By Rachel Cohen.

“I don’t think anyone expects us to win this game, but everybody knows that we can win it.” In his press conference Spurs manager, Robert Vilahamn, spoke about the upcoming WSL game against Manchester City as well as his style of play, new signings, Charli Grant scoring, Jess Naz thriving and the centre-back conundrum.

Upcomming game 

When asked about it Vilahmn described the last game against Manchester City (a 7-0 loss) as a learning experience. “I think when we came to Man City the last time I thought we just had a good chance to win that game because I felt like we were on a run and we had had some good performances and then we got knocked by seven-nil and then I was like, ‘OK, I need to learn this league even more.’ And I think the players also like, ‘OK, we need to learn more’. And then when we won against Arsenal and I think everybody realized, ‘Yeah, we can do it. If we defend well, if we attack well, if we do everything right.’ So I think the Arsenal game was very important to us to see that we are already in the phase where we can beat these teams.”

Talking about the game on Sunday Vilahamn highlighted that Tottenham were the underdogs, but had the ability to cause an upset. “Man City is a very good team. I think they have five wins in a row in the league and good players. So we need to be very sharp. I don’t think anyone expects us to win this game, but everybody knows that we can win it. So that’s good for us. Then we know if we have a really good game we’re going to win this game. 

He also said that winning or losing was not key. But rather, “I think the most important thing is how we can compete against them and how we can play our style against them and how we can take steps in the defense work as well. Because in the long end we want to make sure we can dictate things. So even if we win or lose on Sunday I want to feel and see bravery and how we want to play against them and make sure we compete against them…. Of course we want to win but the main thing is how we can improve our way of playing against top teams because next year, we want to be a top team and actually go for the Champions League spots.”

Style of play

Vilahamn discussed how proud he was and how much enjoyment it brought him to see the progress that had been made. “We already look very good when we play football, so imagine one more year with this. This way we train and this way we play and new players coming in with good energy and the players who have been here taking these steps as well. So it makes me happy and it makes me calm. We’re doing good stuff here and the club is doing good stuff and all the way up from the board down to us we know that everybody’s on it. And we’re gonna do it together.”

“Of course, we need to make sure we continue winning games. We need to be better to defend as well.” But he highlighted that the team were “building an identity …and that identity is attacking football.”

Related, Vilahamn made a link between Spurs women’s and men’s teams in terms of both style of play and future ambition. “You can see the men’s team playing an amazing football. And I think the fans love what we’re doing right now and I just feel like that’s more important than a game or two; that we build some kind of trust that we in the future are going to dominate this league with the men’s team and the women’s team.”

Turning to what he wanted to improve he focused not on league position but on better dictating games. “We want to look at even better in the press and have to make sure we defend better.”

“Some phases of the game we looks really good when we play. Some phases we still need to improve and still need to find new ways to score and find spaces. We’re not there yet, but I see so much potential in the squad. I see the players buying into it. I see players trying and that’s the biggest thing right now, to try to play this way because in the long end when we try to do it and when we do it the opponent will not handle it. We will actually break them down.”

Vilahamn recognized that the team were still conceding too many goals, but noted that it’s a “part of the process to be brave and to make sure we dare. I cannot tell them to be brave if I’m scared to receive goals. That’s impossible. I need to show them that I’m brave, to play out from the back, play through the lines, make sure we’re attacking in a certain style. Then I need to improve the defense, of course, but I need to push them to be brave. And and that’s why I’m not really bothered about the goals we receive because they dare to play. They keep going.”

New signings

Vilahamn said that he was pleased with the transfer window. “I’m very happy with what we have signed because there were players we have scouted for a long time and they fit the way we want to play. They have also like the good potential to become even better.”

He also indicated that there were unlikely to be more transfers. “The window is still open and everything can happen. But it’s [been] a good window.” “we have a good competition in every spot right now so I don’t think we’re going to sign in any more players this window, but who knows.”

Asked about Charli Grant who joined this window and scored her first goal in Thursday’s Conti Cup game against Southampton Vilahamn praised her both as a person and her potential as a player: “If you start with her as a person, she has so much energy and she’s so much connected to the way we want to behave in and out the football pitch. She brings that energy, She’s so professional. But she always wants to be better. …and you can see the game yesterday that she takes steps from the minute one to minute 90 to improve. She gives us different stuff because she’s very much offensive. When she plays as a fullback she can run up and down the pitch all game, so I’m very pleased with that signing and I think she will just be better and better.”

He also said that all three of the new signings who had minutes against Southampton (Grant, Amanda Nilden and Matilda Vinberg) were ready to start a WSL game. But identified the main issue as getting to know one another because “the way we play is built on relations [and] is built on getting to know each other, on how to play together and that takes time.”

He did, however, suggest that “Perhaps one of them will” start in Sunday’s game against Manchester City (maybe something of a baptism of fire), but that we were more likely to see the “maximum potential” of these players next year. He also reasserted his willingness to allow players to learn noting that “I know they’re gonna have a few bad games as well, but that’s the part of their journey to come to England and and learn this.”

Jess Naz thriving

Jess Naz has been involved in key goals over the last four games. In his press conference, Vilahamn confirmed that he sees her as having a future in his squad: “She’s part of the plans and I really enjoy working with her.” He talked about working closely with Naz to improve her conditioning so that she can maintain her game across full 90s, but also noted that even from the bench she has been important “she’s so useful in every game right now”. He also confirmed that he saw her being most threatening as a nine as this enables her to use her best skills, especially the threat in behind and in the press.

Centre back

Reflecting on the centre back situation, there was good news in terms of fitness. Vilahamn said that Luana Bühler had trained today (Friday) and is “very close to be back” and that Amy Turner who played 55 minutes against West Ham and the full 90 against Southampton is fully back and can play on Sunday as well.

In discussing his move of Eveliina Summanen from midfield to centre-back in the second half of the West Ham game Vilahamn admitted that it might be “proof that I’m not doing everything right here. I’m taking chances and I’m trying to be creative and sometimes I might have, should have, done other stuff.”

He also explained the use of Summanen was a choice borne out of limited options. “I believe Eveliina was amazing at the midfield that game and I just felt like it would be easy for her to drop down and bring in a new player but it’s hard for Eveliina to go down and try new roles. So that’s on me. But it was hard to find a new other solution in that game. That would be like playing Ash or someone else in the center back. And then you don’t know if it’s better or worse, right? So that’s the fun part with this you always can improve, but you don’t really know if you have done other changes, if what’s better or worse, right?” If Summanen at centre-back is an experiment that is not, or not imminently, repeated it is probably good news for those of us who enjoy her midfield partnership with compatriate Olga Ahtinen.