Hardest start done: Why West Ham Women’s season is ready to take off

We’ve had a very difficult start as we’ve faced Arsenal, Chelsea, Brighton and Spurs in our first four league games. Our one positive was beating Charlton away 5-1 in the League Cup group stage, where we now sit top with two games to go.

On paper our next league game is winnable as we face London City Lionesses away. Getting three points here will definitely put the start of the season behind us. We also have Brighton at home in the League Cup group stage, a win will qualify us to the knock out stages with one game to go.

So with this coming up and some very hard games already being played, there is still a very good chance we can have a very good season. We have definitely had the hardest fixtures so far this WSL season so I’m not worried just yet as I can see lots of points coming in over the next few months.

The Impact of Ffion Morgan and Improved Depth

Another big positive is how well Ffion Morgan has settled in. She has come off the bench four times and started one game but every time she’s on, she’s been a threat down our right hand side. She also scored in her first start for the club against Charlton and long may that continue. She’s a player that fits how we play perfectly so over time, when she starts more, I can see this signing being one to remember.

In our game against Charlton we started a few players who hadn’t played much this season. It was refreshing to see how much quality we have in our full squad now because in the busy months, especially if we want to go deep in the cup competitions, we can rely on so many players but also give players rest. We are used to only having around 12 or 13 first team players whereas going into this season we have around 14 or 15 which will be very impactful later on in the season. It is refreshing knowing that even if we get a few injuries this season, we won’t be struggling like we were last season.

The Defensive Focus for Improvement

But the way we have defended when we have conceded a goal is worrying. We aren’t a team at the moment that only loses by one goal as one has turned into three very quickly. So if we can change this we will definitely see ourselves win more games and have more confidence that we can still get a result.