some of that fight because if they lose that or even draw that it's over for them and I hope they play for Kelly Chambers because what she's done with that club is absolutely

a miracle over the last decade and I hope they fight for her and give it every last shot until that final with that club is absolutely a miracle over the last decade. And I hope they fight for her and give it every last shot until that final whistle on the 27th of May. Because, I mean, if anyone deserves it, she does. There's a real worry, isn't there, with the men's team having been relegated from the championship as well, that there's going to be problems money-wise,

potentially, for Reading going forward. Susie? Yeah, I mean, like Kelly Chambers, if they don't fight for her and fight to keep her, they're mad. But at the same time, every team that has had some kind of managerial turnover or some kind of problem in the Women's Super League

and the Championship should be looking to sign her and get her on board. because what she's done at reading with the most limited of resources is incredible you know if i'm tottenham i'm looking at um kelly chambers as someone who can come in and really do something special that said you know tottenham could do with backing their women's team a little bit more than they do so like that's maybe like put it this way I want to see Kelly Chambers have resource and I really want to see her a team that like gives a damn and wants to invest and wants to like allow her to build a team that makes her fully flourish as a manager um and thus their team obviously but like I think she deserves that like she's done such a long stint um in you know the

obviously she clearly loves Reading like but in you know not the best conditions that she really really deserves some like proper backing like we've seen with Carla Ward at Villa exactly that and I I think everyone I spoke I speak to when I do post-match interviews after games they always say how Reading and their coaching staff are one of the best in the league how they are the best coach team in the league it's just you know they haven't had the resources and the fact that Kelly Chambers does about 20 jobs at the same time you know sometimes she's even physio so if she had the resource with that coaching staff around her, what could she achieve at a club that is willing to back them a little bit?

Like, as you say, Carla Ward at Aston Villa. But I think it's testament to what she and her coaching staff has achieved that everyone I speak to around the league always says that they're the best coach team. It's just they don't have the resource to pull it off. Yeah. Marva, just a quick word on Rachel Daly and actually some returns to the pitch for Villa,

because we kind of forget that their squad's been a little bit depleted this season. Simone Magill, Remy Allen, Chantelle Boych-Lawker, all making their returns from ACL injuries as well but Rachel Daly has just it's difficult to say she's just it's just a one-woman team in the slightest but when she puts in performances like that across the pitch you know it's it's easy for them to kind of sit back and just let her do everything but but collectively they're absolutely fantastic and they're still pushing on despite the fact they can't get any higher than fifth this season

yeah exactly you know you'd kind of forgive them for for having their flip-flops on and being ready for the beach but they they're definitely not doing that and I think it's a sign of what's to come for next season for them as well um like you said about Rachel Daly this was someone who has been brilliant all season you know being that that last person in the box and tapping it in and well tapping it in just doing her the disservice so she scored some wonder goals as well but then in this game to be the creator as well I think she got two assists and the way that they're all sort of just linking up has been incredible. I think Kenza Darley has had an outstanding season. I think she should be nominated for one of the players of the season, to be honest.

But yeah, her and Daley, Alicia Lehman now as well. There's just so much firepower in that team. And if we're going to look at teams who might start to put pressure on that top four, I think they've got the strongest case by far. And it's going to be exciting to see what they do next season. Actually, Adam Bateman tweeted in asking us for our Player Awards of the Year. But the season's not over yet, Adam. So we will return to your message.

And actually, he didn't put Ken Zadali in his list. But I'll save his list for another day. And we'll talk about that then. Final game to wrap up in the WSL. Brighton 1, West Ham 0. Brighton more than likely securing their safety. Kayleigh Green on the score sheet. Susie, seven points in their last three games

just shows exactly what changing a manager to the right manager can do. Oh, completely. what changing a manager to the right manager can do oh completely um i mean i have been a little bit frustrated like in football generally like this isn't just women's football men's football as well with the the blaming of managers when things go wrong um you know the sort of we get rid of the manager and this problem goes away kind of thing, because that doesn't work, you know, a huge amount of the time, you know, it's not just the manager, you know, there's a lot on the players as well, but like, you have to also massively credit the

managers when they do have an impact and like I mean Melissa Phillips likes just come in and got them playing in a way that they they didn't really look capable of um for much of this season to be honest like there was such a lack of identity there like but but good players I'm contradicting myself because I'm sort of saying that like in a way it was sort of an easy job right because there's good players they lack structure they needed someone to come in and find some coherence there um but the fact that they've had you know a few people try that and fail speaks to how good Melissa Phillips is as a manager um you know we saw that in the championship with london city like really really well organized unit like not you know resources but not an insane amount of resources there

and i'm actually really really excited to see what she does with brighton next season i think that could be a really really um interesting project because they just look like they've got some of their energy back and I really respect a lot of what Brighton are doing as a club and so it's quite good to see them bringing someone that could really complement that work and could be invested in in a way that a Kelly Chambers should be. I think so speaking to the manager point it's also just a thing of a little bit of thought into who your manager is goes such a long way especially in women's football um and you look at a team like Spurs who have not particularly put that thought in um and you see the difference I think if Spurs had a Melissa Phillips with that

quality of squad that they've currently got I know there are some gaps and I know that you know there's a lot of bad mistakes happening there but it just seems like they're just missing someone to to just coach them in a way that is is above what you know you kind of expect and you see it with Willie Kirk you see it with Melissa Phillips and it's just a bit of thought into the recruitment process goes such a long way when in those kind of final few places in relegation, the difference between squads isn't that big. I think Spurs are the only one that you'd say, you know, with Beth England and Iwabuchi and some sort of star players,

but it just takes a bit of thought really. And you'd like to see a little bit more with some of the teams fighting. I mean, you can say the same about Everton, right? Like in, despite the defeat to Chelsea, Brian Sorensen really really good manager yeah it comes across really well clearly got them playing well finished 10th last season up to sixth this season um hopefully stay there for the for the rest of the the campaign like there yeah there's

uh almost there's almost a desire to go for like a big hitter right like when they brought in john luke for sir they looked at his cv and were like oh champions league winning manager with leon yes let's get him in hadn't really done their due diligence around him as a as a manager as a person like how effective he actually was how how how impactful he was on that leon team what those players thought of him all of those kind of issues like that it's you you can build a reputation in women's football that is actually quite thin very very quickly and so you can't necessarily make the same decisions in recruiting a manager in women's football than you could in the men's um based on reputation you have to do a little bit uh more research a little bit more due diligence you have to understand their philosophy the way they want to play obviously

you do that in the men's game you do that for any managerial change but you you can't um you can't bank on reputation alone um unless unless you're literally looking at like an mas um like there are some a lot of managers knocking around in women's football who leave a lot to be desired and they're on a very very surface level look like great recruits and that's you know that's the reality um and clubs have to be careful so and sorry that this is then you know the the next question but speaking of changing managers Sophie Paul Koncheski and West Ham are still nine games without a win are you surprised maybe that we've not seen more conversation about their run of form and maybe his job because he did a good job at the start of the season. He did.

I think we haven't because they found themselves pretty, and they're still safe, I think, pretty safe quite early on. So it's kind of allowed for this slump in the second half of the season to sort of go a bit unnoticed because everyone is talking about, you know, right at the bottom of the table, right at the top of the table. So you sort of can sort can coast in that middle area without having too much analysis done on you. I remain unconvinced by his managerial attributes.

I hope that's not too harsh. I think he got a long way in the start of the season by starting fast and finding Dagny, Brunois' daughter in the centre, and that was basically the tactic. And I think that quickly got found out by everyone else in the league, and that's been a cause of the downhill. I think it's another example, right? I know he's a West Ham legend, and I know he was a manager in the West Ham Academy,

but to have, I think, the grand total of Billericay Town on your CV before taking the West Ham women's job, is that really enough to make you the manager of the women's team when you're in the top division and hopefully fighting for improvement every year. And I remain unconvinced by that. Interesting. Right, let's look at lower down the league, shall we?

Because it was a thrilling conclusion to the FA Women's National League Southern Premier League. Oxford United started the morning as leaders but were beaten by Ipswich. But a 3-0 win over Billericay Town saw Watford crowned champions in the end on goal difference so Watford now face Nottingham Forest in the playoff for promotion to the Barclays Women's Championship that's on Saturday the 20th of May at Stadium MK. Durham Sestria scored eight at Chorley but Newcastle United finished four goals ahead of them in Division One North having won 2-0 at Barnsley. Cardiff City ladies played their rearranged Division 1 South West fixture

at Moneyfields and won 2-0, which means that they pip Exeter City to the title. Susie, we didn't get a chance to mention last week the new changes to the FA Women's National League. For anyone who missed it, Southern Premier and Northern Premier clubs who win their respective leagues now won't need to face each other in a playoff from next season um they're both going

to be promoted to the championship which is a long time coming but it means two clubs are going to get relegated from the championship why no expansion i'm not quite sure but but what did you make of the of the changes they give us with one hand and take us with another um yeah uh obviously so overdue and if you're Watford and Nottingham Forest you are like maybe we've gone one season too soon with our success because one of them isn't going to be in the championship and that's uh sad and they should be and I think the change should have come in a couple of seasons ago and not not now um like those are two teams that should be and I hate the change should have come in a couple of seasons ago and not not now um like those are two teams that should be being rewarded expansion is like the most logical thing right I mean the fact that it is just those top teams going into a playoff going into a playoff

game for one spot is farcical in and of itself it's sort of also farcical that there's not an opportunity for teams in second in those leagues to have a chance of going up or third like that there are some really really great clubs doing really really great things which we keep saying that that really are having to argue for funding and support despite the chance of them being able to pay back that support through promotion being extremely limited. But yeah, expansion has to happen. It's infuriating that it hasn't and hasn't been eluded as a part of this

because two teams going down is not ideal. That said, if it's expanded and it's two teams going down, fine. If it's the Women's Super League is expanded and we see more come up and go down, I think that makes everything a little bit more exciting, a little bit fairer. It rewards success and performance. It has to happen sooner rather than later I feel like we always come to these kind of decisions um much much later than we should do and yeah give us with one hand take with another I might slightly contradict that because I am fully

on the expansion train but I do think um we had so much turmoil in the WSL and the championship in the first years of their life that I think it's actually quite a good idea that we've established these foundations and expansion will happen in both the WSL and the championship I have no doubt about that in the next three years that will happen I think this was the easiest solution to the problem of that bottleneck in the WNL which is growing into such a huge league and such competitive league that they needed to solve that problem quickly and the easiest way was to bring up the two two winners and I also think it might make championship teams who sit somewhere near that lower lower end buck up their ideas massively so they can't coast from seventh to twelfth in that championship and

that there's some real jeopardy there right that they're going to be in one of those bottom two to go down so that might have also an impact down there but just also to say what a league the WNL has been, FA WNL has been this year, both in the Premier Division and in the division below. You know, two Division One leagues were one on goal difference. That's, it's ridiculous how tight it was and how competitive it is.

And expansion has to happen to relieve that bottleneck. But I think it just goes to show that the game is growing in the right direction and there is commitment from teams beyond the top two tiers. One last question on this, Marva, that comes in from Nag. Exactly as Sophie said, with four of the six divisions in the FA Women's National League being settled by goal difference on the last day of the season, does it make the FA Women's National League more entertaining than the WSL and should more media coverage be put towards the 72 clubs in the National League compared to the 24 in the WSL

and Championship? Yeah I mean these debates happen in men's football as well in terms of the sort of the elite clubs being shown and that kind of cycle of the money going to those elite clubs because of TV money. And we do need to see it expanded across all leagues, both in men's and women's football. But I think particularly in women's football, when it makes such a big difference, just a bit of coverage, just a bit of extra TV money, a little bit of extra notice from the public makes such a big difference um and so yeah it'd be it'd be great to see because i think also there are a lot of teams doing some really good work and they need that that recognition um and they need some extra publicity for people to go and support you know the the extra few people who are buying tickets

and going to see it's it makes a massive difference. So hopefully we see that as, as women's football. Yeah. I mean, I agree in that, like, yeah,

more coverage is needed, but I don't think we should be pitting leagues against each other in terms of competing for coverage at this stage in the development of women's football, because the, the, like the women's super league is not covered as extensively as it should be like the premier league is you know like a lot of reporters like myself um are you know being dragged from pillar to post to try and cover a number of different teams across the league

often get pulled towards the title race like you know we need someone sat at um Reading every week we need someone sat at Spurs every week we don't we don't get that at the moment at the top so like whilst I completely agree there needs to be more coverage of the National League and the Championship like I also don't think we should be saying oh there's too much coverage of the WSL and not enough of these I think we need to be saying like the the world of women's football the media landscape needs to wake up to um the interest in women's football and properly provide coverage across the leagues um of it all um because at the moment it's still like skimming the top of potential and like let's face it more media coverage more growth it feeds all back in it's like a um not complementary relationship what am i thinking of a mutually beneficial relationship right like where um more coverage equals more uh interest equals more

coverage etc etc um so yeah has to be has to be more coverage at the top as well as at the bottom and more of it absolutely more more more more women's football and that's exactly what you're going to get next week um sophie i shall see you at wembley yep see you there marva i hope you'll be there too i will suzy rack i know that you'll be there yeah always see that oh my god are you literally eye-rolling at being a women's fa cup final i'm fatigued i'm fatigued i feel like i really need i really need you know like a game where I'm not working I need to watch some football just for pleasure like I really feel like um oh god like this is turning into a therapy session I really feel like I need for my soul to feed it with some football that

doesn't involve me writing a match report or a sidebar or thinking about player ratings and all those kind of things I just I need to love football. Listen, I get it. That's why I went to Kenilworth Road yesterday and didn't work, and I have purposely taken off loads of Saturdays this season to do that, and I'm also going to Wembley as a fan, despite being asked to work. I have just said, do you know what?

No, I just want to sit and watch the game, which is what I'm going to do. You hear that the game, which is what I'm going to do. You hear that, Marcus? That's what I'm going to do. Note to all producers everywhere. Right, I'm sure many of you will be there as well. So we'll be back next week following a sold out FA Cup final at Wembley

to dissect it all. And remember, you can now email us on womensfootballweekly at theguardian.com. The Guardian Women's Football Weekly is produced by Becky Taylor Gill and Jesse Parker-Humphrey. His music composition was by Laura Iredale. Our executive producer is Sal Ahmad. This is The Guardian. Do you have business insurance?

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