Following a slow start to life back in the top flight, Andy Spence has remained steadfast in his belief that Everton can once again be mixing it at the top of the table although it would seem that it will take time for his young side.
Ins and Outs
Winning just four of their 18 league matches last season, the Toffees boasted the fourth lowest shots for in the league, Sunderland and Bristol’s better win ratio lifting them above the Blue Girls.
This has surely motivated the coach with his summer signings, the Merseyside team bringing in plenty of firepower in the shape of Hannah Cain from Sheffield, Inessa Kaagman from Ajax, Abbey-Leigh Stringer from Birmingham and Dominique Bruinenberg from Sunderland. The door at Finch Farm swinging both ways with the departures of Marthe Munstermann, back to the Netherlands, Mollie Green to Manchester United, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk to local rivals Liverpool, Jodie Brett to Brighton and Lizzie Durack to Chelsea.
One of the more conservative sides in the transfer window, the foundations of the team are firmly in place, the young side one that has been together through thick and thin and has fast picked up first hand experience.
The only way is up
Much like his squad, Spence is a long way from being long in the tooth but possesses a clear and solid understanding of what is asked of both himself and his team to navigate the tricky league. With a maturing side, many of which are on the verge of breaking into the national senior teams – or in the cases of Siri Worm, Angharad James, Gabby George and Elise Hughes, already have.
Despite only picking up 14 points last season, Everton were rarely taken to the cleaners, the team a step or two behind where they needed to be to claim vital points. Losing games to established sides like Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Birmingham City by a lone goal, clearly shows that they’re in the mix. Although too often, it was that one goal that let the side down.
In their second season back in WSL, the team is fast learning how to bridge the gap and turn the narrow losses to draws and wins. And although it will be some time before the team is likely to be back at the top, it’s certainly not a pipedream. Not the only team a little on the young side, again it will be the matches against teams expected to be around them in the table – Bristol City, Yeovil Town, Brighton – that will be the platform to build confidence and catapult the team up the table.