Phillips sets sights on a top-six finish in WSL

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Head coach has led big changes on and off the pitch this summer.

Bruce Talbot

2023-09-30T06:00:00Z

Melissa Phillips joined Albion in April 2023.

After a summer of change on and off the pitch, head coach Melissa Phillips believes Albion are capable of threatening the top six ahead of Sunday’s WSL opener against Everton.

Eleven new players have arrived since the end of last season, while Phillips is embarking on her first full season in charge, having joined last April and steered Albion away from the threat of relegation.

“I think we've moved forward while adding new players to the mix,” she said.

Melissa Phillips has made 11 new signings this transfer window.

“Anytime there's change and transition that's hard to navigate for both staff and players, and there was a significant amount of that last season. Building an identity and belief is what we focused on over the summer.

“It’s about making sure that we can consistently deliver a higher-level operation for the players to support and therefore we can hold them to a higher standard consistently. That's something that they want as well.

“They've certainly come in feeling that it's a high-performance environment and a lot more professional, and that was the ultimate objective.

Melissa Phillips's team beat Sporting de Huelva and Sevilla in pre-season.

“Now it’s just about maintaining those standards throughout the season. It's a long season, but we’re capable of challenging the top six.”

Phillips was only able to start preparing for Sunday’s game on Friday because of the international break but believes the pre-season camp in Spain and remaining unbeaten in four pre-season friendlies have left the squad in good stead.

Asked about preparations she added, “It's been great. There's obviously been a lot of change and transformation over the summer with a lot of fresh faces in the building, but it's been a really fun pre-season.”