Women's Super League Preview

8/12/2019 Women's Super League Preview

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ALL EIGHT TEAMS PREVIEWED - IN DEPTH ANALYSIS ON EACH SIDE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NEW ENGLAND BOSS MARK SAMPSON

Women’s Super League Preview

A p r i l 2 0

1 4

£ 3 . 5

0

ONE ON ONE

WITH

NATASHA

DOWIE

KIRSTY

LINNETT

FEATURE

INTERVIEW



2 Women’s Super League Preview



5 Arsenal

6 Birmingham City

7 Bristol Academy

8 Chelsea

10 Everton

11 Liverpool

12 Manchester City

13 Notts County

FEATURES


WSL PREVIEW

9 One-on-One with Natasha Dowie

14 Kirsty Linnett interview

15 England to usher in new era under Welshman Sampson

Contents



HE 2014 FA Women’s SuperLeague season promises tobe the most competitive yet,

writes Mike Baker.

The newly expanded FAWSL sees a total of eight

teams compete in the top tierwith the possibility of relegationto the ten-team second tierleague come the end of theseason.

2013 champions Liverpoolgo into the new season as fa-vourites, after adding Gemma

Davison and Lucy Stanniforthto their ranks.

The Reds lifted the FA WSLtrophy for the rst time in theirhistory in 2013 having nishedbottom of the pile for the previ-ous two seasons.

That success ended Arse-nal’s dominance of the topdivision, which had lasted nine

successive years and the Lon-don club have responded with

a Winter of chop and changeat Meadow Park.

Chelsea underachieved lastseason and will be looking for

better this time out, havingbrought taken players fromboth Arsenal and Birmingham.

But it’s not just Arsenal andChelsea that reigning cham-pions Liverpool will have to

contend with, emerging forceManchester City, Notts Countyand Bristol Academy – whonished second last season –

have all strengthened duringthe close season and all arecapable of winning the league.

While Arsenal, Bristol andNotts (as Lincoln Ladies) areused to the cut and thrust of

challenging for top-ight hon-ours, newly-reformed Man-

chester City Women are set tomake their FA WSL debut this

season.Having signed a host of

England internationals – suchas goalkeeper Karen Bardsley,

midelder Jill Scott and newclub captain Steph Houghton – the expectation is that Citywill challenge for the title at therst time of asking.

Birmingham City and Ever-

ton, fourth and fth respec-tively last term, may not havebeen as active as others onthe transfer front.

But with the advantage ofsettled squads and extendedknowledge of playing together,the pair will also hope to be inthe mix.

It truly does promise to be an

exciting and competitive sea-son ...


T 2014 FA Women’s Super League Preview



Arsenal

Manager: Shelley KerrGround: Meadow ParkCapacity: 4,502Last Season: 3rd

Players In: Yukari Kinga (INACKobe Leonessa), Anouk Hoo-gendijk (Ajax), Casey Stoney(Lincoln), Shinobu Ohno (Lyon),Siobhan Chamberlain(Bristol Academy), ChristieMurray (Glasgow City)Players Out: Gilly Flaherty,Katie Chapman (Chelsea),

Gemma Davison (Liverpool),

Steph Houghton (ManchesterCity), Kim Little (Seattle)

Fact File

Key Player

RANSITION has been thebuzzword at Arsenal for muchof pre-season.England’s most successful

club ever have faced a Winterof change, with several keyplayers departing and a host

of new names signing on atMeadow Park.Among those to leave the

Gunners are England cap-tain Steph Houghton, whohas joined new girls on theblock Manchester City, while

young starlet Gemma Davisonswapped London for Liverpooland the 2013 Women’s Super

League champions.In their place is a mixture of

experience and youth, withCasey, Stoney, captain ofTeam GB at the 2012 OlympicGames, coming in and excitingJapanese prospects Yukari

Kinga and Shinobu Ohno put-ting pen to paper with the club.

Kinga and Ohno will bringlook to bring a winning men-

tality back to North London:he Japanese internationalsare World Cup champions and

Olympic silver medalists.Perhaps Shelley Kerr’s most

astute signing is SiobhanChamberlain.

The England goal-keeper joins fromthe hugely suc-

cessful BristolAcademy andboasts bags

of big-gameexperience,both in the

Women’s Super League and onthe international stage.The key for Arsenal will be get-

ting so many new players to gelas a unit, and fast.

Already, frailties have beenspotted, with the Gunners ex-

iting the Champions Leaguequarter-nals at the hands of aninspire Birmingham side.But with the likes of experi-

enced old heads Kelly Smith(centre), Alex Scott and RachelYankey still at the club, they

should still be

challengingfor the WSL

title comethe end ofthe sea-son.


Dutch international Anouk Hoogendijk only joined the

club in the Winter but is already fast on her way to be-coming a fans’ favourite at Meadow Park. With 94 capsto her name, the former Ajax and Utrect defender playedin the inaugural WSL season for Bristol Academy be-fore retuning to her homeland for the lure of ChampionsLeague football. Now back in England, Hoogendijk hastargeted a return to the top for Arsenal, starting with theWSL trophy.

T



Birmingham City

Manager: David ParkerGround: The DCS StadiumCapacity: 1,400Last Season: 4th

Players In: Hannah Keryakoplis(Stoke City),Players Out: LauraBassett (Chelsea), Isobel Chris-tiansen (Manchester City), Rachel

Unitt (Notts County), Mary Earps

(Bristol Academy)

Fact File

Key Player

IRMINGHAM City have aloaded squad and a historyof doing well against top-levelcompetition.The Blues won the FA Wom-

en’s Cup in 2012 but have reg-istered a number of runner-upnishes in the FA WSL andContinental Cup.If off-season results are any-

thing to go by, this could be theyear the Blues take it all.They recently beat Arse-nal 2-0 in a UEFA Women’sChampions League battle,setting them up well for not

only the semi-nals of thatcontest but also for their WSLseason.The Blues are boosted in

2014 by the arrival of Welshstriker Hannah Keryakoplis(Left) from Stoke City, whohas already formed dangerouspartnerships with both KarenCarney and Kirsty Linnett up

front.Even beyond their big

names, the Blues have ex-tremely talented players in

almost every position. Young-er players have the benetof learning from some ofthe best, and injury plagues

become less of a concernwhen understudies are equallycapable.Seasons are often a matter

of survival of the ttest, and a

deep squad gives the Blues anedge.

Dave Parker’s side will go into2014 as underdogs but, withthe Champions League winlikely to give them condence,they could surprise many andeven have it in them to win thetitle.


England internation Karen Carney has enjoyed being the focalpoint going forward for her childhood club since returning to Bir-mingham in 2011. The winger started out at The DCS Stadiumalongside Eniola Aluko before a big money move to Arsenal sawher career really take off. While playing for the Gunners, Carneyaveraged a goal every two games, attracting the attentions ofUS side Chicago Red Stars. Carney’s spell in the world’s best

female division was a short one, though, as a year later shereturned home and the winger has been knocking them in eversince.

B



Bristol Academy

ast season’s surprisepackage Bristol Acad-emy begin life without

Mark Sampson in the2014 WSL season.Sampson left The

Stoke Gifford Stadiumthis Winter to replaceHope Powell as man-ager of England’s nationalteam as they look to qualifyfor the 2015 World Cup,following a poor European

Championship campaign in2013.Sampson’s replacement is

Dave Edmondson, an inter-

nationally-renowned coachwith experience in both NewZealand and Australia.Edmondson was most re-

cently manager at MelbourneVictory where he guided the

Australian side to a thirdplace nish in the 2013/14

Manager: Dave EdmondsonGround: The Stoke GiffordStadium

Capacity: 1,500Last Season: 2ndPlayers In: Mary Earps (Bir-mingham)Players Out: SiobhanChamberlain (Arsenal), LucyStanniforth (Liverpool)

Fact File

Key Player


W-League season.He inherits a Bristol side that

overachieved last season,

nishing second to eventualchampions Liverpool on thenal day of last season.The Acedemy also made it to

the nal of both domestic cups

but were unlucky again, losingto Arsenal both times.If they are to be successful

this year, they will have to do itwithout Siobhan Chamberlain

and Lucy Stanniforth.The duo have both

departed for pas-

tures new during the closeseason, as Bristol look to havebecome victims of their ownrecent success.In order not to, Bristol under

Edmondson must continue tond bargains in the transfer mar-ket and must carry on developingyoung, British talent.

For Bristol, 2014 will be all aboutmaintaining their presence in theupper echelons of the WSL andremaining competitve in the cups.

Edmondson should at least havethem ring on all cylinders, but itremains to be seen on whether hecan sustain Mark Sampson’s goodwork.

The experienced head in a youthful squad,Corinne Yorston has been as important toBristol’s cause as anyone over the last fewyears. Since returning to the club from Arsenalin 2010, Yorston has been made captain andplayed a huge role in the club’s on-the-eld

successes, including 2013’s second placenish and two cup nals. The defender is 30now and boasts bag of experience and guile,both of which will be important for the club

following the departures of Siobhan Cham-berlain, Lucy Stanniforth and Mark Samp-son.

L



Chelsea


Manager: Emma HayesGround: Wheatsheaf ParkCapacity: 3,002Last Season: 7thPlayers In: Gilly Flaherty(Arsenal), Laura Bassett (Bir-mingham), Katie Chapman(Arsenal), Ji So-Yun (INAC

Kobe Leonessa)Players Out: Carly Telford,Katie Holtham (Notts County)

Key Player

Fact FileEngland internationals Ra-

chel Williams and Laura Bas-sett have both signed from

Birmingham City while KatieChapman, capped 82 timesby England, has joined from

Arsenal along with 22-year-olddefender Gilly Flaherty.While the new WSL season

does not start until April 16th,Chelsea have already beenbusy getting up to speed ontheir pre-Christmas tour to

Japan where they competedin the International Women’sClub Championship.

They eventually lost out 4-2 toJapanese side INAC Kobe Le-onessa in the nal, but havinggot close to a taste of silver-

With pace to purn and plenty of trickery, Eniola Aluko offers Chelseaand exciting option up front. The former Birmingham striker whosebrother Sone lines up for Hull City, is heading into her tenth seasonas a professional, and is still just 27 years old. Since bursting ontothe scene as a teenager in 2004, Aluko’s career has taken her tothe United States with Saint Louis Athletica, Atlanta Beat and SkyBlue FC, but having returned to Chelsea in 2012, the striker has

enjoyed her best spell. She is now closing in on 80 caps for the En-gland national side and will be vital if Chelsea are to see an upturn

in their fortunes in 2014.

AST season Chelsea Ladies

were mere spectators in the

race for the FA Women’s SuperLeague title but with a host ofnew faces they intend to be rightin the mix this time round.The Blues have never n-

ished higher than sixth in thethree years since the WSLwas introduced.The league will expand to

two divisions this year, and

ahead of competing in the toptier of women’s football Chel-sea have been busy expandingtheir ranks.South Korea international

midelder Ji So-Yun is the mostrecent of ve new arrivals andshe follows hot on the heels of aquartet of English players.

ware, the West Londoners willbe desperate for more in the2014 season.Unlike Arsenal, worries over

gelling as a team do not exist,and the mood in the Chelseacamp is a positve one, with

many predicting that they willchallenge for the WSL title

come the end of the season.However, progress in the

cups and a top half nish willrepresent improvementand progress for thisChelsea side, and who inthe ranks wouldn’t takeit after last season.

L



ONE-ON-ONE WITH

NATASHA DOWIE

9 Women’s

WSLP meets player’s player of the

year 2013 Natasha Dowie and asks

all of the important questions...

IRST things rst, just how areyou related to Ian Dowie?

ND: Ha! The amount of times I getasked this. He’s my uncle. My dad

Bob Dowie) is his brother. I’ve hadcommentators and journalists callhim my dad before but he’s actuallymy uncle.

Did he teach you all you know?

ND: My dad was a footballer too,so you could say football is in myblood. Both he and my dad have

had some impact on my life and myootballing career.

You were voted player’s playerof the year last year. How pleas-

ng was it to recieve the recogni-ion of your peers?

ND: It was really pleasing. I play

with and against these girls weekn, week out so for them to voteor me is really nice on a personalevel. As a sportswoman you al-ways want to be the best and forother sportswomen to vote you thebest, it just makes all the hard workworth it.

Your team Liverpool are the cur-

ent champions going into whatpromises to be the most com-petitve WSL season yet. Are youexcited for the 2014 campaign tostart?

ND: Denitely. It’s been a long Win-er and you’re always going to bebuzzing about the new season. It’sgoing to be completely different thisyear. Last year no one expected us

o win and we were underdogs formost of the season. This time wego in as favourites so there’s a lotof pressure. We all just want the

6th to come around so we can get

playing again.

Who is catching your

eye ahead of the bigkick-off?

ND: I have to say ManCity. They’re new to theleague but some of thesignings they have madehave really laid down amarker. Arsenal havebrought loads of new girlsin and Chelsea will want todo better than last season.

It’s going to be tough thisyear with so many goodteams. I can’t wait for it allto start.


F



Everton


Fact File

Manager: Andy SpenceGround: Rossett ParkCapacity: 3,185

Last Season: 5thPlayers In: MeganWalsh (Aston Villa),Gabby George (Man-chester United)Players Out: Jill Scott,Toni Duggan (Manches-

ter City)

Key PlayerFollowing the departures of Toni Duggan and Jill Scottto Manchester City, Rachel Brown remains the oneconstant of Everton’s line-up in recent years. The goal-keeper racked up 10 years at the club last year andboasts over 80 caps for England. Her form between thesticks will likely be vital if Everton are to be competitive

this year, especially after the emergence of rivals Liver-pool last season and the likes of Man City, Arsenal and

Chelsea all expecting to challenge.

VERTON Ladies handed out 16

new contracts ahead of the newseason and after seeing the major-ty of their squad sign on again forthe new season, consistency couldbe key for the Toffees in 2014.Andy Spence’s side may not be

making waves in the transfer mar-ket but after signing up a mixtureof familiar faces and centre of ex-cellence graduates for the upcom-

ng FA Women’s Super League

season, Everton’s manager eillhoping it works to their advan-tage.Each and every one of the

rst team was out of contract

at the end of the 2013 cam-

paign with captain Jill Scottand striker Toni Duggan optingto join Manchester City.But with the majority of the

squad committing to Everton,including academy graduateMichelle Hinnigan, now captainof the club, the focus is clearlyon developing from within.

Last season Everton blooded

many of their youngsters asthey nished fth in the 2013WSL and will likely do thesame this season as they lookto compete with the country’sbest.One fear for the club is their

lack of experience, though.With relegation now a real

threat due to the formation of asecond division, Everton lackthe experience and guile that arelegation battle would require.Young players may play

without fear and pressure buta ght against the drop, which

is possible for Everton thisseason, needs experiencedheads and the Toffees may

regret investing solely in youthby the end of 2014.

E



Liverpool


Manager: Matt BeardGround: Select Security Stadi-umCapacity: 13,350Last Season: 1stPlayers In: Gemma Davison(Arsenal), Lucy Stanniforth (Bris-

tol Academy)Players Out:

Fact File

Key Player

up with the Reds duringpre-season, from NottsCounty and Arsenal respec-tively.If their recruitment drive

is anything to go by, 2014

should be another successfulyear for Liverpool, but withseveral new teams and allof the old challengers on the

horizon, they’ll certainly haveto be at their best.

In Gemma Davison, Liverpoolhave a youngster tipped to bethe future of the Women’s gamein England. The winger wasone of a host of stars to leaveArsenal in the Winter and chose2013 champions Liverpool as hernext destination, citing the club’s

ambition and winning mentality

among her reasons. Davisonpossesses pace and skill inabundance - a scary proposition

AST season may have

brought Liverpool Ladies’ rstFA Women’s Super Leaguetitle but with plenty of challeng-ers new and old this term, theycould nd it difcult to win theirsecond any time soon.

The Reds lifted the WSLcrown for the rst time in theirhistory in 2013, and in doingso they will embark of a debut

campaign in the UEFA Wom-en’s Champions League.Their European adven-

ture won’t start until August,though, with manager MattBeard urging his side to focus

on matters closer to home rst.Beard has already moved

quickly to sign United StatesU23 goalkeeper Libby Stout

from German club BV Clop-penburg.She joins defender Martha

Harris and forward GemmaDavison who have also linked

L



Manchester City

Manager: Nick CushingGround: Manchester RegionalArena

Capacity: 6,500Last Season: N/APlayers In: Jill Scott, Toni

Duggan (Everton), Steph Hough-ton (Arsenal), Karen Bardsley(Lincoln), Isobel Christiansen(Birmingham), Betsy Hassett (SCSand)

Players Out:

Key Player


Fact File

City have spent big this Winter and while JillScott, Karen Bardsley and Steph Houghtoncan all lay claim to being strong, inuen-

tial signings, in Toni Duggan they haveEngland’s brightest young spark. Sincebursting onto the scene two years agoat Everton, Duggan’s career has gonefrom strength to strength, and the strik-er’s goals, pace and possesion play

will will be a vital attribute for City intheir maiden WSL season.

EW girls on the block ManchesterCity are the team on everyone’sps as the 2014 WSL season pre-

pares for its kick-off.

Much like their male counterparts,City have spent big during theclose season, acquiring a host ofstar names as they look to makean impact in their maiden season.Among those joining Nick Cush-

ng’s side are England interna-onals Toni Duggan, Jill Scott and

Steph Houghton, who have all leftother WSL clubs to sign on at City.

Duggan andScott arrive

fromEver-

ton while new England captainHoughton has swapped life atArsenal for the amibitious City. Houghton was recently

handed the England captain-cy by Mark Sampson and the

defender, along with Dugganand Scott, has talked up City’schances ahead of the new

Houghton believes City cando a Liverpool’ and win theWSL in their early years.The club certainly has the

infrastructure in place to do so:seven players are full-time, thesquad train at Carrington andCity should go far in the Wom-

en’s game.

N



Notts County

Key Player


Fact FileManager: Rick PassmoreGround: Meadow LaneCapacity: 20,229

Last Season: 6th (as LincolnLadies)Players In: Carly Telford,

Duna Susi (Chelsea), RachelUnitt (Birmingham), EllenWhite (Arsenal), Rachel Corsie(Glasgow City), Katie Holtham(Chelsea), Caitlin Friend, KatieHoyle (Melbourne Victory), De-siree Scott (FC Kansas City)Players Out: Karen Bardsley

(Man City

One of plenty to have left Arsenal in pre-season,Ellen White’s move to Notts County has largely goneunder the radar. The forward enjoyed a friutful threeyears at Meadow Park but with the club currently in atransitional phase, White has chosen to test herself

at WSL new girls County as she looks to re-ignite herEngland career ahead of the 2015 World Cup.

ORMED out of the relocationof Lincoln Ladies to Notting-ham this past Winter, NottsCounty Ladies will be looking

to make a good impression in

their rst WSL season.Ray Trew, who also owns

County’s mens’ side, is theman behind the relocation andhas moved quickly to aquirea number of impressive sign-ings.England internationals Ellen

White and Rachel Unitthave joined from Arsenal

and Birmingham re-spectively while in DesireeScott, the Magpies have aCanadian international with ex-perience in the USA’s NationalWomen’s Soccer League.On the pitch Rick Passmore

retains the reigns as managerand the one thing he will want

to continue from Lincoln istheir stingy defence – just 15conceded in 14 league games(second best in the WSL in2013).

They may have nished fthin the table but the Imps were

highly disciplined, FA CupSemi Finalists, ContinentalCup nalists and competitive inalmost every game.Scoring goals was a real is-

sue though with just 10 strikes – only Doncaster scored fewerand they were demoted tothe second division.Doncaster were

subsequentlydemoted tothe second tier but with White and

Scott now on board, goalsshould be easier tocome by and the Mag-

pies could be surprisechallengers this campaign.

Expect them to be con-

tent with competing, though,as Trew is a businessmancontent with playing the longgame and, with so many chal-lengers this year, his patiencecould well be a virtue.

F



S far as English strikers go,she is below a host of womenin the pecking order but thathasn’t stopped Kirsty Linnettdreaming of one day reprsent-ing her country on the national

stage.The Birmingham forward is

busy preparing for the 2014WSL season and is raring togo after scoring as the Bluesknocked Arsenal out of theChampions League.“Of course I want to play for

England one day, who doesn’tdream of playing for their coun-

try?!”, she said, when posedthe question of being cappedby the Lionesses.“I’ve probably arrived onto

the scene ten years too late,England have plenty of brilliantgoalscorers right now”.She isn’t wrong. New England

boss Mark Sampson has thelikes of Toni Duggan, EniolaAluko, Liane Sanderson and

Ellen White in his ranks butLinnett, who has been capped

by her country at every stageof the youth system, believesshe has what it takes to forceher way into the internationalset-up.“Maybe I’m not ready right

now. But if I keep improving, Ithink I will be. I’d love to go to

the World Cup in 2015”, shesaid.

With the 2014 WSL season just around the corner, Linnettand Birmingham are expectinga tough season ahead.Liverpool, Arsenal and Chel-

sea have all strengthened Man-

chester City and Notts County,new to the WSL for 2014, areexpected to hit the ground run-ning and challenge at the top.But Linnett feels everyone is

overlooking Birmingham. TheBlues have gone about their

business quietly over the Win-ter and have enjoyed a positivepre-season.

“I think we’re the underdogs.But everyone loves an under-dog.“We have what it takes to

compete. I think we can win thetitle”, she said.And after knocking Arsenal

out of the Champions League,

who’d bet against her?

LINNETT:

BLUES CAN

CHALLENGE

FOR WSL TITLE


“I think we’re

the underdogs.But everyoneloves an un-derdog.”

A



“What have we got to

lose? We’re in a place where

we’ve come off the back of a dif-cult tournament in the Summer

and now we really want to try

and reinvent ourselves and be a

positive team.”

OME call it a poisoned chal-ice. Others say it’s the hardest

job in football. But for newly-in-

stalled Mark Sampson, manag-ing England is proving to be anenjoyable challenge.

Sampson was appointedHope Powell’s successor thispast Winter and the Welshman,fresh from four successful yearsin charge of Bristol Academy,is keen for England’s female

players to be competitive on theinternational stage once more.

“I think we’ve got a lot of goodpeople in the group.We’ve been impressed with

their character and how willingthey are to work hard and listen.“And we’ve also got some

really talented players so hope-fully we can mix and match that

correctly to give ourselves thebest chance.

“That’s the opportunity andthat’s the challenge, to makesure that when the players crossthe white line and put on thatwhite jersey, they’re in the bestpossible place to perform to theirmaximum.”England resume their World

Cup 2015 qualifying campaign onApril 4th against Montenegro in

great form.Under the temporary stewar-ship of Brent Hills, the Lion-esses recorded four winsfrom four, scoring 20goals in the processand Sampson, whowill take to the dug-out for rst time

this qualingcampaignagainstthe Mon-tene-

grans, praised his predeces-sors and targeted anotherthree points

“There’s been a lot of good

work in the past, which we’retrying to build on. But we alsohave new ideas that we’re try-ing to implement”, he said.

“We’ve looked at that overthe course of the Cyprus cuptournament and we’ve encour-aged the players to be them-selves.

“What have we got to lose?“We’re in a place where we’ve

come off the back of a difculttournament in the Summer andnow we really want to try andreinvent ourselves and be apositive team.”Sampson knows the pres-

sures that come with the job,having managed increased

expectations year on yearat Bristol, but even the

Welshman admitted thathe is enjoying his newrole immensely.“It’s been incredibly en-

joyable already”, he said.“I think we’ve improved

our performances game ongame and that’s the big

challenge going to thequaliers, come the

nal whistle, are we in

a position where we can lookback on our performance andfeel we’ve improved from the

last one.”

The new England boss de-nitely talks a good game. Butwith key qualiers againstMontenegro, Wales and Tur-key to come, like all who takethe national job, Sampson willlargely be judged on results.But in the Welshman, En-

gland have a manager willing

to go the extra mile, and thatalmost certainly bodes well for

the future.


ENGLAND TO USHER IN NEW ERA

UNDER WELSHMAN SAMPSON

S



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