The media heard from Tottenham Hotspur manager Robert Vilahamn this afternoon as the North London club gear up to face fellow Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) side Crystal Palace in the Women’s League Cup.
WSL action was back underway on Sunday following a busy international break, as Spurs edged out Everton 2-1 thanks to goals from captain Bethany England. Tottenham’s heads now turn to the Women’s League Cup, with Vilahamn expressing “I really want to win a trophy with the fans at this club, so we’re going to do our best.”
Providing an update on Ella Morris, who suffered a knee injury while on international duty with the England U23s, Vilahamn described the defender as “an extremely positive person” and said she is “working really hard to get back.”
Other team news included Luana Bühler returning to full training, whilst Amy James-Turner is unlikely to be picked for Wednesday night’s squad having missed the last couple of sessions.
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Spurs have ‘gone through a journey’ says Vilahamn
Previewing the midweek cup clash, the head coach said Crystal Palace are “Ready for staying in the Women’s Super League and a good day, they can beat anyone.”
Drawing on Tottenham’s experience of reaching the Adobe Women’s FA Cup final last season, Vilahamn asserted “We got a taste of what we can do when we have a great run in the cup.”
The Tottenham boss continued, “I definitely realised that Tottenham is is a sleeping giant with finding a way to get those trophies again. And I think we have, I mean, if we have a good result tomorrow and on Wednesday, we actually are just three games from a from a trophy.”
Spurs have now won two back-to-back fixtures, and The Halfway Line asked the manager whether there were concerns regarding the winter break disrupting his side’s flow.
“I think every time you have a lot of games, you need the recovery as well. So either if we’re winning or losing, I think you need our breaks to recover, to reflect a little bit and to make sure we take the next step,” Vilahamn responded.
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Squad players ‘deserve’ to ‘compete’ quarterfinal spot
The Halfway Line also asked Vilahamn how he intends to strike a healthy balance in the League Cup when it comes to squad rotation. Whilst it might be tempting to offer an opportunity to some less experienced players among his ranks against the Eagles, the manager must also consider the importance of frequent starters maintaining momentum and building confidence after what was a somewhat shaky start to the season.
The head coach explained, “We have a really good squad with upcoming players that also deserve to play, and we should have a squad that take us to the quarterfinal, not [just] a starting 11.”
“We play Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday. So obviously, I’m going to make sure I’m using the squad on Wednesday and Saturday.”
Vilahamn went on, “It’s a great way for me to assess the players, but still compete.”
Young goalkeeper Eleanor Heaps is one player who could find herself with a starting spot on Wednesday after delivering two solid displays in the absence of an unwell Becky Spencer.
Tottenham Hotspur will travel to South London to face Crystal Palace in the Women’s League Cup on Wednesday evening, with proceedings heading underway at 19:00 (GMT).