New head coach Melissa Phillips is confident Albion can retain their WSL status and push on next season.
Phillips took over on a two-and-a-half year contract last week and, with the international break over, she will work with the full squad for the first time today as Albion prepare for Saturday’s Vitality FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.
She said, “If we can remain a WSL club this season it will be a good achievement considering the amount of transition the players and staff have gone through this season already. It’s not been easy, let alone trying to push forward alongside the rapid growth of the women’s game.
“The only way is up. We have to make sure we’re moving in that direction every day with our training sessions, standards, how we operate and interact with each other to create a culture.
“We’re speaking about the processes that will get us to where we want to be at the end of the season and maintaining our focus game by game, point by point.”
Albion head to United two weeks after the league leaders beat us 4-0.
“What an achievement for the club to be in the FA Cup semi-final, we certainly look forward to testing ourselves against the team top of the table," added Phillips. "We have the learnings from the league match two weeks ago to propel us into Saturday and the games that follow.”
The former London City Lionesses head coach spent the first three months of the year coaching with Angel City in the North American WSL before heading back to the UK, and she says the decision to join us was an easy one to make.
“I am looking forward to diving in. I know we have a task at hand, but I think there’s a really good platform for us to build an identity and push on from here," she added.
“It’s been great to meet the staff and the team. Credit to Amy Merricks, who has really been a mainstay during the transition. Despite the position we’re in we have a class group of staff and players, a brilliant enviroment and facilities and we’re all in this together. It is now about putting in the work to make sure our performances grow and we are in the position we want to be at the end of the season.”