With 18 games played in all competitions, and just one loss, Dan McNamara’s side are fully focused on making this another record-breaking season in old gold. Megan Garbutt caught up with the head coach to talk all things old gold and continuing to manage expectations going into 2023.
At the beginning of the season, you spoke about managing expectations after last season, how well do you feel you’ve done that so far?
“I think being top of the league and still in all competitions is credit to the girls and everything they’ve done. People questioned what the mentality of the group would be like when they came back in after such a difficult summer and getting so close to greatness, but the girls have shown they quite often come through adversity and reach beyond where they’ve reached before. I’m just really proud of them and I think proud is probably a good word to use to describe the season so far.
“To be in all four competitions possible in January is unbelievable. After how close they got to greatness as a group, to bounce back and to still be in the mix for the title race is great. We’re only top on games in hand, Forest are right next to us and Burnley are only three points behind, so we know how tight it is, a lot tighter than last season I think at this point, but we’re relishing the challenge and it’s just about continuing to manage expectations still, because ultimately we’re not going to go on and win all four trophies, so we keep plugging away, taking one game at a time and keep enjoying the ride.”
We’ve seen some very complete performances this season, but in which game did we see the most complete performance from the girls?
“I’d say the first 45 minutes at Forest. Going 2-0 up against Forest, who I’d sit here now and say they’re still favourites this year, with everything they’ve added and expanded and the squad they’ve built together, so to go up there to their home ground and to go 3-0 up just after half-time, it was probably the best performance I’ve seen since I joined Wolves.
“I was really proud of the performance there, it obviously turned into a nasty second-half and it cost us Destiney for 8–10 weeks, so there was the downfalls of that, but I think that first 45 minutes was certainly up there.”
What impact have your summer signings had this season so far?
“We know how big squad depth is, we saw that in our game against Boldmere. The list was endless: we had Tammi, Destiney, Perks, Summer struggling, Kelly in the dugout, Ria in the dugout, so that’s seven seasoned first-team players that weren’t available for our cup game. To still beat a team who are in our league 3-1 just goes to show how much strength and depth we do have in the squad.
“With regards to the individual players, we knew what Destiney was going to bring, she’s an incredible player but an even better person and I think that’s what I’ve sort of taken from the first few months of working with her. She’s an amazing player, but an amazing personality as well and brilliant for the group, and it’s the same with Maz Taho, she’s a great character and she probably hasn’t had the minutes she wants so far, but she’s added to the group, the girls like her and have warmed to her, so a really exciting second half of the season for both of them.”
Squad rotation has been key this season, how lucky are you to have such strength in depth?
“It shows how important it is with us still being in all four competitions. The squad rotation has been used when required and sometimes it’s not been used and it’s quite difficult, especially when you start losing games, which thankfully we haven’t done, to start managing 20 people who all want to be playing week in, week out, but the girls have been fantastic.
“To name a few, you look at Dicko; she could probably go and play in midfield in most of the clubs within our league, but she bides her time, she trains really well, she’s got a great attitude and then, when she’s called upon, she’s fantastic off the bench and proved against Boldmere that she can perform from the start and get us a really important goal to put us ahead in the County Cup.
“I’m delighted with the squad depth, but we never say never in January. I think sometimes the clubs that go on to have the success are the ones that freshen it up with one or two in January, but we’re not going actively looking and it’ll take something quite big and something we can’t turn down to add to the group or feel we need to.”
One player who’s transformed her game this season is Summer Holmes, just how impressed have you been with her?
“Summer is remarkable! Last season, it didn’t go the way it had planned for her and probably missing that play-off game hurt her, I think she’d probably tell you that herself. It had quite an impact on her and I think we’ve seen, this season, just a totally different animal. She looks fitter, stronger, she’s unbelievable with the ball, she’s tenacious, aggressive and everything you’d want from a number four and central midfielder.
“I believe she’s still got a lot to give. She’s got a real good ability and a real chance of playing in the Championship. I do believe she’s a Championship player, so hopefully Summer continues her great form and, barring any injury – we don’t want any injuries to take that away from her – then hopefully she can continue and be a big player as we go through the important parts of the year.”
With the squad depth, you have goals coming from all over the park, but Amber Hughes is that main goal provider, do you set expectations at the start of the season or does she always exceed them?
“Amber’s just quality – that was probably the downfall of the Boldmere game, she left on crutches, which is not a sight you want to see, so hopefully the injury isn’t too bad, and Amber will be back on the pitch doing what she loves doing. She’s had a tough time over recent weeks, but she just loves scoring goals. She’s a typical centre-forward and she’s one of the best in this league, if not the best, so hopefully she continues her fine form and she can lead us to much more glory over the next four/five months.”
What’s Telford been like as a new home ground and have the fans made it feel more homely?
“The fans have been unbelievable; I think we’ve seen a massive increase in the fans over the last few months, which has been absolutely outstanding. They’ve really made it homely for us. I specifically remember the 900 we had in for the Albion game which was unbelievable, and we really felt that support.
“I’m coming up to my five-year anniversary at the end of January, I took the job on five years ago, and that’s the kind of stuff that’s real success. We look at the off-the-pitch stuff and where we were five years ago to where we are now, it’s an incredible journey we’ve been on and one that I’m hugely proud of. Telford is quite a big figurehead for that; we were struggling for a ground five years ago, we were playing here, there and everywhere, so to end up in a state-of-the-art facility like that and to be using it as our home ground just shows the journey we’ve been on, and it’s been a hell of a ride and one we want to continue to enjoy.”
You’ve only lost one game this season, but what would you say is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
“Sometimes people let the results get away with a little bit. This is a tough league that we’re playing in and Burnley showed that if you’re not at 100%, then you get punished. I thought they were probably the best side we’ve seen in my five years of managing National League level football. They were extraordinary on that day, and we weren’t at the races and that’s what happens when you don’t turn up.
“There are great sides in this league and just because we’ve managed to continue to ride the crest of the wave, which at any point could throw its difficulties into us and we’ll have to manage that and deal with that adversity, but at the minute, it’s not a case of us being in a league where we should be, we’re playing at a good level and we’re continuing to churn out performances which are worthy of the results we’re getting. It’s not always full-flowing, beautiful football, but sometimes it’s the 1-0 wins that take you to the glory that you desire.”
Going into 2023, how ready are you, the staff and the girls to make more memories and hopefully achieve great things again?
“2022 will go down in the club’s history as a huge milestone and a turning point for the whole women and girls’ section. Everything we’ve done off the pitch, which I’ve already mentioned, but all the stuff the girls achieved on the pitch, we probably lost a handful of games in a full calendar year, I can probably think of four off the top of my head, which is unbelievable in itself. Two full seasons we’ve played over a period of a year and to come away with four losses across all competitions is unbelievable and for one of them to be a play-off game to go into the elite game is amazing in itself.
“We want to repeat what we’ve done and 2023 to be bigger and better, but the message for me still remains the same, that we stay grounded and we understand that last year was something that might not happen again in the immediate future. It was a special year and we’re chasing that memory again and hoping to go one further this year, but we’ve got to remain patient and keep working hard and this festive period now is not about working hard, it’s about the girls going away and probably giving back to their families what the families have given for the last few months and I hope they enjoy that for the ten days they’re off and then come back ready and revitalised to hit the ground running in January.”
