WSL 24/25 | United v Spurs - Sun 13 Oct at 12:30

jojojo

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Spurs women were last seen by most of us getting beat 4-0 at Wembley, just before we collected the Cup. What's changed since then? Zelem, Earps, Garcia and Parris (a sub that day) have left and Blundell is expecting a baby in March.

For Spurs? In the WFA Cup final they couldn't play their best player of last season - Grace Clinton, now back with us full-time. Celin Bizet moved to us over the summer. Ex-United players at Spurs - Martha Thomas and Amy Turner. Spurs new arrivals this summer included Hayley Raso, previously at City and Real Madrid. Most familiar players are probably the England ones - Beth England, Jess Naz, Ashley Neville.

Our head to head record with them: W9 D2 L1. We apparently lost 1-0 to them in the pre-season but as that was a behind closed doors match and it wasn't on MUTV, it didn't happen.

TLDR
- "it's Spurs."
 
Looking forward to the first game back at LSV.
Couldn't get a ST for the main west stand bur there's loads of capacity on there for Sunday.
Think we've recruited very well and Spurs seem weaker. However, they will always pose a threat.
2-0 IMO. Grace looking like a star in the making.
 
WE’VE GOT A GOOD CHEMISTRY
“We're in a good space. We're still learning. I can tell that there are parts of our game that are not smooth but I've been happy with our clean sheets. I think that's huge for us. We're embedding a new goalkeeper into a starting position. We're embedding new defenders, new midfielders, new forwards. I've been really pleased with the fact that the girls have taken it on. They've got this real good chemistry with each other as well. We're playing some really exciting stuff and, even in training, I'm starting to see little connections in players that haven't played together before. I think that is really important for us. It's still our style, but I just think you'll see individuals do things differently.”
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I WILL NEVER TAKE SPURS LIGHTLY
“We've got to make sure we're in good defending positions [against Tottenham] and we do things properly. We can score goals as well. It's going to be an intriguing game. I won't take Tottenham ever lightly. I pay every team the respect they deserve and this is a team that can score goals, can create chances, has great counter-attacking ability. We've just got to try to control it as much as possible. It'll be a good game. It will be tight and, if we do our things, then, you know, hopefully we can win the game.”
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OUR PREPARATION FOR THE WEEKEND
“I'm sure only Sunday would tell [if the week off was of benefit]. It was good to get some more coaching time. We're still building relationships, so it was good to get that, but only Sunday would tell. Hopefully, we’ve managed the week effectively. We've got two more sessions before Spurs so, hopefully, we can get the last bits of detail and then we go into the game ready. I think, for everybody watching, the games are going to be way more unpredictable this year. You're going to have to be resilient. You're going to have to adapt and that's something I'm looking forward to as a coach is adapting live as well. It's part and parcel of the job."
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TEAM NEWS
“Anna Sandberg will be missing for probably a few weeks, maybe [until] before Christmas, maybe just after Christmas. She had a knee issue that we've we've looked at. Then Melvine [Malard] will miss maybe the next two games again, nothing too serious, just a hamstring strain. We’re making sure she's looked after as well. She did it in the game against Liverpool. Everybody else should be in contention apart from Evie Rabjohn who's a long-term [one]."
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BARRY UPDATE
"Keira Barry is back on the field, so she's training back on the field now. Hopefully, she'll be injury free and then will probably be training with us up until Christmas. Then, if she excels, I'll leave a door open but, if not, then we're probably looking at a loan in that that window after Christmas to get her game time. What I need from Keira is to stay robust. It's hard. The kids that have come up from the Academy have struggled with the intensity."
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https://www.manutd.com/en/videos/de...before-man-utd-women-v-tottenham-october-2024
 
It's obviously very early in the season, but I think this is a very important match. With all due respect to Spurs, this is a "should-win" for us, and if we want to compete for a top-three finish we're going to need to get maximum points from all our "should-win" games. Arsenal have opened the door for us by dropping 7 points in their first four games. (IMO they they certainly deserved at least a point today against Chelsea, but didn't get it.)

At this point in the season I don't think we are ready to face any of the "big three," so having the Chelsea match postponed last week was a godsend. I think we have the quality to potentially compete with them later in the season, but it's going to take some time for the new faces to settle in. In the meantime we need to accumulate as many points as we can so we're still in the running when we have to face the strongest competition.
 
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Lobster11 said:
It's obviously very early in the season, but I think this is a very important match. With all due respect to Spurs, this is a "should-win" for us, and if we want to compete for a top-three finish we're going to need to get maximum points from all our "should-win" games. Arsenal have opened the door for us by dropping 7 points in their first four games. (IMO they they certainly deserved at least a point today against Chelsea, but didn't get it.)

At this point in the season I don't think we are ready to face any of the "big three," so having the Chelsea match postponed last week was a godsend. I think we have the quality to potentially compete with them later in the season, but it's going to take some time for the new faces to settle in. In the meantime we need to accumulate as many points as we can so we're still in the running when we have to face the strongest competition.
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I think you're right on the question of how we're performing. We look like a team that's still coming together and like you, I'm hoping that Chelsea match being postponed will work in like favour. Though it's got to be said that they're also in transition (manager/style wise) so it might help them as well!

Certainly Arsenal's form so far is good news for us. In a league this tight, 7 points dropped on 4 matches is a painful start. It's only two years since we came second in the League after dropping only 10 points across the whole season - Chelsea were two points ahead of us that year.
 
The standing North Stand is open today, so expecting a much better attendance and atmosphere than the last game at LSV. Spurs will be baying for blood after their cup final humiliation, but we have two of their best players from last season so I'm quietly confident!

Beth England is averaging nearly two goal involvements per game so far this season so we'll have a job on to keep her quiet mind.
 
I expect a closer game than the FA Cup final today but still expect United to come out on top.
 
Ooof, no right back that I can see there. Maya maybe? Or George at right and Galton at left for the sort of maybe wingback-ish formation again? Hard to call this one.
 
Ubik said:
Youthful bench! So good to see Watson back
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Yeah it’s really nice to see her, Simpson and Newell on the bench. Unfortunately it’s probably not going to be one of those games where we’ll get to see them play though. Who am I kidding, none of the matches are if you ask Skinner. But it’s good to see them on the bench regardless.

Geyse & Riviere apparently injured.
 
top1whoisman said:
Yeah it’s really nice to see her, Simpson and Newell on the bench. Unfortunately it’s probably not going to be one of those games where we’ll get to see them play though. Who am I kidding, none of the matches are if you ask Skinner. But it’s good to see them on the bench regardless.

Geyse & Riviere apparently injured.
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Jayde is a big miss. Didn't even notice Geyse's absence on the team sheet to be honest
 
Excited to see Bizet in the starting XI -- I really like what we've seen from her so far. I'd like to see Terland make a statement today to remind everyone why we brought her in.
 
AmarilloMike said:
Ooof, no right back that I can see there. Maya maybe? Or George at right and Galton at left for the sort of maybe wingback-ish formation again? Hard to call this one.
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Yeah it’ll probably be a back three of MLT-Turner-George in possession with Janssen moving up to midfield. It’s a fluid formation, I like the idea. Whether it works, remains to be seen.
 
Lobster11 said:
Excited to see Bizet in the starting XI -- I really like what we've seen from her so far. I'd like to see Terland make a statement today to remind everyone why we brought her in.
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I’m guessing Terland and Bizet may need some bedding in, even if Clinton’s hit the ground running. Maybe a pro that the two latter has played together against todays opponents? Or maybe Spurs just knows how to best neutralize them :)
 
Ubik said:
Youthful bench! So good to see Watson back
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The bench looks good. Nice mix of experience, youth and in Awujo and Miyazawa a couple of players who could be starting games sooner rather than later. When you remember that Malard and Geyse are missing today it feels like we've got good depth - particularly going forwards.

Good that Emma Watson is there as well, even if she doesn't get on the field today. The injury must have been miserable for her, especially happening so early in her United career. Hopefully we'll be seeing her soon.
 
Poor, slow start from United. That should’ve been 1-0 for Spurs. Brilliant save from PTJ.
 
One step behind Tottenham. Guess it shows that we haven’t played for a while. Perhaps a friendly behind closed doors could’ve been a decent idea.
 
Not started well. First woman’s game I’ve watched in ages. Passing/ball retention at the back been very poor.
 
Typical United performance so far. Bottling it at the min. Have a chance to go joint top
 
Good vision from Galton. Anywhere else than straight at the keeper and that’s 1-0.
 
United have come into the game now after a very poor first 15 minutes. Still look shaky at the back and way too many loose passes.
 
Scanny said:
United have come into the game now after a very poor first 15 minutes. Still look shaky at the back and way too many loose passes.
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To me we really haven’t. Still all Spurs, still way too many touches, still struggling to string two passes together, still very timid in all duels etc.
 
Agreed. Poor start from us but at least we're holding the ball and going forward more now. It's still all rather scrappy from us though and Spurs are still looking more consistently dangerous than us.
 
Too bad we don’t have Malard or Geyse (or Riviere or Parris or García). We have really struggled on the right side. Created nothing and conceding a lot of crosses when defending.

Hope we try to change it somehow at HT.
 
top1whoisman said:
To me we really haven’t. Still all Spurs, still way too many touches, still struggling to string two passes together, still very timid in all duels etc.
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Looking like the men’s team. Amazing how well other clubs (city) in particular are run through from the academy all the way up to woman’s and men’s football. City W the other night was class against arguably the best woman’s team in Europe Barcelona.
 
top1whoisman said:
Too bad we don’t have Malard or Geyse (or Riviere or Parris or García). We have really struggled on the right side. Created nothing and conceding a lot of crosses when defending.

Hope we try to change it somehow at HT.
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I do think we're looking subdued. The Terland/Bizet combination isn't quite providing that energy yet. Early days in terms of them working together but we need something to change the pattern.

Like a cracking goal by Terland from a Bizet cross from the right wing :lol:
 
I do love the knee jerk reactions in the match day threads
 
jojojo said:
I do think we're looking subdued. The Terland/Bizet combination isn't quite providing that energy yet. Early days in terms of them working together but we need something to change the pattern.

Like a cracking goal by Terland from a Bizet cross from the right wing :lol:
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Haha.

To be honest I don’t think there’s much link-up between them to be expected as long as Bizet is playing so deep and far away from Terland.

Never mind :lol:
 
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