WSL 21/22 | United v Brighton - Sun 3 April at 12:00

[jojojo]

So we're back at Leigh Sports Village this weekend, and like every match between now and the end of the season it's a must win if we're going to keep alive our hopes of finishing third and qualifying for a CL place. The odds are still in City's favour - but who knows maybe West Ham will do us a favour this weekend and our forwards will have their scoring boots on (and Brighton won't bring theirs)

The match is live and free to view in most countries on FAPlayer.

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[Grande]

How many centre backs do we have now?

 

[jojojo]

How many centre backs do we have now?

I think Thorisdottir is still fit...

For anyone who doesn't know - Diane Caldwell got injured just before the Everton, which is why she didn't appear at OT. Whether she'll be back for this one, I don't know. Maybe we'll get an update in the press conference, though Skinner is often pretty cagey about these things.

I guess we may be relying on Hayley Ladd to play there again.

 

[MUW4Eva]

I think Thorisdottir is still fit...

For anyone who doesn't know - Diane Caldwell got injured just before the Everton, which is why she didn't appear at OT. Whether she'll be back for this one, I don't know. Maybe we'll get an update in the press conference, though Skinner is often pretty cagey about these things.

I guess we may be relying on Hayley Ladd to play there again.

Ladd plays CB for Wales, so we should be fine if she has to play there, although I will always prefer her in midfield.

I hope that we can see Hanson on the right instead of Thomas, as it is always hugely more beneficial to play an actual wide player out wide.

So just the one change from the Everton starting line up for me.

I dearly want to see Risa starting again, but it seems to be an either/or situation between her and Jackie.

Bruun hasn't done enough to oust Russo from the starting line up, so I hope that she doesn't start instead of Russo.

 

[Grande]

Ladd plays CB for Wales, so we should be fine if she has to play there, although I will always prefer her in midfield.

I hope that we can see Hanson on the right instead of Thomas, as it is always hugely more beneficial to play an actual wide player out wide.

So just the one change from the Everton starting line up for me.

I dearly want to see Risa starting again, but it seems to be an either/or situation between her and Jackie.

Bruun hasn't done enough to oust Russo from the starting line up, so I hope that she doesn't start instead of Russo.

Against the best opponents, I guess Hayley Ladd is still hugely important in midfield. Against Brighton, I hope we can get away with Zelem Groenen and Risa. But then there’s Toone. At least we seem to have many good options going forward, even if the big stars are at the top three clubs.

In defense we could use a break now.

 

[MUW4Eva]

Against the best opponents, I guess Hayley Ladd is still hugely important in midfield. Against Brighton, I hope we can get away with Zelem Groenen and Risa. But then there’s Toone. At least we seem to have many good options going forward, even if the big stars are at the top three clubs.

In defense we could use a break now.

Our options in central midfield are the strongest in our whole squad, it is in others where we are weak.

We have just two real wide players, one for each side, in Galton on the left and Hanson on the right, we really could do with some more depth there in the summer.

I don't see how we can play both Groenen and Risa together, it is surely one or the other, as we need to play two wide players, Tooney just behind Russo.

So only one of Jackie or Risa should be starting games, sad to say, as love them both..

But if Jackie doesn't sign a new deal, at least next season that might make that decision easier, as she won't be here sadly.

As for the Brighton game, I would hope that Diane might be fit for this.

Having both first choice CB's out, really isn't helpful, especially with that huge Chelsea game looming large, like the sword of Damocles over us.

We need to win this game, just like the Everton game before it, preferably a big win would be even better, as City will be upping their GD significantly in their games, but beggers can't be choosers, so I will take the 3 points by any means necessary.

It really is getting to be "squeaky bum time", as someone once famously said!

 

[jojojo]

Team news - Fuso returns to the squad, but otherwise it sounds like we have the same players available as we had for the Everton match.

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Marc Skinner also talked a little about renewals and recruitment, but no actual news there.

 

[MUW4Eva]

Team news - Fuso returns to the squad, but otherwise it sounds like we have the same players available as we had for the Everton match.

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Marc Skinner also talked a little about renewals and recruitment, but no actual news there.

The lack of renewals does worry me, and will do until there is some actual confirmation, it would be really worrisome if they all left, as they are sooo key to how we play.

No Diane for this game it seems sadly, which means another makeshift CB partnership, having three 3 CB's out at the same time, really isn't helpful.

We can't be going into the Chelsea game with 1 or no proper CB......that would be the nightmare scenario.

Hopefully we can get through this game unscathed, as we need some luck on the injury front, especially at the back.

 

[Maestro14]

Same line up as last week.

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[Ayush_reddevil]

Well at least we won somehow. 1-0 at home doesn’t do much for goal difference. United need a miracle in terms of someone raking points of city but it seems unlikely

 

[jojojo]

Yep. It's getting hard to see us taking third. Chelsea will almost certainly want all three points in our last match of the season. Even if we were to pull out a great win there, our goalscoring form hasn't been good enough to give us any confidence about GD.

Hopefully someone does us a favour and takes points off City - it's just hard to see who might do it, given their current form!

Our run in:
Aston Villa (away)
West Ham (home)
Chelsea (away)

City's:
Birmingham (H)
Leicester (H)
Brighton (H)
Reading (A)

That said - all we have to do is win all our matches by good margins and we're in with a shout

 

[MUW4Eva]

Yep. It's getting hard to see us taking third. Chelsea will almost certainly want all three points in our last match of the season. Even if we were to pull out a great win there, our goalscoring form hasn't been good enough to give us any confidence about GD.

Hopefully someone does us a favour and takes points off City - it's just hard to see who might do it, given their current form!

Our run in:
Aston Villa (away)
West Ham (home)
Chelsea (away)

City's:
Birmingham (H)
Leicester (H)
Brighton (H)
Reading (A)

That said - all we have to do is win all our matches by good margins and we're in with a shout

Yeah our GD is terrible, today was very poor, we are miles away from the rest of the "big 3" in terms of being ruthless in front of goal.

Look at how often those teams score more than 3 goals, then you look at us, it is no wonder we will miss out on Champions League yet again, we give our opponents hope from the 70th minute onwards tonnes of confidence.

We have dropped sooo many silly points precisely because we are only one goal up, by being two, three or more goals up at that period, then there is no chance of that happening.

It is something that we need to massively improve upon for next season, as barring a hugely unlikely scenario playing out (City dropping points, or us beating Chelsea), we will miss out on Champions League yet again.

So it was vital to get the three pints today for sure, but these are with respect the games, that we need to be running up the GD against, being happy with the three points is just the bare minimum.

 

[RedPed]

I don't know why Sigsworth went to Leicester City. She's wasted there just like Gauvin at Everton and now she's done her ACL again so she's crocked for a while now.

 

[MUW4Eva]

I don't know why Sigsworth went to Leicester City. She's wasted there just like Gauvin at Everton and now she's done her ACL again so she's crocked for a while now.

It depends on what Siggy's other options were I suppose, she is a good player, nothing overly great, but a good solid player, I liked her when she was with us, but we have got better in the shape of Russo since she left.

I wish her well, and I just hope that Russo is here next season, as I do the other players that are coming to the end of their contracts.

 

[RedPed]

It depends on what Siggy's other options were I suppose, she is a good player, nothing overly great, but a good solid player, I liked her when she was with us, but we have got better in the shape of Russo since she left.

I wish her well, and I just hope that Russo is here next season, as I do the other players that are coming to the end of their contracts.

She was my fave player at United. Very direct and always on the end of chances. She still could have done a job here.

 

[croadyman]

Yeah our GD is terrible, today was very poor, we are miles away from the rest of the "big 3" in terms of being ruthless in front of goal.

Look at how often those teams score more than 3 goals, then you look at us, it is no wonder we will miss out on Champions League yet again, we give our opponents hope from the 70th minute onwards tonnes of confidence.

We have dropped sooo many silly points precisely because we are only one goal up, by being two, three or more goals up at that period, then there is no chance of that happening.

It is something that we need to massively improve upon for next season, as barring a hugely unlikely scenario playing out (City dropping points, or us beating Chelsea), we will miss out on Champions League yet again.

So it was vital to get the three pints today for sure, but these are with respect the games, that we need to be running up the GD against, being happy with the three points is just the bare minimum.

Yeah the girls will look back at the end of the season and be kicking themselves for chucking away late leads at Spurs, Everton & West Ham

 

[MUW4Eva]

Yeah the girls will look back at the end of the season and be kicking themselves for chucking away late leads at Spurs, Everton & West Ham

Not just those games, but the draw at home to City, and the defeat away to City, both games we really should have gotten more out of then we did.

Once again, just like last season, it is turning into another case of "what if", or "what could have been", and it is getting rather frustrating, as we are sooooo very close to really pushing the "big 3", but for some reason or another, be it injuries (last season no James or Heath for large parts of the season, this time it is Millie Turner and Mannion) or just not being clinical enough in front of goal (I mean I love what Jackie brings to our team, but the fact that she is seemingly taking longer than Forlan to score her first goal for us isn't good enough.), apart from Tooney and Russo, our goalscoring is very poor, Galton, has chipped in with a few, but really she should be scoring more than she has for her talents, and after that, it is slim pickings....Thomas, Hanson, Risa, (Zelem has done very well from set-pieces, but her open play goals, seem very low) haven't really contributed all that many goals.

We seem to be a two person team, when it comes to goals, stop Russo and Tooney, and you basically stop us from scoring, compare that to our rivals, City, Arsenal and Chelsea, have sooo many attacking options that can and do score on a regular basis, we are miles away from having such depth like that.
Bruun was brought in to help out, but she has spent more time out injured than on the pitch, and even when she has been on the pitch, she has done naff all.

Next season, scoring goals is definitely an area that we need to look to improve upon, as until we do, then we will consistently miss out on a Champions League place sadly.

One goal wins, yes are good in terms of the win, but realistically, they are not good enough, not when Chelsea regularly score more than 3 in a game, same for Arsenal and City, look at how we had to come from behind to beat Everton, after City had just beaten them 4-0 in back to back games, that is the difference we are talking about here, yes we should have had another goal, that was wrongly ruled out, but the point still stands, we are no where near as ruthless in front of goal, as our rivals for a Champions League place. We are very wasteful, so many times against Brighton, we had shots, that were either way over the bar, or very tame, with next to no power.
We either need to practice more in training on shooting drills, or we need to bring in players that can have a far bigger impact then what Bruun has had so far (watch her go on to score the winner against Chelsea now.....)

A fully fit first eleven is about the 4th best in the league, and it will be no surprise as to where we eventually, most likely will finish at the end of the season, sadly we haven't had close to a fully fit side for too many games this season, what with Millie Tuner being absent for as long as she has.

We need to invest hugely in the summer, if we really want to push on, and not be seen as the 4th best side for ever, as that would be ever sooo frustrating, as it would be ace to see us competing in the Champions League, even just once.
To do so, would require us to pull out all of the stops, and sign some marquee names, not just more cast offs from other sides as we have been doing since we got promoted.
For example, Viv is coming to the end of her contract at Arsenal, why not sign her? Or make a play for some other top star, rather than just being satisfied with players who are just about good

 

[croadyman]

Not just those games, but the draw at home to City, and the defeat away to City, both games we really should have gotten more out of then we did.

Once again, just like last season, it is turning into another case of "what if", or "what could have been", and it is getting rather frustrating, as we are sooooo very close to really pushing the "big 3", but for some reason or another, be it injuries (last season no James or Heath for large parts of the season, this time it is Millie Turner and Mannion) or just not being clinical enough in front of goal (I mean I love what Jackie brings to our team, but the fact that she is seemingly taking longer than Forlan to score her first goal for us isn't good enough.), apart from Tooney and Russo, our goalscoring is very poor, Galton, has chipped in with a few, but really she should be scoring more than she has for her talents, and after that, it is slim pickings....Thomas, Hanson, Risa, (Zelem has done very well from set-pieces, but her open play goals, seem very low) haven't really contributed all that many goals.

We seem to be a two person team, when it comes to goals, stop Russo and Tooney, and you basically stop us from scoring, compare that to our rivals, City, Arsenal and Chelsea, have sooo many attacking options that can and do score on a regular basis, we are miles away from having such depth like that.
Bruun was brought in to help out, but she has spent more time out injured than on the pitch, and even when she has been on the pitch, she has done naff all.

Next season, scoring goals is definitely an area that we need to look to improve upon, as until we do, then we will consistently miss out on a Champions League place sadly.

One goal wins, yes are good in terms of the win, but realistically, they are not good enough, not when Chelsea regularly score more than 3 in a game, same for Arsenal and City, look at how we had to come from behind to beat Everton, after City had just beaten them 4-0 in back to back games, that is the difference we are talking about here, yes we should have had another goal, that was wrongly ruled out, but the point still stands, we are no where near as ruthless in front of goal, as our rivals for a Champions League place. We are very wasteful, so many times against Brighton, we had shots, that were either way over the bar, or very tame, with next to no power.
We either need to practice more in training on shooting drills, or we need to bring in players that can have a far bigger impact then what Bruun has had so far (watch her go on to score the winner against Chelsea now.....)

A fully fit first eleven is about the 4th best in the league, and it will be no surprise as to where we eventually, most likely will finish at the end of the season, sadly we haven't had close to a fully fit side for too many games this season, what with Millie Tuner being absent for as long as she has.

We need to invest hugely in the summer, if we really want to push on, and not be seen as the 4th best side for ever, as that would be ever sooo frustrating, as it would be ace to see us competing in the Champions League, even just once.
To do so, would require us to pull out all of the stops, and sign some marquee names, not just more cast offs from other sides as we have been doing since we got promoted.
For example, Viv is coming to the end of her contract at Arsenal, why not sign her? Or make a play for some other top star, rather than just being satisfied with players who are just about good

Yeah Miedema would be quality signing, however don't see her joining a rival, yes forgot about the lead we chucked away at home to City as well

 

[MUW4Eva]

Yeah Miedema would be quality signing, however don't see her joining a rival, yes forgot about the lead we chucked away at home to City as well

Who at the time, before he arrived, saw RvP joining a rival??

To compete with the "big 3", we need to make statement or marquee signings, Viv would definitely be that for sure, why not enlist RvP to convince her to make the move to us??

We will not push out one of those 3 sides, if we continually with respect, only make signings from teams below us, we need to really make big signings; signings that they themselves might make.

This is a huge summer for the club, on both sides (male and female), if we get either or both wrong, then that could set us back years.

It is vital that we look to do things right, and that would mean for the women's side, sorting out contracts for players, and bringing in top class players.

This summer we shall see what the clubs intentions are, and I hope that they are not ti remain stagnant as the 4th best WSL side, but rather to push on to be the third, second or perhaps the best side.

That is the dream/hope, call it what you want or is applicable.

If we don't, and we are happy just being 4th best, then, it will be very hard to take, but I will still be there showing my support as often as I can.

 

[croadyman]

Who at the time, before he arrived, saw RvP joining a rival??

To compete with the "big 3", we need to make statement or marquee signings, Viv would definitely be that for sure, why not enlist RvP to convince her to make the move to us??

We will not push out one of those 3 sides, if we continually with respect, only make signings from teams below us, we need to really make big signings; signings that they themselves might make.

This is a huge summer for the club, on both sides (male and female), if we get either or both wrong, then that could set us back years.

It is vital that we look to do things right, and that would mean for the women's side, sorting out contracts for players, and bringing in top class players.

This summer we shall see what the clubs intentions are, and I hope that they are not ti remain stagnant as the 4th best WSL side, but rather to push on to be the third, second or perhaps the best side.

That is the dream/hope, call it what you want or is applicable.

If we don't, and we are happy just being 4th best, then, it will be very hard to take, but I will still be there showing my support as often as I can.

Yeah I hope that we have ambitions to at least push the top 3, need to improve in the head to heads with those teams. Yeah would be nice if Robin could help attract Miedema to Utd.

 

[MUW4Eva]

Yeah I hope that we have ambitions to at least push the top 3, need to improve in the head to heads with those teams. Yeah would be nice if Robin could help attract Miedema to Utd.

This summer we will see for sure, just what the ambitions are from the club in terms of the women's team.

For the price of Phil Jones' wages for 3 months, we could have a very competitive squad of players, it is just are they really prepared to sanction this, and increase our tiny budget accordingly.

Without Champions League football to offer players of such a significant calibre that will make such a huge difference to close or even usurp those "big 3" sides, we will have to slightly over pay to bring them in.

That isn't ideal by any means, but we are playing catch up to sides that have been at the top for decades, next season will be our 4th (or third depending on how you classify that season that was cut short when we had 3 games in hand due to Covid), and it is just the situation we find ourselves in.

We have to try to find players good enough to really push us onto that next level, and they will not come cheap, so it is down to if Joel is willing to fund such transfers.

I sure hope that he will.....having next season be a carbon copy of this one, & the one before it, of finishing 4th yet again would be unbelievably frustrating.