Wolves Women manager Dan McNamara believes his side are beginning to hit their stride with two weeks to go before the season gets underway.
The Old Gold are nearing the end of their pre-season schedule and were 5-2 victors at Cheltenham Town on Sunday afternoon. Speaking after the game, McNamara discussed how the players are progressing, the need to turn ‘nearly’ moments into ‘there’ moments and the recruitment of young players into the squad.
On pre-season so far
“It’s been a mixed summer. It’s been difficult and we’ve had to come through some difficult moments.
“We’re probably a couple of weeks behind where we want to be because of those moments, but we’re coming through it now.
“I think you can see it on the pitch. The girls are starting to flourish in the system and the style we’re trying to get them to play.
“It’s about keeping going now, trusting what we’re doing and hopefully we can keep working towards that first game of the season and everything will come together at the right time.”
On the performance at Cheltenham
“It was nearly there. I think it was nearly about 10-1, but we’ve got to turn that nearly there into there, especially before we come across the likes of Ipswich next weekend and then Forest, Burnley, Stoke, Rugby Borough.
“There are a lot of good teams in this league and nearly there isn’t going to cut it. We’ve got to make sure we’re being ruthless with those moments and we’ve got two weeks now to really nail that down.”
On signing Abbi Jenner
“She’s a young player looking to develop, looking to work hard and we want to play a part in her footballing journey.
“Vocally, she’s what we need in that backline. She covers the ground well, she can play, picks passes and can go up the other end of the pitch and score goals as well.
“Right from the moment she came in she’s been demanding of people around her which I love and you can see she’s a leader. She leads with her voice vocally, but she also leads with her performances as well.
“She knows when to do things right and when she can take a little bit of a risk. If we can add some certain elements to her game, then hopefully we can push her forward.”
On adding young players to the group
“We want to be a club that plays a part in these football journeys. We want to make sure we’re putting a good young squad together that stays together for three, four, five or six years.
“I said that six years ago when bringing Tammi George and Katie Johnson into the fold at really young ages, and look where they’re at within their journeys.
“Hopefully we can add a few more. Charlotte (Greengrass) has come in at 24 and she’s another really exciting player.
“It’s great to see these young players trust myself, the club and the staff to play a part in their journeys.”
