Rehanne’s six-point preview – Everton

Spurs Women Head Coach Rehanne Skinner turns her attention to Sunday’s Barclays FA Women’s Super League fixture against Everton at The Hive (2pm UK).

1 - International break

What have the team been getting up to over the break and how have they prepared for Sunday’s game?

“We had an opportunity to get some days off, obviously over the Christmas break that was a bit challenging, so I felt it was important for the players’ mental health and wellbeing to get some time off over the international window. They had a few days to themselves and came back in raring to go which was great. A few players went off on international duty, but we have really benefited from the time on the grass because we’ve had an opportunity to just be on the pitch focusing on us, how we want to play and working on the things that are important to us.

2 - Everton challenge

Looking ahead to Everton, what did Rehanne expect from them?

“Everton have got a lot of talented players within the group, so we expect it to be a tough test. They will be solid out of possession and come at us quickly in possession. We will need to be switched on and organised throughout the course of the game. We are playing a team who are in and around where we want to be in the table, so we have to be prepared for a battle and focus on ourselves to ensure we execute our game plan.”

3 - Injury update

What could Rehanne share with us about the status of our injured players and were any likely to be available on Sunday?

“It has been positive because we’ve had a little more time and the international window has helped with the recovery process. Rachel Williams, Becky Spencer, and Hannah Godfrey are progressing really well and working hard behind the scenes.

"This weekend will be too soon for them to be involved, but they are getting much closer to returning to the squad. Ashleigh Neville is going to be a little bit longer based on the injury she sustained, she’s working hard to get back but it will be a few weeks before she is involved.”

4 - She-Believes Cup

Shelina [Zadorsky] played every minute of Canada’s 2021 SheBelieves Cup campaign, what did our Head Coach make of her performances?

“Shelina’s had an outstanding tournament to be honest. Obviously, it shows the value that she has in terms of the Canadian team. They are invested in her and believe in what she is about which is great.

“I think it was really positive for her to get those experiences under her belt and show why she is one of the top centre-backs in the world. She was fantastic during in the tournament; very composed, did the things that she does very well for us, and proved that she is doing that on a consistent basis at international level.”

5 - Jess Naz

After recovering from an ACL injury which kept her sidelined for the entire 2019/20 WSL season, Jessica Naz signed a new contract with the Club, how pleased was Rehanne that she committed her future to the Club?

“Jess is obviously young in terms of the fact that she’s had 14 months out from her injury, so she’s not had a huge amount of WSL experience at this point, but her talent, attributes and potential is incredibly high. Obviously, it is our job as staff to get the best out of her now.

“Jess is building up towards where she left off in terms of the level she was at before her injury. She is certainly one for the future and we wanted to give her that time to develop and learn how we are going to play. She’s an important part of that style of play and we need to try to give her time to develop to get herself back on track from not just the injury but also up to speed on the WSL and what the league is about.

6 - Angela Addison 

Another exciting young talent who committed their future to the Club this week was Angela Addison, how did Rehanne feel to secure her services?

“Angela has all the attributes that you want in a young player. She is very hard-working, determined, with a strong desire to learn and get better. She applies herself and tries to put things into practice on a day-to-day basis.   

“Those are the types of young players that you want to work with who are prepared to commit fully and go and do the best that they possibly can. For us as staff, she is a joy to work with and constantly looking to improve. From our perspective, it is about tweaking certain aspects to enhance the strengths that she has. She is a handful in possession, and I think that is definitely something we can look to utilise to our advantage going forward."