Martin Ho spoke to the media at Hotspur Way on Friday afternoon, ahead of our Barclays Women’s Super League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at Brisbane Road on Sunday (11.55am UK).
Here are some key points on what he had to say..
On what we’ll do for Black History Month…
“The players will decide what they want to do as a collective. Me and the Club will support them. I’ll let the players decide – it’s their game and it’s what they want to do. They have to make that decision and whatever they do, they’ll make me aware of it and I’ll support it.”
On what to expect from Brighton this weekend…
“Dario’s [Vidosic] done a wonderful job there. They’ve done really well in terms of building the team and their performances are getting better and better. They have a really nice playing style, very front footed, very aggressive off the ball and they want to contest possession. We know it’s going to be a tough game, but one we’re excited for.
On how he would rate the start of the season…
“I know there’s still a lot more to come from us. We’ve had some ups and downs, some dips in performance, but we’ve had some really solid performances too. We’ve got to continue to build momentum, keep building, evolving and taking the right steps. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”
On Cathinka Tandberg being nominated for the WSL Player of the Month award for September…
“She’s had a big impact, personally and professionally. A very infectious player around the group and a really good individual. She adds a lot of quality to us as a team, she gives us different dimensions as a player, in terms of how we want to attack and defend. Her goal against Everton was wonderful, instinctive, very creative and very aware of her surroundings. Someone shooting from just inside the opposition’s half is very brave – I’m glad it went in.”
On the importance of Drew Spence and Eveliina Summanen in midfield…
“There’s Drew, Eveliina, Maite [Oroz], Olivia [Holdt], Kit [Graham], Olga [Ahtinen]… there’s quite a few in there (midfield options). At the start of the season, we had a couple of injuries, so Drew and Eveliina played together. I think they built a good relationship. They both have international experience, and both their skillsets and characteristics complement one another. They’re both good with the ball but have different ways of playing. Eveliina is really intelligent at breaking up play, identifying those moments, while Drew’s really combative in one-v-one scenarios, gets up close and makes sure people know she’s there. They have a really good relationship. It’s something we’ve used in the games we’ve played.”
On how we’ll set-up against Brighton…
“I look at the opposition and what they present to us and what are the best players to execute the game plan, the best players to be in certain spaces we feel we can get into. If that’s Olivia, Cathinka, anybody else… it’s how we do that. We’ve trained today, we’ll assess as staff when I come away from the press conference and see what I feel is right. We’ve trained certain aspects we feel we can exploit. It can be different for different games – you don’t want to become predictable.”
On the players he has been impressed with…
“Every one of them. I wouldn’t single anyone out. The effort and commitment they’re showing day in, day out on the training pitch, but also in the game… they’re outstanding. They’re doing what I ask them to do. I thought the players did exceptionally well. I’m really big on that – you start with one 11, but you never finish with the same. Since I’ve been in, anyone who’s come into the game has impacted well.”
On the appointment of Lawrence Shamieh…
“I’ve known Lawrence for a long time. I’ve worked with him at Everton and Man Utd, we’re really good friends. More importantly, he’s a really good coach. His knowledge and understanding of the game is one of the best I’ve worked with, his tactical intelligence is high – he knows this league inside-out. He’s a wonderful coach and I think he’s going to add a lot to these players in terms of knowledge, but I think he’s going to add a lot to the staffing team moving forward. He’s going to be valuable for finding those fine margins in games and tactically evolving in game. His knowledge is second to none. It’s a massive coup for us to get him in.”
On Ashleigh Neville returning…
“I’ve seen Ash a lot when I was at my previous Clubs. Obviously she’s been back in training, so it was nice for Ash to get some minutes in the game after some time out. She’s been unfortunate with some of those injuries, but now she’s fit, healthy, competitive and wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s aggressive off the ball and has the ability to carry the ball through the pitch when we have it. Ash added a lot in that game against Leicester. Her experience of the league helped us, she slowed the game down and took the sting out at times when she needed to. I was delighted to see her back on the pitch.”