Presser Points | Everton vs Spurs (WSL) | Robert Vilahamn

Robert Vilahamn spoke to the media at Hotspur Way on Thursday afternoon, ahead of our Barclays Women’s Super League clash with Everton at Walton Hall Park on Saturday (12.30pm UK).

Here’s everything he had to say…

Robert on the latest team news…

“No news from the last game, so it’s the same players available.”

Robert on the key learnings from this season…

“When you look into this season, and the expectations from last season, we were perhaps not ready to take the next step this season - both as an organisation and as a staffing group and also the players. Our style is a difficult way of playing football, you need to be brave on the ball, have the relationships and you need to collaborate to make sure we can win games. I think losing a few key players, key staff members, and taking steps with the way we want to play, it made us lose a few games because of the bravery. I think it’s a learning curve where we need to make sure we adapt and still compete in games, but also make sure we take the next step now with these next two years together. But also make sure we play our style, be much sharper in game management, where should improve right now. You can learn a lot from mistakes and you can learn a lot from this season as well but, together with the first season, we kind of know where we are, what we need to improve on, it’s different stuff, but definitely a learning curve.”

Robert on Vicky Jepson leaving at the end of the season…

“I didn’t really have too much knowledge about the WSL, to be honest. The pitches, away games, the structure with you guys (media), and everything, so she has been massive to give me the support I need to come into this league and this country. Obviously she knows the players, she’s a very experienced coach and she’s been a very good partner in discussing stuff after the games and so on. I think she has high quality Head Coach potential, so going to the US and managing a team is a good step for her. She’s been in this league for a long time, she’s going to have a massive chance to go over there and do this. For us now, we lose a good member of staff but we also do it at the right timing as she’s going after the season and we can go into the next season with the knowledge of that. The main thing this season was we lost a lot of key staff around Christmas, which is really hard to replace and adapt to. I really hope that Vicky will enjoy life in the US.”

Robert on Luana Buhler’s recovery…

"She’s on the grass, doing individual stuff, so she’s looking good, running and doing that, but not collectively. The plan is to make sure to try and get her back for the EUROs, so that’s what we’re trying to help her with and we support her with, and it looks like a good possibility for her.”

Robert on selection for the final game of the campaign…

“A few games back, we started to do a little bit more measurement on how we play, how we want to look in the games, I think it was after the Brighton game, where we were not happy with the performance or the result. From that game to now, we’ve improved in how we want to play, how we look in and out of possession, we’re focused on winning this game against Everton. Even though we always want to win, we’re going to try even more to find a way to win because you want to go out on the break with a good performance but we want to win the game as well, so we’re going to try and find a way to get a good result. Then the league will end, the table will stop, we’ll go on a restart and we’ll start over again. So, I know we’re going to really try to find a way to win the game on Saturday.”

Robert on Everton…

“Brian (Sorensen) has been there for a few years. They always have a very tactical approach, with different flexibility in that, and I think he has done some good stuff with that club. They had a lot of injuries last season, looks like they have also invested more now, since Christmas, so I think they’re looking quite strong. They’re one of those teams in and around us that we want to beat, be better than, but right now they have had a better spring than us. A club with high potential, and it looks like they’re going to invest even more for next season, so they are one of those clubs we want to make sure we beat.”

Robert on Ella Morris’ and Molly Bartrip’s WSL awards nominations…

“I think they’re great role models and they’re great footballers. Ella is one of the best parts of this season, her journey, how she’s taken steps as a player and a character, her reward is obviously something she deserves very much. Molly is the difference of being a really, really good player but also being a role model with mental health awareness, how you can be a very strong footballer living with that and developing through that. She’s one of the coolest people I’ve met, the way she can perform every time, take steps, speak out about it, she’s a great role model and I think she deserves that award as well.”

Robert on Everton’s game against Brighton…

“It’s always tricky in this league, it’s so competitive from all angles. A team wins two games and suddenly they are up there again. The thing for us this year is we haven’t won those games, that’s why we are 10th, I think we’re six points, or something like that, to the top five, that’s why we need to go to this game without (looking at) what everyone else has done and keep doing what we’ve been doing good, which is actually some good stuff in possession, creating chances and we’re much better at defending. There is some stuff going on that is actually improving us but, now, we also need to make sure we deliver some quality finishing and some real sharpness in the defending because it’s not luck, it comes down to quality. Even if we say we’re getting better, we need to find ways to be really sharp in both penalty boxes. No matter what other teams have done, it doesn’t really matter. We need to make sure we show up on Saturday and give everything we can to win this game. It’s going to be more of a fun trip home and the start of the vacation with that win, even if we’re not happy with this season.”

Robert on Lize Kop…

“She is one of those players we scouted for a long time. We worked really hard to get her in because we think she has skills that fit the way we want to play and she can take us to the next level. Most of the games she has played in, she already has shown that, even if she’s come in during a period of time where we’re not really shining as a team, so it’s a good signing by the Club, and it’s really cool of Lize to come in and perform the way she’s doing. But then it also shows the potential for next season, so when she gets a pre-season with this team, then I think we’re going to take it to the next level which is really good.”

Robert on Charlotte Grant’s versatility…

“I see her as a fullback, I think that’s her position. But, sometimes, when we want to have a game plan against some really good teams, she has very good skills to handle the winger position. The defence work she does is amazing, supporting Ella last game, but she’s also creating chances. She had a cross from Bethany [England], she had the one-on-one against Hannah Hampton as well, so she’s creating a lot of chances by being so physical as well. But she’s a full-back who trains mostly as a full-back, but I’ve no doubt I can use her as a winger sometimes.”

Robert on Molly Bartrip’s ability to play every minute this season so far…

“She had a great record before last season, she missed a few games after she played a few years in a row as well, so she’s very consistent in being able to play. Obviously, we have tough competition in those areas, so being consistent is also very good, even if we had a tough year, she’s a player that’s been very consistent in and out of possession, to make sure what the standard is and what we want to do. If you add on her leadership, her role model thing around the pitch, she’s a very cool person.”

Robert on taking positives from this season…

“If you want to have the highs, you need to accept the lows. Last season, there was a lot of praise for us, everything was going well. The good thing in a bad season is that you develop, you learn a lot about yourself, the team and the environment. In that, we also had some glimpses of what can be really good and you can tell the players are buying into the identity of the style we do. Even if you say we’re stupid to play that style, they’re buying into it, they want to do it, to develop players and that’s how you learn stuff. If we don’t fit this way, we will not reach the next level. Now we’re actually trying to play our style, that will be the benefit for next season, that we kept to the identity, and when the play gets better, we have key signings, we’re going to look very good and win more games. Individually, we have players who’ve had a really good season, Ella, for example.”