**Crystal Palace forward Annabel Blanchard says her side are eager to capitalise on the experience of top-flight football heading into the 2024/24 WSL2 campaign.**
Last summer, [Crystal Palace](https://thehalfwayline.com/category/crystal-palace/) were on cloud nine, having not only won the Championship, but also secured promotion to the Women’s Super League (WSL). A year on, and the club now find themselves back where they started.
As the team prepared themselves for their return to the [WSL2](https://thehalfwayline.com/category/barclays-womens-championship/), _The Halfway Line_ sat down for an exclusive interview with attacker Annabel Blanchard, to discuss the new arrivals at the club, the experience of playing in the WSL, and her hopes for the new season.
All the girls love head coach Jo Potter
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Having had plenty of time to rest and recuperate, it was back to work for the squad, as they built up their fitness for the new season. So, has Blanchard enjoyed the return to training?
“I don’t think anyone loves pre-season, there is a lot of running involved!’ Blanchard laughed. “But it’s good to be back in and around the girls and training every day. The weather is a lot better in the summer as well which always helps.”
It has been a summer of change at Crystal Palace, with Jo Potter announced to be the new manager in the dugout following the departure of short-term head coach Leif Smerud. Potter may have only been in her new job for two months, but already, it’s clear the feeling in the camp is all positive.
“All the girls love her,” Blanchard explained. “Everything that she’s trying to implement, everyone’s obviously on board, with the vibes around training, pre-season has been really good. She’s obviously trying to implement different ideas that we’re working on every day in training. It seems to be getting better week by week. It’s been good so far.”
It’s not just in the dugout where Palace have brought in new personnel. Jamie Lee-Napier and Justine Vanhaevermaet have been signed to help bolster the squad, complimented by the loan acquisitions of Lola Brown (Chelsea) and Emma Watson (Manchester United). Blanchard shared the excitement of the prospect of seeing them play in blue and red when the new season starts.
‘They’ve settled in really really well to be honest. They’ve fitted straight in with the group. They’re all really really good girls and obviously quality players, so we’re just excited to get going and seeing them be able to do their thing this season.”
Palace keen to not ‘dwell on the past’ after WSL relegation
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Last season was a historical moment for Crystal Palace, as they played for the first time in the WSL. Blanchard was at the centre of a major milestone for the team, as her brace away at Leicester City were Crystal Palace’s first WSL goals in their history, and the club’s first win in the league.
“Obviously, it’s just great to score goals whenever, to do anything to help the team really,” Blanchard reflected. “I didn’t really see it like that to be honest, it was just another goal, and I was just happy to win the game at the time. Obviously, I’ve got a lot of love for Palace, and to be able to have that moment is obviously special.”
Unfortunately, that win was one of only two that Palace managed in the WSL that season (the other was a 3-1 win away at Aston Villa), and they were relegated with 10 points. A disappointing end to the season, but as Blanchard recounts, the experience remains a positive one.
“It was obviously a great experience to be able to play in and around the best players in the world. Obviously, it was tough, and the outcome of the season wasn’t what we wanted. But the group has come back together, and we’ve taken what we can to learn from that season. Now we just want to build on that, move forward and not dwell on the past.”
Crystal Palace taking it game by game says Blanchard
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Having suffered such a quick relegation, it would be easy to be distracted by the goal of a rapid return to the WSL. However, for Blanchard, the team’s focus is solely on the next game, and how they can improve themselves under their new manager throughout the season.
“We want to just go into each game, take it game by game and implement whatever gameplan we want to apply to that game. We want to just go from there and try to build week on week and see where they’re at.
“Obviously, I have my own personal goals and aspirations, however, I just want to help the team as much as possible, whether that be on the pitch, off the pitch, goals, assists, anything I can do to help the team. I want to try to push the club forward as much as possible.”