In early October 2016 – a week after their first league title success, clinched with an imperious victory over reigning champions Chelsea – the Blues claimed their second piece of silverware of the season: their second Continental Tyres Cup, with a hard-fought 1-0 extra time win over Birmingham.
Fast forward to now, via the FA Cup trophy and a Champions League semi-final spot, and the start of a new adventure: the 2017/18 FA Women’s Super League campaign.
A change in format sees the league compete during the winter and spring, running alongside the men’s game in a bid to increase attendances, improve fitness and recovery time and aid English teams in international competition – for Club and country.
City’s first Champions League journey (2016/17) kicked off after their domestic season ended. Despite the fact their opponents had barely began theirs, the Blues progressed to the last eight in their maiden campaign with victories over Russian outfit Zvezda Perm and Danish side Brondby IF. The quarter-finals however, would not take place until the following March. That will not be the case this time…
To bridge the gap between the 2016 season and the new arrangement, a one-off competition took place called the Spring Series. Nick Cushing’s side would finish level on points with first-placed Chelsea but fell short of top spot on goal difference. Their 2017 FA Cup campaign however would herald the ultimate glory: a triumph at Wembley.
It had been the only competition Cushing’s side had been yet to win. Their memorable – and unexpected – Continental Tyres Cup success in 2014 had been followed by 2016’s league and cup double with a top-two finish in the middle to secure their first Champions League place.
Since October last year, familiar faces have departed, while new ones have arrived – hungry to be part of a team which has achieved so much in a short space of time with ambitions to accomplish even more, both on and off the pitch.
One of the major talking points of last season was the increased attendances across the league. England’s World Cup journey in 2015 had sparked a newfound interest in the sport, introducing people all over the world to new role models and making the women’s game more accessible with improved promotion. The 2017 Euros in Holland has had the same effect.
City are set to hold the record for the highest number of Seasoncards, as the Club bid to compete in four competitions. Over the summer, five grassroots football teams – one a boys-only side – signed up to become an Official Sister Club, while 800 budding female footballers trialled for the Academy.
The importance of a challenging pre-season schedule has been highlighted before. Cushing credits his side’s recent trophy successes to their gruelling preparation. This year, City travelled to Frankfurt and Toulouse, where they faced 1 FFC Frankfurt, Montpellier and European champions Lyon.
With the Blues’ international stars recovering from their Euros exploits, a very young squad – mainly featuring Development Squad starlets – were selected to fly to Germany and gain first-team experience. Defender Esme Morgan and midfielder Beth O’Donnell impressed so much that they were invited to join the first-team on the trip to France for the Toulouse International Ladies Cup.
Since then, Morgan has been promoted to the senior side. That feat, added to the success of the Academy trails and the fact the Under-16s clinched the Southampton Cup not too long ago, proves – if there was any doubt – the future is bright… Blue.
Cushing highlighted the need for more explosive firepower in the summer and recruited accordingly, capturing tricky winger Claire Emslie and highly-rated forward Pauline Bremer. Defensive reinforcements were also brought in with the arrival of Danish centre-back Mie Jans, whilst long-serving stars – the core spine of the team – penned new deals to commit their futures to the side.
The players talk often of the squad competition – how the eagerness to keep your place in the starting XI motivates you to perform at your best both on the pitch and in training. There is a collective desire to improve each other; to gain the best out of each other for the benefit of the team.
We are merely two games into the new season and already, the Blues’ intentions have been made clear. Whilst the men’s side have been hitting the headlines with their goalscoring prowess, their female counterparts will not be outdone.
In two games, the Blues have netted nine goals with five different scorers – from Jane Ross (top scorer in 2016) to captain Steph Houghton. One of those high-scoring victories: a 5-2 triumph over Arsenal, who had not conceded five in one game since 2008.
There is creativity all over the pitch and the football on show is a joy to watch. It’s what Cushing refers to as: the City way – dominating possession, creating as many chances as possible and limiting the opposition’s number of opportunities. As proven, it’s a winning combination.
The Blues kick-off their second Champions League campaign tonight with a Round of 32 clash at St Polten in Austria. Having reached the semi-finals in their first season last year, the aim this year is clear: to go – at least – one better this time around. They were narrowly beaten by the eventual competition winners Lyon (3-2 on aggregate) in April but will have analysed their performance in thorough detail, using every experience – both positive and negative – proactively to aid their development.
What the new season will bring, only time will tell… but the manner in which City have started – the dazzling performances, the togetherness, the desire to achieve suggests this campaign could be one of the most exciting and hotly-contested yet…
