On the fan forum last night…
“It's important. I think for the unity between the Club, between the men's and women's teams, and also the club as a whole, being able to come together to meet the fans, answer questions, and to outline the direction we're going in and where the club's going in with both teams. To be there with Thomas [Frank] was more important for me, someone who I've looked up too, and I still looked up as to as a Head Coach, and someone who I have a good relationship with. So, it was a really nice occasion for us - myself and Bethany [England] to be there and be part of that panel.”
On his relationship with Thomas Frank…
“We speak quite a bit, over the phone and on message, and we come across each other quite a lot when I'm over this side (of the training ground). We have a good relationship, he gives me small golden nuggets of advice and supports me off and on the pitch. He's always looking out for our results and he's always cheering the team on, so that's really important and I'm the same with them as a team. I think, collectively, that shows a really clear unity between both teams and we just need to keep building that relationship so we can continue to win games between one another.”
On the performance against Chelsea…
It was important. I think defensively we were good as we restricted them for large parts in terms of a clear-cut chances. Yes, they had a lot of ball, they had a lot of touches in our penalty area, they had shots, but to limit them to four shots over the whole game, limit them to one shot on target in the first half - I think deserves big credit to the playing group, to stick to something and be really effective. It took a moment of brilliance from Keira Walsh to break that down, but I couldn't have asked any more. It doesn’t just set you up for now, but it sets you up for the future, in terms of being hard to beat, and you need that mentality and that organisation to allow that. The players did themselves proud in that game and, apart from the result, we never want to lose, I hate losing, but we can definitely take positives from the defensive performance from the game.”
On what to expect from Birmingham City this weekend…
“Amy [Merricks] is a wonderful coach and has a wonderful group of players up at Birmingham, headed up by Hope Powell. They will definitely push for promotion from the Women’s Super League 2, so we're expecting a really tough game, a really efficient game. I think both teams like to have the ball, both teams want to press aggressively, so it should set up to being an entertaining game.”
On the potential of Academy players breaking into the first team…
“We have a lot of (Under-19s) training with us over the weeks. Jhanaie [Pierre] been in with us, Mia Endacott has been in with us and Sophie Jackson has been in with us quite a lot - she's now just had the call up for the England Under-19s. So there's a lot of young players coming through, a lot of good players coming through, but we don't put them in situations where they're going to suffer because you want to have a good experience in youth development and also in senior football. We also have to make sure they've got the right characteristics and they’re at the right level before they come in. I'd like to think, throughout my career, my gauge on when a player is ready is quite good in this league. There's also a lot of players training with us and that's the most important thing for me, that we see a group of solid players coming through our Academy. I work really closely with Nick [Hardy] on that, to make sure that we we're using the ethos of the club - which is to develop our own talent. But we have to make sure we get that process right where players want to be a part of it and players want to enjoy what they do - and we don't try and push them too soon, too early, where they fail too much.”
On Amy Merricks…
“She’s had a wonderful grounding as a coach and she’d probably say that herself, with Hope [Powell] around her, and some of the other staff she's worked with. She's demonstrated now her capabilities as a coach within the Birmingham set-up. She's been very competitive, she has a very well organised team, which I think is important, and she has very, very clear principles, which you can see in the way the players behave on the pitch. She's well respected in the game, which is another big positive about Amy, but also I have a lot of time for her as an individual. I know that this game's going to be tough. She’ll have those players well drilled and really well organised for this game, and their energy will be high so we have to make sure we go and be on that if we want to be competitive in this game. She has a bright future in the game and I think it’s only the start of her career in club football. She’s a top, top coach and no doubt she has a bright future.”
On the importance of going far in the competition…
“It’s a real opportunity to show that Spurs is part of a really strong pack of teams within this league - and not that it's just a one directional competition where a group of teams just seem to win it. I feel when we perform on our day – when we’re organised and we're efficient - I feel we're a match for anyone. More importantly, the more we keep growing, developing on the field, the more we can become more of a match for anybody around us, and then we can push more to those latter stages of competition. So, no matter what game I go into, if it's Cup, if it’s league, I always want to win - I hate losing. I need to make sure that we continue those behaviours, that mentality with the group, so Spurs becomes a force within this league and in any competition - that we can go out and win.”
On Jess Naz’s performances so far and the England squad selection…
“I think Jess has been performing well. What Sarina [Weigman] chooses, I respect as a coach. She's a national team coach and she picks what she feels is right, but what I do know is Jess has taken big steps. She's definitely in Sarina’s plans and her eyeline because we've spoke. It's just making sure we can continue to push Jess and challenge her to make sure that she's always in that position where Sarina’s thinking of her. She’s had a wonderful start of the season, and we have to make sure that Jess continues with that confidence and belief. I have no doubts that she'll in that England set up in the future.”
On Lize Kop being nominated for WSL Player of the Month award…
“Lize has had an impact since I've been here. She's definitely had an influence on Eleanor [Heeps] and on Sophie [Jackson], definitely. She has a big impact on the team in terms of how we play but also how we defend and her organisation in communication behind that backline is vital to what we do. I think her recognition for Player of the Month is a credit to what she's delivered for the team and, more importantly, it's a credit to herself for getting that recognition. Lize’s getting recognition for performances where we won in the game, but she has also made some big saves and big moments. That's really important for me - knowing I've got a goalkeeper there that can make that big save, that big moment, even when you don't have much to do.”
