Make no mistake, although the season ended on a happy note for Spurs Women, 2022/2023 was a bitterly disappointing campaign for all connected with the North London outfit.
The season culminated in a ninth place finish and what appeared to be a comfortable gap from the drop into the FA Women's Championship. However, as late as the second to last game of the season, relegation was a real possibility.
Bethany England was a massive and some would say 'the' key as to why Spurs stayed in the league, twelve WSL goals in as many games and scoring all but two of her fourteen shots on target for Spurs. Couple that with after England in the goalscoring tally, the next players in the column where Evelina Summanen, Drew Spence and Ashleigh Neville with only three each, the numbers do not lie in the importance of the Lioness to Spurs.
Whilst the former Chelsea forward was no doubt a bright spark, there are plenty of alternative talking points from Spurs' campaign.
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A tale of two managers:
Plenty of comparisons are drawn between the Spurs men's and women's side this season, one common denominator being they both ended the season with an interim manager, different to the one they started the campaign with.
Rehanne Skinner started off the campaign in the hot seat after guiding the club to a record fifth-placed finish in the WSL. Skinner however couldn't repeat the feat and was sacked after fourteen matches. At that time, the side had just come off the back of a 2-1 loss to Liverpool but that wasn't an odd defeat, Spurs had lost nine games in a row and found themselves tenth in the league, sleepwalking towards relegation.
During that nine game losing streak that sealed Skinner's fate, Spurs only scored six goals which left the wonderful memories of their 8-0 dismantling of Brighton in late October very far behind.
Vicky Jepson, Skinner's assistant was instilled for the remaining eight matches of the season and she made an instant impact, beating relegation rivals Leicester 1-0 thanks to a Beth England rocket to halt the losing slide.
Whilst Jepson picked up nine points, the same as Skinner from her time in charge in nine matches whilst her predecessor managed the total from fourteen matches. The former Liverpool boss managed 1.125 points per game from her period in charge whilst Skinner averaged 0.64 which signalled a notable improvement.
Whilst Jepson never really gave too much away with regards to taking the job or any talks of her stint becoming permanent, the fact of the matter is, her upturn in form which saw two wins, three draws and three defeats, with both wins coming against rivals to avoid the drop in Leicester and Reading and impressive draws against Aston Villa and Brighton, the late season up turn was what really catapulted Spurs to safety.
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A busy summer ahead:
Not to mention the fact that Spurs need a new manager to lead their side into 2023/2024 and the fact that fans will not want to be embroiled in another relegation battle next term, there is yet another battle, those out-of-contract players.
The list of players is extensive with their deals up at the end of the current season when the transfer window opens.
Players contracts up: (At the time of writing - 30/5/23)
- Tinja-Riikkia Korpella
- Shelina Zadorsky
- Cho So-Hyun - LEFT CLUB ANNOUNCED JUNE 2ND
- Asmita Ale
- Mana Iwabuchi (short term loan deal from Arsenal)
- Kyah Simon - LEFT CLUB ANNOUNCED JUNE 2ND
- Rosella Ayanne
- Esther Morgan - LEFT CLUB ANNOUNCED JUNE 2ND
- Kerys Harrop (optional one year extension clause) - LEFT CLUB ANNOUNCED JUNE 2ND
- Kit Graham (optional one year extension clause)
- Evelina Summanen (optional one year extension clause)
- Gracie Pearse (optional one year extension clause)
That's a total of twelve out of contract players, eleven if you discount Mana Iwabuchi as she's on loan from North London rivals Arsenal. However, losing 12 players from a squad of 29 isn't a good look, especially with the bulk of the potential exiting core all either defenders or midfielders and it's not like they're seen as 'squad players' either.
WSL transfer stuff… Several players set to leave Spurs this summer on the expiration of their contracts. Told Esther Morgan & Kerys Harrop likely to be among them. Mana Iwabuchi looking at options. Lucy Parker’s contract at West Ham expiring too so worth keeping an eye on that.
— Emma Sanders (@em_sandy) May 30, 2023
For example, Kerys Harrop who played 15 matches and over 1,100 minutes this season is likely to be leaving according to the above. Also this term, the Wordsley-born defender picked up the record for all time appearances in the Women's Super League. and is set to be one of 'several' players likely to be leaving Spurs this summer, according to BBC Sport's, Emma Sanders.
It has been confirmed in the days since that post by Sanders, by the club themselves that Harrop, Morgan, Cho, Simon and Chioma Ubogagu have all departed the North London outfit following the expiration of her contracts, with Arsenal loanee, Iwabuchi heading back across North London to her parent club.
Finnish international, Evelina Summanen is also a very key player that Spurs can't afford to lose, playing Spurs' 6th most amount of minutes in 2022/23. Summanen is one player who Spurs really cant afford to lose, having flourished in her number ten role in the latter part of the season, she boasts three goals and three assists this season, which doesn't seem like a lot, but when comparing her stats from 2021/2022, she's had a remarkable rise.
The Spurs number 25 amassed a total of 1.7xG (expected goals) and 1.4 xAGG (expected assists). She has also totted up 47 progressive passes received and 65 progressive passes played over the course of the season, highlighting her creative importance to this team and why it'll be imperative that she is one of the first names for a contract renewal.
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No first choice Goalkeeper:
One of the main talking points about the Lilywhites' last two seasons in the WSL, is that they haven't actually had a proper, 'first-choice goalkeeper'. The games have been equally shared, 11 league games apiece in each of the last two campaigns between Rebecca Spencer and Tinja-Riikka Korpela.
Taking a look at two time Bundesliga winner with Bayern Munich, Korpela, the fact the Finn is still able to compete at the highest level for 11 matches at the age of thirty six, and statistically having had a better time this season than Spencer, 'TRK' has done herself no harm in her quest to enter another season in N17.
The one divisive stat that pulls the pair apart is the most important for a goalkeeper, clean sheets. there hasn't been many for either goalie this season granted with Spurs conceding 47 goals in the league leaving only Reading, Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion with more in that column.
The Finn registered three WSL clean sheets this season, her Jamaican counterpart, Spencer did not register a clean sheet this season and when you dive into the stats, the problems don't stop there for the 31 year old. Korpela registered a higher save percentage, 71.4% versus Spencer's 60.4%, more saves, 47 versus 40, more crosses stopped and less goals against per ninety minutes, 2.09 for Korpela and 2.18 for Spencer.
Drawing on these statistics and the earlier section surrounding contract discussions, surely among Spurs fans, even giving Tinni as she's affectionally known among the Spurs faithful, a new deal would be a wise move.
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Bartrip an unsung hero:
Understandably, Bethany England has been Spurs' best player, even winning the players' player of the season for the campaign. Having only joined in January, it shows just how vital she was for the club.
Alongside England, Molly Bartrip is the player that most Spurs fans hail this term as one of their standout performers from the season just gone.
The Romford born 26 year old centre half played every single one of Spurs' 22 league games this season, one of only three players alongside Amy Turner and Drew Spence, but the former Reading centre half played 1,956 minutes, meaning she was only 24 minutes off completing an incredible feat of playing every single minute in a WSL season, which she managed in 2021/2022 something which this term was only completed by Manchester United stopper Mary Earps and Reading's Amalie Eikeland.
This term, Bartrip really flourished in her defensive term but also it has been a sensational upturn in attacking positions, having scored once and got three assists this season for Spurs. The centre backs assists actually see her tied as second on Tottenham's assist charts this season along with Ashleigh Neville and Evelina Summanen, showing the importance she holds in both boxes, a tool which is sure to be utilised by the next person that takes the management job.
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2023/24 - What's next?
First and foremost you must have to think all connected with Spurs Women will want to avoid being embroiled in a relegation scrap next term, but as discussed in this article, there's a plethora of things that need solving in N17.
At the time of writing, Spurs still haven't officially released a 'retained list', which consists of players who are under contract, set to be released from their contract at its expiration date and in discussions for a new deal.
Alongside this, the hole in the form of a manager and a star striker who will surely want assurances ahead of next season to have to carry the team on. their backs (yes, it does sound awfully familiar to the Men's side), Spurs Women fans will be wanting and hoping most situations are resolved quickly and progress is made so they can plan for the 2023/2024 WSL season.
