Tottenham Women Expert previews new WSL season, picks player to watch
Tottenham News are delighted to welcome women’s football expert Sion Misra as our guest blogger as he previews all the big talking points surrounding Tottenham Women ahead of the new WSL season.
In August, a new dawn aged for Tottenham and their men’s side as Ange Postecoglou took his first steps in the Premier League.
The same can certainly be said about Tottenham’s women. A lot of personnel changes have occurred and, along with that, many questions have arisen over what this team can achieve.
Here, we take a look at what the season may hold for Spurs during the upcoming Women’s Super League campaign.
Last season
It’s fair to say that last season was an underwhelming one for the Lilywhites. After a solid start, which included victories over Leicester, Liverpool and Brighton, Spurs faltered majorly. From November to the middle of March, Tottenham lost nine WSL matches in a row, marking the end of the road for then-manager Rehanne Skinner.
Vicky Jepson was tasked with guiding the team until the end of the season and, more importantly, steer them away from the danger zone. It wasn’t pretty, but some good performances saw them over the line. The goals of Beth England in particular were vital, and now Spurs are set for their fifth consecutive season in the top flight.
New manager
Jepson was handed the role of senior assistant coach in July, and the new man appointed to the head coach position was Robert Vilahamn (Sky Sports). Hailing from Skalhamn, Sweden, Vilahamn hasn’t managed outside of the Nordic country but has had success there with BK Häcken.
Having initially been appointed as assistant manager to their men’s side, Vilahamn moved into the role of women’s head coach in late 2021. Under his leadership, the Wasps finished second in two consecutive seasons, securing them a place in the qualifying round of the Champions League. However, they failed to make it to the group stages under his tenure.
Outgoings
The biggest departure from the club this summer has come in the form of Kerys Harrop. With 183 appearances to her name, Harrop is the WSL’s leading appearance maker but announced her retirement from the game at the end of last season. Having a senior player like Harrop around Hotspur Way would’ve certainly helped Vilahamn early on, but he does not have that luxury this season.
Other notable names to leave the club are goalkeeper Tinja-Riikka Korpela, who has joined Roma, Nikola Karczewska, who’s joined Bayer Leverkusen on loan, and Cho So-Hyun, who left for Championship side Birmingham City. Esther Morgan, Kyah Simon, and Chioma Ubogagu have also left the club.
Incomings
The big name to come in is by far Martha Thomas. With the wealth of attacking talent Manchester United have at their disposal, it’s fair to say Thomas perhaps wasn’t given a fair shot at Old Trafford. Now freed from those shackles, it’s going to be very exciting to see how she performs in the white of Spurs.
Another forward arriving is Zhang Linyan. The Chinese winger played in every game for China in this summer’s World Cup, and she did look exciting. She can take on her marker, she can pull out a trick or two, and fans will certainly be eager to see what she can do during her loan with the club.
Czech international goalkeeper Barbora Votíková joined from Paris Saint-Germain, where she was nominated for goalkeeper of the season in her first campaign with the Parisians. Centre-back Luana Bühler added reinforcement at the back and, having played for Switzerland in the World Cup, she will be pushing for a starting role.
Also coming into the club are Finland international Olga Ahtinen and Grace Clinton, who joins on a loan deal from Manchester United.
Possible line-up
Looking at the team Vilahamn has assembled, it looks like a three-at-the-back formation may favour Tottenham this season. With Beth England absent for the first part of the season with a hip injury, the attack needs all the help it can get, and with wingbacks pushing forward to support the attack, three at the back is the best way to do this.
Possible XI: Rebecca Spencer; Amy Turner, Molly Bartrip, Luana Bühler; Ash Neville, Angharad James, Drew Spence, Rosella Ayane; Martha Thomas, Eveliina Summanen, Zhang Linyan.
Lingering questions
1. How to deal without England
It’s the biggest fear among Spurs fans, how do they deal without England? The England Women’s forward scored 13 goals in 14 games across all competitions last term for Tottenham and, even though she only joined from Chelsea in January, she was the club’s top scorer by a distance. Others now need to step up, but it will all come down to which system Vilahamn decides to play and whether players can step up to the plate.
2. Who starts in goal?
Rebecca Spencer is coming off the back of an excellent World Cup with Jamaica. She made vital saves in the group stages as the Reggae Girls managed to produce memorable results against Brazil and France. But Votíková brings with her a lot of experience, especially playing with a club the calibre of PSG. I would expect Spencer to start, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Czech jumped ahead of her in the pecking order.
3. Can they start quickly?
It is imperative that Spurs start this season on the front foot. Admittedly, an opening game away to the champions Chelsea won’t be easy. However, after that, they face Bristol City, Brighton, and Everton. If they can secure at least six points from their opening four games, I think they’ll be fine. Anything less and it could be a long season.
Prediction
What makes it difficult for Tottenham is that many other clubs have strengthened more than them. If you look at Brighton and Aston Villa, they have made shrewd and clever signings that will ultimately push them up the table. Even Bristol City have recruited well, and I don’t think they will go down.
Ultimately, I do think Tottenham will be battling in the bottom half once more. They won’t go down, especially as I believe England will hit the ground running when she comes back. If they can hold the fort while she’s away, then Tottenham can even set their sights on a mid-table finish.
In other Tottenham news, Vilahamn was handed a triple boost ahead of their daunting Chelsea opener.