Martin Ho spoke to the media at Hotspur Way on Friday afternoon, ahead of our Subway Women’s League Cup quarter-final tie at Manchester United on Sunday (kick-off 1pm UK).
Here are some key points on what he had to say…
On whether last weekend’s clash against United in the WSL was one of the craziest he has managed…
“(There were) two different emotions probably from the game. I enjoyed the game, to go in front and perform the way we did. It's a tough place to go and play, and they don't really concede much in terms of chances and opportunities and don’t concede many goals, so really good emotions and happiness from the performance in terms of the 75 minutes. We need to make sure that in those moments, we defend a little bit more diligently. Tactically, I adjust things a little bit differently to make sure we're more efficient and more solid. But, I couldn't ask for anymore and they gave me everything.”
On whether the dramatic draw last weekend adds a bit more rivalry for Sunday’s cup clash…
“Rivalry in football is good - club to club and fans to fans. It benefits the Women’s game. This rivalry isn’t about me or Marc [Skinner]; it’s about Manchester United and Spurs competing. We’re excited for the game and want to improve on certain areas from the last performance. We're excited for the game and hopefully we can reach some of the same performance that we put in, but better in certain areas.”
On the importance of this competition…
“It’s really important. I won’t disrespect any competition - FA Cup, League Cup, or league fixtures. I want to win, the Club wants to win and the fans want to win. I want to bring success here. You’ve probably seen that in the competition this term that I’ll rotate if needed, but it will be for the best of the team to win the game and it won’t be much rotation. Everything we do is to win the game and build a strong, winning culture.”
On whether he is ahead of schedule in his progress with the squad after the first half of the season…
“If I'm being honest, probably did I expect so much progress in the short term? No, because as a new coach, you know you can build so much, but you probably don't expect as much in terms of success. There's going to be bumps but, as I said before, the players are working extremely hard, the staff are working extremely hard - and then you reap the rewards for that. I think if you're looking at performances and the way they perform, they probably proved me wrong in some moments. I'm not surprised by their work ethic, their commitment to doing things, their application and attitude. That's definitely not ever been questioned. We're one point behind Manchester United in the league, two points behind Arsenal in third, and I think that position we're in now, I think we deserve to be there based on performances. But it doesn't really matter where you are now, it matters where you are at the end of the season.”
On whether it’s a positive playing Manchester United in back-to-back games…
“You can look at it from different perspectives, but all I see is Manchester United in front of us. How can we better what we were good at, but then really evolve on the things that we maybe suffered with at times in the game? That's my job as Head Coach and that's the pressure on me to make sure that we go into that game with the right attitude and behaviour. We go in tactically with the right ideas of how we're going to execute those moments and the players just going out and enjoying the football, the performance, the levels, I know they can.”
On Olivia Holdt…
“Olivia has taken big steps this season and really turned a corner in her performances, both defensively and offensively. She’s very intelligent, thrives on pressure, wants the ball and wants to make the difference. Her technical ability is second to none. She’s running harder than she ever has, getting into more duels than ever before, and her overall game has had a massive impact on the team. She’s nowhere near the finished article, but I have a lot of belief in her if she continues to apply herself.”
On Olivia and Signe Gaupset linking up next month…
“They’re two wonderful players. Signe has great intuition and creativity, is powerful in 1v1s, and very dangerous around the box. I think they’ll enjoy playing together because of how they see the game, and hopefully they can build something special both individually and collectively.”
On the emotions from the players after last weekend’s draw with United…
“There were raw emotions of joy, happiness and pride because we performed so well. Going into the game, arriving at the stadium on matchday, I felt we had an edge and there was a really good feeling around the group. We went in with a quiet confidence - respecting Manchester United, as we do every opponent - but believing we could be competitive and that we weren’t there just to take part. After the game, there was disappointment. The players were frustrated not to come away with the win, but that in itself shows how far we’ve come. Compared to the mentality when I first arrived, that’s a big shift - knowing we want more and knowing we can deliver more. Not many teams go to Leigh Sports Village and score three goals, go in front and put them on the back foot, and I felt we performed really well. I haven’t had to do much - the motivation is already there within the group. When there’s a cup semi-final and silverware in front of you, that gives you an extra edge and motivation going into Sunday.”
On Academy players being involved in the matchday squads in recent weeks…
“For any of the younger players - whether that’s Erin [Radbourne], Sophie [Jackson], Jhanaie [Pierre] or others around the group - gaining valuable experience is important, not just on matchday but throughout the training environment as well. We have a lot of young players with us on a daily basis that people don’t always see. I’m really big on youth development, giving young players opportunities and helping them mature within our senior environment so they understand what it takes to be a professional footballer. We’ve seen that with players like Araya [Dennis], Lenna [Gunning-Williams] and others - I’m not afraid to give them an opportunity when they earn it. When they’re part of the squad, on the pitch, or involved in training, that exposure is vital, and it’s something we’ll continue to do moving forward.”