If we fail to beat Chelsea, then this won't be the only reason we didn't make the Champions League, but it would highlight what I think the biggest challenge this team faces. So far this season we've failed to win any league games against the top 3. Three losses. Two draws from winning positions against 10. How can we expect to finish in the top 3 if we cannot beat any of those teams ahead of us?
We can point to the last minute equalisers we conceded against Spurs and West Ham, or the 0-0 against Villa, but overall our record against the rest of league is very good. And our record against the big 3 is very poor. Which is why we'll likely finish 4th again. And this has been consistent since we entered the WSL. And of course we shouldn't expect that a relatively new team can just step up and immediately challenge the best teams in the league, but at some point having ambitions to win trophies means we have to start showing we can beat them on the pitch and consistently get results. Any result we get against Chelsea might not be enough this season, but if we beat Chelsea that's a huge boost of confidence going into next season.
I agree entirely, we have beaten Arsenal in the league, 1-0 at LSV, but generally, our record against the top 3 has been unbelievably poor.
I just believe that Skinner is the wrong manager, he is far too conservative, his mindset belongs at underdog sides, whereas we want to be, or should be trying ti be a top dog.
We desperately need someone who takes the shackles off of this side.
We need to be better away from home in general, we have been terrible this season.
We rely sooo much on out home form, it is like night and day.
We go to away games, almost scared of our opposition, just hopeful of getting something anything out of them.
The way we set up recently away to Villa was shockingly poor, no ambition, no threat to Villa, basically nothing at all.
Now compare that to how we did against then at home.
We are just sooooo timid away from home.
This desperately needs to change, not just against the big 3, but against everyone else.
I still have unbelievable nightmares of our last away non performance to Liverpool, so next season that just adds to this as well.
I just really worry that Marc doesn't have the ability or the desire to really change anything, he seems to be over the moon just picking up wins, any and all seem to make him happy, when not all wins are good wins.
