WSL2 PREVIEW

A new brand with a new look with the new name of the WSL2  but are objectives are still the same getting back into the WSL has Champions yes there are another ways to get back into the WSL but with the money that Knighthead have put in going up has Champions is the objective for Amy and the girls. In this blog I will be giving my opinion on all twelve teams .

BLUES

For Amy and her girls in blue after the heartbreak of missing out on promotion on the final day of the season there have to go again and go one step further. Amy wants to put a stamp on her side realising sixteen players including Gemma Lawley who has gone to fellow WSL 2 side Bristol City & also Jamie Finn as gone to WSL 2 side Sunderland are Supporters & Player Of The Season From 2022-2023 Jade Pennock and record signing Ivanna Fuso also left the club. Amy has already started recruiting players into the club with some familiar faces has well with United States goalkeeper Adriana Franch signing a one-year deal. She has also brought in blues fan favourite Veatriki Sarri from Everton. And also brought in Shannon Cooke after her successful spell with us last year. A person who I’m looking forward to seeing is Lily Crosthwaite who scored the winner against us last year for Durham a huge talent and I can’t wait to see her in Blues shirt. We also have also looked in the Première Ligue in France bringing in forward Batcheba Louis from FC Fleury 91 and exciting French Under-23s International Oceane Hurtre from Paris Saint-Germain on a three-year deal.  Another person also I can’t wait to see is Chelsea Cornett a player with a lot of experience from her time with Rangers and will be a great role model for some of our youngsters coming through. Speaking of our youngsters it will be a huge year some of them especially Ebonie Locke who signed her first pro deal in the summer another one who can make a huge impact is Riya Mannu who made her debut against Reading a few years back. These two deserve their opportunity and I can’t wait to see them playing in a Blues shirt. And also, another important factor that we have kept some of our important players on extensions like defender Martha Harris goalkeeper Lucy Thomas midfielder Lily Agg my player of the season Rebecca Holloway and also Lucy Quinn who are going to be huge for us this season. 

BRISTOL CITY 

Bristol City new head coach Charlotte Healy replaces Stephen Kirby who has gone on to be Rehanne Skinner assistant manager at West Ham United Charlotte has previously been assistant manager to Marc Skinner at Manchester United and became the robins head coach on the 24th of June and wants to improve on last season’s disappointing sixth place finish in WSL2. Charlotte has brought into the club some championship experience with our very own Gemma Lawley & someone who always impresses me that of Maria Farrugia from Sheffield United there also brought in from Scotland Emily Mutch from Motherwell & Rio Hardy. There also brought in a loan player from Chelsea to in Vera Jones. My opinion there will be up there with us challenging for the title I think there need a couple of players but no doubt there will be challenging for the title. And also, there need the great form from Lexi Lloyd-Smith who was in great form last season scoring ten times for the robins and she will be vital for the robins for this campaign to. 

CHARLTON

Another team that will be challenging this season will be Karen Hills Charlton Athletic side Karen is someone I got so much respect for and has done a brilliant job at the valley. Karen side finished just behind us in third place with 37 points and looking to push on once again this season. Karen Hills has been busy in transfer bringing in seven players with the stand outs including former blues player Ellie Mason Sunderland’s Mary McAteer & Lucy Fitzgerald from last year’s champions London City Lionesses. Charlton has always been one of our bogey sides with are only win coming in the FA Cup a few years back in 2023. And no doubt Karens team will be a huge challenge for title this year to.

CRYSTAL PALACE 

Crystal Palace who could have stayed in the WSL if Laura Kaminski was still in charge replacing her with Leif Smerud which was a gamble that didn’t pay off and finished bottom of the WSL with ten points. Leif left after the club got relegated and in come two blues women legends in Jo Potter and her assistant Remi Allen and I think Steve Parish has played a blinder here Jo has been brilliant at Rangers and Remi did brilliant at London City keeping them up and a Southampton she didn’t get the time in my opinion. Palace haven’t been that active in the transfer window but one signing that I wanted at Blues is the signing of Jamie-Lee Napier a quality player and I picked her my player of the match when the robins beat us in January, there also resigned Annabel Blanchard and brought in youngster Lola Brown on loan from Chelsea.

DURHAM

Another contender for promotion will be Durham who finished in the top four under the brilliant guidance of the wildcat’s manager Adam Furness and if there want to go one better, I think their home form will be key. Adam has brought in six players and the majority of them have got Championship experience like Grace Ede from Sunderland Amber Keegan-Stobbs from Newcastle United and Tyler Toland from Blackburn Rovers. But one of the signings that impressed me was getting Ipswich Town player Angela Addison a great signing for Adams team. And I’m sure there will be more to game the one negative was losing Dee Bradley to Burnley but with investment I’m sure there will make another challenge to get promoted this season.

IPSWICH TOWN

One of the newcomers into the Championship Ipswich Town and what a job Joe Sheehan has done. There have been challenging for the title even before Joe came in but missed out on goal difference two years ago all credit also should go to the people behind the scenes has well in the ownership of Gamechanger 20 Ltd yes we talk about the negatives in the women’s game like the situations at Blackburn and Wolves but there also positive stories to and this is one of them. Joe has brought in experience championship players which there needed to compete in this division there stand out signings are Paige Peake & Rianna Dean from Southampton Beth Roe from Charlton Athletic and the one I was impressed in seeing was Grace Neville from London City Lionesses a brilliant signing for the club. Ipswich will in my opinion will stay up but need to have a good start to the season to give them breathing space for the other relegation candidates.

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Now we come onto the best team I had seen against Blues last season in Newcastle United with another Head Coach I got so much respect for in Rebecca Langley who guided Newcastle to fifth place last season and with the ownerships backing there will in no time become a WSL team. One of the players who Rebecca needs to be on top of their game will be Shania Hayles who scored an impressive fifteen times for the toon last season. Rebecca has brought in some great additions to the club with former blues centre back Aoife Mannion and centre midfield Jordon Nobbs from Aston Villa and there also brought in a double acquisition from Southampton with Jemma Purfield & Molly Pike there will be defiantly one of the contenders for the championship this year.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

So, we come to are second team you got promoted into the Championship and that is Nottingham Forest and what a job Carly Davies has done. Someone who Carly Davies will be hoping for to bang the goals is Melissa Johnson who scored twenty-one goals in the league last year and she will be hoping to bring in that form into the Championship. Also, another person who Carly wants to see banging in the goals is former Blues player Charlie Wellings who also scored the same number of goals as Melissa Johnson. Carly has brought in like Joe Sheehan at Ipswich championship experience some of the key signings are  Amy Rodgers & Chloe Mustaki from Bristol City  & former Blues Loanee Georgia Brougham from London City Lionesses.

PORTSMOUTH 

One of the jobs of the season was Jay Sadler’s Portsmouth surviving  in the championship by one point a brilliant achievement from Jay and the girls but want to build on it for this season there got the experience with Captain Sophie Barker who will  be instrumental  on keeping Pompey up there also got a striker in Meg Hornsby who Blues fans will remember scoring the winner against us for Blackburn Rovers on the opening day. Jay has brought in some of Meg’s former teammates in the transfer window Lucy Johnson Tia Primmer & Jemima Daho from Rovers. I think Pompey will be alright cause of their experience in the squad.

SHEFFIELD UNITED

Lady luck must be shining on Bramell Lane after their relegation last season. The blades have been reinstated cause of the Venky’s decision to withdraw Blackburn Rovers out of the WSL2. So, Ash Thompson and the team have got a second chance of bettering there disappointing performance of last season only picking up seven points. And you can see in their dealings in the transfer market there are looking to improve on last season bringing in ten players there have brought in former Blues player & fan favourite Charlie Devlin from Newcastle Amy Andrews and another former Blues player in Connie Scofield from the Lionesses has standout transfers. Ash needs a good start to the season if not it could be another difficult season.

SOUTHAMPTON

There has been a lot of change at the saints but in Simon Parker I think he can bring in stability Simon did a phenomenal job at Blackburn Rovers and deserves an opportunity not to worry about relegation, and I think at the saints he can build on something really special. And I have predicted them to be an outside bet to get into the WSL. Simon has returned to his former club Rovers to get some strength in depth to help the saints squad Maria Edwards & Ellie Hack but the standout signing for me is bringing in Ellie Brazil from Charlton a brilliant piece of business there. 

SUNDERLAND 

The final team are the black cats and another head coach I got tons of respect for and that is Mel Reay and no doubt there will be up there and their abouts for promotion. When we always played the black cats it’s always a tough test apart from the opening day of last season when we won five nil, but no doubt Mel always gets her team organised and it always a battle. Mel has brought in some real quality to help them get into the WSL . First of the standout signing for them in my opinion ringing in former Blues player and Republic Of Ireland international Jamie Finn and another brilliant piece of business was bringing in Crystal Palaces Izzy Atkinson a great player.  Like I said I think Mel’s team will be up there and their abouts.

So that’s my season preview done it’s going to be a hell of a season let’s hope it’s the same heartbreak as last season I want to see this team go up has champions.

You can buy your season tickets now with the link below or if you want to go to the opening game of the season against Bristol City the link is below too. Hope to see some new faces down there at the start of the season.

Season Tickets 

https://www.eticketing.co.uk/bcfc/EDP/Season/Index/5173

Bristol City Tickets

https://www.eticketing.co.uk/bcfc/EDP/Event/Index/5261?position=18

KRO STEPHEN GILL