Eva Olid press conference
Eva Olid press conference
United started the game strong with Jess Park weaving in and around City's defence, but the visitors quickly settled in the game with Phallon Tullis-Joyce being called into action to deny Lauren Hemp.
Despite a flurry of chances falling our way, it was our derby rivals who opened the scoring. Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw found herself in space in the centre of the penalty area and slotted home her right footed effort, before Elisabeth Terland levelled the scoring with a dramatic equalisier in the 89th minute.
Scroll down to read what Eva said about the result, how her team has progressed and growing confidence, in her post-match press conference…
FIRST DERBY AS UNITED HEAD COACH
After a tough start to the season with losses against London City Lionesses and Chelsea, the Reds are now unbeaten in our last five Women's Super League clashes.
Olid explains that "everything can happen in 90 minutes" and acknowledges her players' willingness to fight for one another after a tough start to the season, especially against other top sides.
She admits that "everything" about her side's performance impressed her during Sunday evening's derby.
"In possession, I think we controlled the game more than them, we had more possession than them," she said.
"They were more counter attacking and playing direct balls into the space, and it's how they were trying to hurt us, and we were hurting them trying to build from the back and trying to be ourselves."
Despite a relatively slow start, it didn't take long before tempers began to flare both on the pitch and in the stands. At the heart of the battle was Red's skipper Maya Le Tissier and City striker Shaw.
However, our head coach admits battles like these are simply part of football.
"Both are competitive and we know that she's one of the best strikers in the league, and we know that sometimes she can be frustrated if she's not having the ball.
"Of course we plan to mark her, be close to her so she can feel the pressing, but still she has one ball in the box and she scores, that is what top players do."
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Eva Olid reaction
Eva Olid reaction
WANTING UNITED TO BE MORE CLINICAL
In terms of attacking numbers there was little to separate the two sides, however Olid believes we "deserved" to win the game and had chances to take all three points.
"It's more about us and that we didn't score our chances. We create and we had the chances, it's just that we didn't put the ball inside the goal."
Our head coach jokes that a manager cannot simply tell a player to "put the ball in the net", but can encourage the attacking players to help them grow in confidence.
"For me as a manager what I can do is help the team the whole week for when we have the chances and the opportunities to score.
"It's training, training, practice, practice, practice, and keep growing in front of the goal. Next time, instead of scoring one, we can score more goals."
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Elisabeth Terland v Man City
Elisabeth Terland v Man City
MIXED FEELINGS
Eva admitted she has "mixed feelings" after Sunday evening's dramatic draw.
"We wanted to win and I think we showed today that we really wanted to win this game, and I never say this, but today we really deserved to win, and now it's a mix of feelings. But football sometimes is unfair."
However, she recognises the importance of today's point and our current form in the WSL which sees us unbeaten in our last five matches.
"I think the performance has been really good and one of our best performances in general in terms of fight, hard work, how we were pressing.
"Sometimes it was difficult, but, how we play with the ball, and how this team has built in confidence from day one to now in a short period of time, the progression has been massive."
To get to this stage, Eva admits the team have had to have a lot of "honest conversations" off the back of the 5-0 defeat to Chelsea.
"There's been a lot of hard work to change that [players looking upset] and a lot of honest conversations in that moment about what we can do to change this, and how we can connect.
"But sometimes you need a difficult moment to happen to react and to see exactly which problems and things that we had to solve as a team."
Despite the team gelling under new leadership after our tough start, Olid admits it is still a "work in progress" as the side wish to keep improving despite today being a "huge performance" and step in the right direction.
"Still we need to keep improving, but today there were moments that I could see how we want to play. It's a good point today, building from here, forward."
NEXT UP FOR THE REDS
United are back in Subway Player's Cup action on Wednesday evening, with Burnley the visitors to the Progress With Unity Stadium.
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