Football in Berkshire’s Women’s Football Correspondent, Abi Ticehurst, caught up with Reading manager Kelly Chambers this week during a pre-match conference ahead of the Royals trip to Everton in the FA WSL. Here’s everything she had to say.
Academy players
We’ve always been a team that want bring through youth and if I look at players in the squad now, even if you look back to Grace Moloney, she came through the pathway here at Reading. Emma Harries, Bethan Roberts and obviously what’s been on the bench recently.
Tia is someone that’s been at the academy the last couple of seasons and should still be but stepped up and has done really well.
Injuries and opportunities
Some of it’s been forced upon us in terms of injuries and having a small squad so that’s obviously had a big impact but what an opportunity for younger players to get that experience with us and my plan is always to try and bring through youth if they’re capable of stepping up to this level.
Transfer window
I’m very happy with how we’re performing, I’ve got a couple of players on their way back so they’ll be like new signings for us this year because we haven’t seen them for quite a long time.
I had planned to bring in probably one other on top of Sanne, but literally, at the last minute it didn’t happen. All told I’m happy with the squad and like I said it will look a bit more full, full of first-team players over the next couple of weeks.
Looking ahead to Everton
Chambers is expecting Everton to have a spring in their step after the sacking of their manager, Jean Luc Vasseur. She also states that Reading will have a fully fit squad for the visit to the Toffees with Grace Moloney back from injury.
On the current table standings and the team
Chambers admits she doesn’t really look at the league, how many goals scored, what the goal difference is, what points they are on. It’s about keeping the squad’s feet rooted to their ground.
‘A result may not go the way we want but it’s how we come back from that’
Chambers explained that there is a real family atmosphere and togetherness amongst the squad but that there are 18 players showing resilience and fight.
‘We’ve got winners in the changing room’
On Tash Dowie’s chip goal against Leicester and condiments
Can I just ask one more nonsense question? In light of Tash Dowie’s goal being nominated for ‘Goal of the Month’, at Football in Berkshire we asked her, because it was such an outrageous chip, if she was a ketchup or a mayo kind of girl? So, are you a ketchup or a mayo kind of girl, Kelly? For reference, Tash said both.
It depends what I have with it…oh no, it would definitely depend on the meal I’ve got.
Reading FC Women will travel to Walton Hall Park on Sunday to face Everton in the Women’s Super League, kick-off is at 1pm.
