The 51-year-old was appointed Head Coach of the women’s first team in May 2020, and has overseen 97 wins from 131 games in all competitions to date.
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Having won both the FA Cup and Continental Cup during his tenure so far, City’s continued push for silverware this campaign has seen us reach the FA Cup quarter-finals and Continental Cup semi-final.
Taylor’s side currently boast the best defensive record in the Women’s Super League, and a 12-match winning run in all competitions – which has included statement victories on the road against title rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, dealing the latter a first defeat at Kingsmeadow in more than three years.
Speaking about his new contract, Taylor said: “I’m very happy to be able to commit to City for another three seasons. I think what we’re doing here and trying to achieve is a build and a long-term project of sustainability and success.
“Our ambition was always to be right at the top and we’ve done that. It’s taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people behind-the-scenes. The players have really bought in to what we’re trying to do and achieve.”
Manchester City Women Managing Director, Charlotte O’Neill, added: “We’re very pleased to have Gareth continue his journey with City for another three years.
“Gareth is someone who has embraced the City Football Group approach from day one and shares our ambition to push the envelope in the women’s game and build a squad full of talented and ambitious players.
“Nils and I are very much looking forward to continuing our work with him for the rest of this season and beyond alongside this amazing group of players. I’m confident the future is very bright at this Club.”
Director of Football Nils Nielsen added: “I am very pleased that Gareth has agreed to continue his great work in our programme for the coming years.
“We have a clear strategy on how we want to move forward, and securing Gareth to lead the team is a key factor in this.
“Now we can all focus on finishing this season in style and prepare for the next few seasons by following the plan.”
Exciting future
When Gareth Taylor agreed to a year’s extension on his contract in the summer of 2023, his message was clear. Stability was the key to success.
“I think it’s no secret that most successful head coaches or organisation you’ve seen have had continuity, working with the same coaches and players,” he explained in June 2023.
“There’ll always be comings and goings, there’s no doubt about that, that’s constant evolution, but most of the success you see from head coaches is when they’re given a sustained period of time.”
Recovering from a difficult start to the season, we found ourselves in the thick of the 2022/23 WSL title race up until the end of April, when damaging defeats to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United meant we had to settle for a fourth-place finish.
While ultimately coming up short, there were signs that this exciting young squad, complemented by an experienced core, weren’t far from a sustained push for silverware.
Speaking in that interview after signing his previous extension, Taylor’s conviction that City were capable of challenging was clear. Given how the 2023/24 campaign has unfolded so far, he was correct in that assessment.
With a 12-match winning run-in tow, City find ourselves neck and neck with Chelsea at the Barclays Women’s Super League summit, with a Continental Cup semi-final showdown at the Joie Stadium between the two sides slated for Thursday evening.
An FA Cup quarter-final clash against Tottenham Hotspur also on the horizon, City have laid the foundations for what could be a memorable campaign.
The fruits of Taylor’s labour are starting to show, but it’s the manner of those performances and victories which have really caught the eye.
City’s brand of free-flowing football has never been in question, but where sides of the past might have faltered, this current crop have developed a knack for grinding out results when it really matters.
Across a nine-day period in February, for example, Taylor’s side travelled down to London three times to face Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea in all three domestic competitions. We came away with a 1-0 victory on each occasion.
Combining the best defensive record in the WSL with our typically clinical attacking style, Taylor’s team are not only leading in big games, but holding on to them as well.
Individual members of the squad have also flourished under his and his team’s guidance, with Khiara Keating, Laia Aleixandri and Jess Park just a few examples among a much wider group of players who have taken their game to new levels this season.
Committing his future to the Club for a further three seasons, it promises to be an exciting future at the Joie Stadium with Taylor at the helm.
Season-by-season breakdown
2020/21
Played: 38
Won: 29
Drawn: 4
Lost: 5
Goals for: 108
Goals against: 29
Honours: FA Cup
2021/22
Played: 38
Won: 27
Drawn: 2
Lost: 9
Goals for: 112
Goals against: 36
Honours: Continental Cup, FA Cup finalists
2022/23
Played: 33
Won: 23
Drawn: 2
Lost: 8
Goals for: 90
Goals against: 30
2023/24*
Played: 22
Won: 18
Draw: 2
Lost: 2
Goals for: 54
Goals against: 16
*Stats correct as of Monday 4 March 2024
