Aston Villa manager, Carla Ward, spoke to the press ahead of their WSL clash against Liverpool.
-
Team News
Recovering from somewhat of an injury crisis, Aston Villa are still missing a number of key players through suspension and international duty.
"Rachel [Daly] and Adriana [Leon] are suspended. Miri’s [Taylor] ineligible against their parent club, Lucy Staniforth and Lucy Parker are still out, but apart from that we're doing OK," Carla explained.
Daly picked up a three match ban following violent conduct in their fixture against Bristol City.
"She'd be ready to get back in against Arsenal! She's got one more game to see out, but she'll be ready, no doubt," she said.
"She's a pro, she's been working unbelievably hard. You saw it in her eyes, didn't you, the two goals she took really well over the period of the international break. We'll be delighted to get her back in ready for Wednesday."
Adriana Leon is away with Canada at the Gold Cup, the ramifications of that competition affecting many WSL sides. "She's done really well in in any position she's played so she's a massive loss, of course," Ward said.
"You can see for Canada, she's flying out there so she's in good form. She's got a run that will breed a lot of confidence, so of course, naturally we'll miss that but we've got players that can step in. We've got players that can play in the nine, it's an opportunity for somebody else."
-
Liverpool challenge
Enjoying wins over Manchester United and Arsenal, Liverpool find themselves fifth in the table, only two points away from the Red Devils. Although consistent wouldn't be the word to describe them, Liverpool have been able to gain points across the board, aiding their success.
"He's done a wonderful job, he's got them playing some of the best football they’ve had in a long time. They're resolute, organised, I've got a lot of admiration for Matt as a manager and a person," Ward praised.
Head coach, Matt Beard has worked in the women's game for over 16 years, including winning the WSL twice in 2013 and 2014 during his first spell at Liverpool.
"I’ve got a good relationship with him off the pitch as well as I have on the pitch and for 90 minutes we won't be friends, I'm sure but the job he's done professionally has been outstanding. He's one of the most experienced in the division, he knows it like the back of his hands. It's a difficult, difficult opponent, Liverpool are where they are because they've got a lot of quality and they deserve to be where they are, so it's gonna be tough."
-
Pushing for top six
Aston Villa had a poor start to the season and were even being tipped as a relegation side. However, finding ten points from their last five games, the Midlands side have changed their fortunes.
"No one gave us a chance after five games and all of a sudden we're in touching distance, but we're also just a couple of defeats away from being in the mix at the bottom" Ward said.
"Our feet are firmly on the ground. We know where we want to get to, the group are hungry. They want to continue to kick on to top six, that's what we're going to go after."
More and more, top WSL sides are similar, or the same, to those in the men's game. Some of the strongest women's teams historically such as Doncaster Belles and Lincoln City Ladies either cease to exist or operate further down the pyramid.
"I think it's probably reflective. I think there's a reason there's a top six in the men's game and it's probably a reason there's the top six in the women's game. That's probably the best way of putting it," Ward put diplomatically.
"I had this conversation actually about Reading and Reading punched above their weight for many years. I think now what you need is you need an influx of investment, you need infrastructure. You need all of those elements and that's important because anyone that thinks that everyone's on level playing field is wrong."
"I think there's a massive difference in wages from top to bottom. There's a massive difference in budgets from top to bottom, and I think that I think the gap probably needs closing. How that happens, I'm not sure," she added.