Seeing as the squad has already lost 6 players (Houghton, Roebuck, Stokes, Mace, Angeldahl & Morgan) so far this summer I don't think we can afford to lose anymore. Otherwise we'll have to join a 5-a-side league instead of the WSL.Just announced ….. Sonia Bompastor has been appointed head coach of Chelsea women moving from Lyon.This shows the will of a club intending to stay at the very top , unlike City who seem happy to continue with Taylor who appears to be unable to select or keep good players who continue to leave to get playing time elsewhere. Last season had all the making of a good season spoiled by a manager who was unable to make bold decisions at critical times during games and who appeared to be at odds with several players who where continually overlooked for playing time to enable his “favourites” to play.
This transfer period may see another raft of players leaving (the first being Morgan) who have not been given the support from the Manager. Bompastor to City would have been the best news for years.
Just announced ….. Sonia Bompastor has been appointed head coach of Chelsea women moving from Lyon.This shows the will of a club intending to stay at the very top , unlike City who seem happy to continue with Taylor who appears to be unable to select or keep good players who continue to leave to get playing time elsewhere. Last season had all the making of a good season spoiled by a manager who was unable to make bold decisions at critical times during games and who appeared to be at odds with several players who where continually overlooked for playing time to enable his “favourites” to play.
This transfer period may see another raft of players leaving (the first being Morgan) who have not been given the support from the Manager. Bompastor to City would have been the best news for years.
The only issue I still have with GT is that during a tight game, or one where we are doing the chasing, he seems not to be able to influence the game. Having said that, there was but one moment that was critical during the entire season and that was on summat like the 85th minute at home to Brighton where we battered 'em for the first 84 minutes but couldn't score. A point from that game and we would have won the league, despite the appalling reffing in the CFC game and CFC scoring fourteen goals in the last two games, aided and abetted by the Ragettes from Leigh!While I agree that Taylor is very weak when it comes to making changes and he seemingly doesn't have the capacity to manage a squad outside of narrow band of about 14 players, I'm not worried about a raft of important players leaving. One thing that has gone extremely well under Nils Nielsen coming in is we've seen Keating, Greenwood, Shaw, Hemp and Hasegawa commit to long term contracts. Plus Roord is only one year into hers and (i think?) Park too. I'm not concerned about this side being broken up.
Amongst the players that have left this time around are two players retiring and our third choice goalie. Morgan had become a fringe player (wrongly IMO) and Mace wasn't breaking in either.
The only big name i think we could lose is Kelly but i think that's as much about her wanting to try somewhere new and also she wasn't great second half of last season. Aleixandri will probably leave eventually but only in the same way any decent Catalan player ends up back at Barcelona in the end.
Whatever happens, I think the signings we make will be upgrades. Seeing Dom Janssen, Viv Miedema and Risa Shimisu all being linked at the mo who would all be stellar signings.
Ultimately though, I do think we will need to upgrade manager sooner rather than later and it will need to be someone absolutely top drawer to compete with Chelsea. Like you say, Bompastor is a real statement of intent. You can't get away with just putting a company yes-man in charge these days if you want to seriously challenge. Nils has brought a sense of elite professionalism to the club and we'll need to see that reflected in our choice of coach in the not too distant future.
The only issue I still have with GT is that during a tight game, or one where we are doing the chasing, he seems not to be able to influence the game. Having said that, there was but one moment that was critical during the entire season and that was on summat like the 85th minute at home to Brighton where we battered 'em for the first 84 minutes but couldn't score. A point from that game and we would have won the league, despite the appalling reffing in the CFC game and CFC scoring fourteen goals in the last two games, aided and abetted by the Ragettes from Leigh!
I am expecting some very good signings to be unveiled in the coming weeks 'n months and I think they will be more than adequate replacements. We should have a good CL run - if we don't get Madrid or Barca again! - and I expect us to be challenging for the title again.
Thanks for the correction.I think Jessy is a they rather than a she. They also co-host the Counterpressed podcast which is a bit more or an irreverent take on women's football but i really enjoy it. I've crossed paths with those folks a couple of times working on some women's football events and they're a great bunch.
I like your “half full glass” attitude to City women and GT in particular and I hope that your view is correct, However, I believe your “one moment” theory is false in that poor judgements by GT in selection and “in game” decisions/non decisions occurred throughout the whole season (probably the most important during the last 15 minutes v Arsenal at home) and this vital flaw in our manager will mean that the team will continue to under perform next season and every season in the future until he is gone. Most other WFL teams are improving year on year and have been catching up the “top” sides. Next season will be the same unless we act soon. A new “experienced manager” with the right women’s football and people skills is, in my opinion, the only way to encourage good existing players ( and yes there are some) to stay and new top players to come. Here’s hoping.The only issue I still have with GT is that during a tight game, or one where we are doing the chasing, he seems not to be able to influence the game. Having said that, there was but one moment that was critical during the entire season and that was on summat like the 85th minute at home to Brighton where we battered 'em for the first 84 minutes but couldn't score. A point from that game and we would have won the league, despite the appalling reffing in the CFC game and CFC scoring fourteen goals in the last two games, aided and abetted by the Ragettes from Leigh!
I am expecting some very good signings to be unveiled in the coming weeks 'n months and I think they will be more than adequate replacements. We should have a good CL run - if we don't get Madrid or Barca again! - and I expect us to be challenging for the title again.
Yer right, S, but of all the things that could and should have materialised on the pitch without the intervention of GT it was the home banker v Brighton. I had a thought at HT when they went in at 0-0 that Brighton would score first, and they did. Another statistical battering and we couldn't scab a couple of scabby goals that would have rendered the Brighton goal as a consolation and an irrelevance. This was our best chance of the title since we won it last, and as you say, there'll be much stiffer competition next season. We need to recruit some winners to complement Bunny, Lauren and when she comes back, Jill Roord.I like your “half full glass” attitude to City women and GT in particular and I hope that your view is correct, However, I believe your “one moment” theory is false in that poor judgements by GT in selection and “in game” decisions/non decisions occurred throughout the whole season (probably the most important during the last 15 minutes v Arsenal at home) and this vital flaw in our manager will mean that the team will continue to under perform next season and every season in the future until he is gone. Most other WFL teams are improving year on year and have been catching up the “top” sides. Next season will be the same unless we act soon. A new “experienced manager” with the right women’s football and people skills is, in my opinion, the only way to encourage good existing players ( and yes there are some) to stay and new top players to come. Here’s hoping.
I would add Keating, Park and Greenwood to those 3, and would look to build around/add to those 6 players. Outside of those 6, have we any other top drawer players?Yer right, S, but of all the things that could and should have materialised on the pitch without the intervention of GT it was the home banker v Brighton. I had a thought at HT when they went in at 0-0 that Brighton would score first, and they did. Another statistical battering and we couldn't scab a couple of scabby goals that would have rendered the Brighton goal as a consolation and an irrelevance. This was our best chance of the title since we won it last, and as you say, there'll be much stiffer competition next season. We need to recruit some winners to complement Bunny, Lauren and when she comes back, Jill Roord.
If we fail to secure CL football at the end of next season, without a pot of any kind I think it's time to call GT's tenure at a conclusion!
Yeah, I watched the England Women last night and as Millie Bright demonstrated that she had the touch of a dead hippo she lumbered about like some nailed on footballing disaster waiting to happen. And all the time there's Alex wrapped up against a Northumbrian Summer twiddling her thumbs, and this morning the BBC, yeah, even those cunts, described our Alex as 'the in form Greenwood'!I would add Keating, Park and Greenwood to those 3, and would look to build around/add to those 6 players. Outside of those 6, have we any other top drawer players?
100%. In the past I generally could understand why Bright was picked, she did a job etc, but looking at her last night, sorry, but she looked past it; cumbersome, slow, too heavy, when up against a mobile French team.Yeah, I watched the England Women last night and as Millie Bright demonstrated that she had the touch of a dead hippo she lumbered about like some nailed on footballing disaster waiting to happen. And all the time there's Alex wrapped up against a Northumbrian Summer twiddling her thumbs, and this morning the BBC, yeah, even those cunts, described our Alex as 'the in form Greenwood'!