The 2014 Women’s Super League season promises to be the most competitive to date according to Matt Beard – manager of defending champions Liverpool.
The newly expanded WSL sees a total of eight teams compete in the top tier with the possibility of relegation to the ten-team second tier league come the end of the season.
The Reds lifted the WSL crown for the first time in their history in 2013 having finished bottom of the pile for the previous two seasons.
That success ended Arsenal’s dominance of the top division, which had lasted nine successive years, but former Chelsea manager Beard expects the Gunners to fire back in 2014.
Matt Beard fact file
- Born: January 1978
- Previous clubs: Kingstonian FC, Hampton & Richmond Borough FC, Charlton Athletic Women FC & Millwall Lionesses FC
- Did you know?: Beard was the first person to manage Chelsea Ladies in the WSL
But it’s not just Arsenal that reigning champions Liverpool will have to contend with, emerging force Manchester City, Notts County and Bristol Academy – who finished second last season – have all strengthened and Beard is relishing the challenge.
“Next year will be the most difficult, you’ve got Manchester City buying good players coming into the division and you’ve got Notts County who were formerly Lincoln Ladies, Arsenal who will regroup and Bristol will get stronger as well,” said Beard.
“It will be the toughest and most competitive division for a while, so from our point of view we’ll all keep our feet on the ground and try as hard as we can to win more trophies.”
Last term wasn’t all doom and gloom for Arsenal, though. Despite relinquishing their WSL crown manager Shelley Kerr led her side to a Continental Cup and FA Women’s Cup double.
And the former Scotland international is aiming to improve on their third-place finish in 2013.
“For me personally I’m really excited in terms of the club and the future,” said Kerr. “We’ve worked on increasing the professionalism.
“In terms of winning the double last year that was good but it is about building on that this year.”
While Arsenal are used to the cut and thrust of challenging for top-flight honours, newly-reformed Manchester City Women are set to make their WSL debut this season.
Beard led Liverpool Ladies to the 2013 FA WSL title
Having signed a host of England internationals – such as goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, midfielder Jill Scott and new club captain Steph Houghton – the expectation is that City will challenge for the title at the first time of asking.
But manager Nick Cushing is urging patience as his side adjust to the rigours of the WSL.
“We are taking one step at a time at the minute,” said Cushing. “We are trying to focus on building a team that is going to be competitive.
“We are a new team at WSL level. I think at the moment our first aim is to try and build a team and building the right environment and culture.
“Of course it will help that we have brought in England internationals because they have played together.
“But it’s more important that they are experienced as players. The experience that they have had at international level has given them the mentality and the mindset that we want at the club.”
Birmingham City and Everton, fourth and fifth last year respectively last term, may not have been as active as others on the transfer front.
But with the advantage of settled squads and extended knowledge of playing together, the pair will also hope to be in the mix.
Two sides who will be determined to adapt quickly to off-field changes will be newly-relocated Notts County and Bristol Academy.
Previously Lincoln Ladies, the former moved to Nottingham at the end of last season to begin a fresh chapter while Dave Edmondson begins his maiden season with Bristol Academy following former manager Mark Sampson’s appointment as England Women’s manager.
They will be going up against Chelsea Ladies, who are aiming to propel themselves further up the table having never finished higher than sixth in the three years since the WSL was introduced.
But with a string on new faces brought in during the winter, including a quarter of England internationals in Katie Chapman, Gilly Flaherty, Laura Bassett and Rachel Williams, manager Emma Hayes believes the Blues should not be ruled out of the reckoning.
“With the new signings we have made I think we can continue to improve, we definitely want to be more competitive next season,” she said.
“Chelsea have languished at the bottom of the table for too long and we had to look to address that.
“We want to keep improving. Chelsea have not won trophy and it’s about time we changed that and we were competing for something.”
Liverpool kick-off their FA WSL season on 17 April with a home fixture against Manchester City.
Visit the FA WSL website for full fixtures, results and league tables.
