Captain’s notes
“Hello, City fans!
“Looking back, it’s been another special year for the Club. There have been a lot of changes on and off the pitch with new players and personnel and we’ve done well, coming away with two trophies. We’re still in contention for silverware on all domestic fronts too with a lot of football left to play, so there’s a lot to be excited about.
“It’s been a landmark year for women’s football on the whole. We were so proud to break the 30,000 attendance barrier with the Manchester Derby victory over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium – that was a massive day for the league; not just the teams involved – and it showed how popular the interest is, especially after the World Cup.
“That was an absolutely magical day. We are so lucky and grateful to have such an incredible fanbase, cheering us on, and I can assure you: it means so much to each and every single player. Thank you.
“Ultimately, this Club deserves to win trophies. We’re delighted to stand as the holders of the FA Cup and the Continental Cup and we’ll keep striving for more in 2020.
“It’s important to remember that we’re still in with a good shout of the league title – we’ve still got Chelsea and Arsenal to play at home with some important matches in between. There’s still a long way to go and I’m experienced enough to know that a lot can happen in football.
“Of course, we were disappointed with the defeat at Chelsea last weekend. We could have managed the game better and we know it wasn’t one of our best performances, although we gave everything, as we always do.
“We need to get back up to our level coming into the second half of the season, starting on Sunday. It’s crucial to finish the first half of the season on a high so we can take some momentum into the new year – but we’re expecting a difficult test.
“Whoever we play, we always pay our opponents the utmost respect and I know how organised Hope Powell is – she’s a very tactical coach and a very good one at that. For us, we’ll have to remain patient and play our best football because they are hard to beat.
“It’s not often we lose games so when we do, it’s always made out to be some kind of catastrophe – people focus on the negatives, rather than the positives. As players and staff, we know there is an expectation on us to do well – we have that expectation of ourselves.
“I think we have played some good football in parts but we know we can be so much better. We just have to concentrate on ourselves – what we do as a team – and perform as best we can to try and build another winning run and see where it takes us.
“Finally, I’d like to say congratulations to Lauren Hemp on her new deal. She’s a really exciting young player, who knows where the goal is, and she’s going to have a great future. Well done, Hempo!
“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year all.
“Come on, City!”
City welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to the Academy Stadium in the final game of 2019 on Sunday 15 December in a 12:30pm kick-off.
Tickets for all home games are available online or at the Etihad Stadium Ticket Office.
