Sep 6, 2022 12 min read

2022/23 Women's Super League Season Preview

📷: Connor Cunningham from the Women's Cup

I shared my Premier League preview a few weeks ago, and now it's the Women's Super League's turn.

I'm using the same format I had for the Men's preview with both Spurs-centric and league-wide topics, so grab a beverage of your choice, sit back, and get ready for another exciting WSL season.

Grading the transfer window

The WSL transfer window stays open until September 8, but Spurs Women aren't expected to do any more business this window.

My score out of 10: 7

There are a lot of positives and negatives to our summer transfer business.

The positives:

• replaced all the outgoings

• achieved a better balance of young players and experienced players

• prioritized attacking players, which was a weaker area of the squad

The negatives:

• failed to bring in much reinforcement for long-term injured players (Kit Graham, Ria Percival, Esther Morgan, possibly Kerys Harrop)

• lacked a true marquee signing to signal ambition to rest of the league

• gambled on all of the defensive players available staying fit

This next opinion is obviously affected by having seen everyone in pre-season action already, but the new signing that I'm most excited about is Angharad James. In fact, I definitely would not have singled her out before the pre-season, because I simply didn't know much about her. But the reason I'm so hyped on our new Welshwoman is that she should end up being a pretty capable replacement for Maéva Clemaron (who essentially held the midfield together last season after Kit and Ria's injuries) on the defensive side, and arguably has more to offer in an attacking sense. Last season we often relied on long-range through balls (particularly from Percival, who is now rehabbing a long-term injury) or crosses from out wide to generate attacks, but I believe that with James we now have a better foundation for attacking centrally and taking on oppositions' defenses in a systematic manner. Celin Bizet is also going to be a big contributor in that tactical approach thanks to her impeccable dribbling skills and composure in the 18-yard box. Expect to see lots of perfectly threaded passes in traffic from the Norwegian, as well as plenty of attacking runs to receive passes from others. Now, when we do need a cross placed on a dime for a counter attack, Drew Spence will be able to deliver, as we saw her do many times with her Jamaican national team this summer.

It's also hard not to get excited about Nikola Karczewska, our young Polish striker. It looks like we finally have the kind of forward who simply knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. Her ruthless attacking instincts, excellent holdup play, and sheer physicality have already garnered a lot of Harry Kane comparisons, and while I typically shy away from drawing comparisons across the men's and women's games, this one is pretty apt. If Karczewska isn't our leading goal-scorer by the end of the season I will be very, very surprised.

The other three new signings are a bit more of a wild card situation. Amy Turner has a ways to go to get back to her best after sitting out most of the NWSL season before joining Spurs, and will also need time to build the level of chemistry with Shelina Zadorsky and Molly Bartrip that our existing center-backs already had with each other. Ramona Petzelberger and Ellie Brazil represent two unknown quantities but could be important depth pieces in the attack—if they can make the leap up in quality from their previous teams. Lots of "ifs" all around for these three, but Rehanne Skinner usually has a way of getting the most out of players, so let's hope that proves true with these new transfers, too.

As far as outgoings go, I do think we will miss the experience and maturity of players like Clemaron and Rachel Williams, but in both of those situations it sounds like it was the player's choice to move on from Spurs, and there's not much you can do about that. It's always sad to see players who have been with the club for a long time starting a new chapter in their career, but it was probably for the best in the cases of Josie Green and Angela Addison. We didn't get to see too awful much from loanees Tang Jiali and Viktoria Schnaderbeck (who has now retired), so those departures did not overly concern me.

Overall, I wish the club had been just a little more ambitious in getting a true top quality player into the side, which would have helped to elevate the entire team, but we have at least done enough in the transfer window to perform at or slightly above our standard from last season. There was quite a lot of flux in the rosters of our closest rivals as well, so only time will tell whose transfer business was the most successful.

State of the team

Now let's take a look at the remaining squad in conjunction with the new transfers.

I never feel concerned about the goalkeeping situation, because we have two superb keepers who are able to stay fresh throughout the season thanks to frequent rotation. I've also never heard even a hint of rumblings of discontent from either of them about that strategy, so it goes to show that Tinja-Riikka Korpela and Becky Spencer are model professionals. The team-first mindset has a strong foundation thanks to those two.

Our center-back duo of Zadorsky and Bartrip was one of our biggest assets last season, and I would expect that to continue—with the important caveat that Rehanne seems to be eyeing a change to a back-3 system with Turner involved, and her inclusion in the backline is a bit of a question mark at the moment. With that back-3 system, we're going to be a little short on wingback depth, especially if Kerys Harrop's injury keeps her out for an extended period of time. Which is a pity, since it prevents Ashleigh Neville from being used in a more attacking role like she was at times last season to great success.

I'm glad Eveliina Summanen is getting some reinforcement alongside her in the midfield, because there were times last season when she looked close to being run into the ground. Having more rotation options will be the key to enduring the WSL season plus domestic cup runs.

In the attack, where the majority of our new signings will feature, we will also need to see winger stalwarts Jessica Naz, Rosella Ayane, and Kyah Simon make a step up this season if we want to truly challenge the top clubs. We saw some hints that this might actually happen based on pre-season performances, but Ayane especially will need to increase her goal contribution numbers. We also have one of those "like a new signing" situations with Chioma Ubogagu, who will be rejoining the team after a lengthy suspension on a banned substance charge. It feels like ages since we last saw her play, but I did see lots of potential from her in that brief period, so I'm excited to see what she can bring to the team this year. She will certainly be eager to get back on the pitch!

less of this, more goal celebrations, please, Rosella!

The pre-season results were disappointing in a scoreline sense, but I have no doubt that Rehanne and her staff took plenty of important lessons from them. And with so many key changes in the squad, a certain level of experimentation was necessary to suss out how best to employ the new signings. Plus, the trip overseas will have been a great bonding experience for the team. The one big concern from pre-season is that we started each game off slowly and out of sync and had to grow into the games, so we will be hoping for a stronger start in the regular season matches. But on a positive note, the press that Spurs have become so well-known for is still operating to great effect, and new signings like James, Bizet, and Karczewska have already shown that they are particularly adept to playing in that high-intensity style.

If I had to make a prediction about where Spurs Women will finish in the table this season, I would say 4th. Perhaps that feels a little ambitious considering how poor the second half of last season was, but I believe we will pick up some additional points this season from fixtures that were very narrow losses or draws last season, and I also think one of the two Manchester teams will be more vulnerable to dropping points this season. More on that later. I just don't see us realistically being able to finish above both of them yet—unless we work some magic in the January transfer window.

Predicting the starting XI

I feel significantly less confident about predicting lineups for the Women's team this season than the Men's, mostly because there are so many unknown/unproven quantities involved in the Women's squad. However, I have given it my best shot for the opening matchday, at home to Manchester United.

Observant readers may realize this is the exact same lineup that started against Chelsea in the final pre-season friendly, with the exception of the keeper. Why have I swapped Tinni in for Becky? Simply because she started both games against United last season. Let's just hope she's studied the tape of Alessia Russo's Euros goals. Danger from distance!

I don't think Naz and Ayane's starting winger spots are by any means secure, and the likes of Brazil, Bizet, and Simon will be breathing down their necks from the start of the season. James has a good chance of locking down one of the two midfield pivot spots, but the other one will be up for grabs. I configured the back-3 with Turner on the right simply because Bartrip should not ever play on the right, if pre-season was anything to go by.

Who would y'all have in your starting XI? I can definitely see an argument for bringing in more of the new transfers from the start, especially in the attacking spots, but something tells me Rehanne will want more experience for this first game. And by experience I don't necessarily mean age, but familiarity with the squad.

On a positive note, Rehanne will have much more flexibility with substitution options this year, especially as the injured players make their way back into the matchday squad. This is one of the reasons I feel better about the team being able to convert some of those close games from last season into better results this season, since we won't be played out of the game necessarily once substitutions come into the picture. Sure, we still don't have the caliber of squad depth that teams like Chelsea and Arsenal have, but we will at least have some fresh legs that aren't academy players and barely-trusted loanees. We'll be in a much better position to hang on against the big teams, as well as making a final push to put away the easier opponents.

Like I said in the Men's preview with Conte: trust in Rehanne. She's already improved the fitness and mentality of the team in her season and a half in charge so far, and now she has some exciting new players to work with and continue building Spurs Women into a contender. Let's stay on that upward trajectory!

Narratives across the league

For the final section, let's take a look at some of the other teams in the WSL and the key storylines for the 2022/23 season.

A new favorite in Manchester?

As I mentioned earlier, I believe there is going to be a shift in the power balance in Manchester this season. Manchester City seem the more likely team to slip up thanks to a number of key departures this summer (you could almost call it a mass exodus), while I think Manchester United's roster has improved dramatically. Sure, City have brought in some high quality players, but I personally don't think they are of the same quality as the players that left (Georgia Stanway, Lucy Bronze, and Caroline Weir being the big ones, with Keira Walsh also rumored to be leaving before deadline day). Even letting promising young forward Jess Park go out on loan weakens them significantly from a depth perspective. Meanwhile, United have retained their most valuable players (such as Mary Earps, Ella Toone, Katie Zelem, and Alessia Russo) while adding some strong options for depth (Adrian Leon, Maya Le Tissier, and former Spurs player Rachel Williams).

Frankly, United are not messing around, and haven't been since their promotion to the WSL in 2019—the same season as Spurs' promotion. In many ways, our two clubs are a poignant example of what can be achieved with proper investment. Spurs have the advantage of top-class training facilities to woo prospective players, while United have, well, the prestige of being Manchester United. I would argue that thus far, United have built a much stronger roster, but both teams have been able to climb up the WSL table far faster than could reasonably be expected of recently promoted teams. On that note...

Liverpool to make a rapid ascent?

Emphasis on the question mark for this one, because I don't catch very many Championship matches at all, and therefore don't have much knowledge of Liverpool, outside of the FA Cup match we played against them last year (a 1-0 win for Spurs). But many pundits have predicted that Liverpool will be primed to immediately break into the "best of the rest" section of the WSL table. In such a small league, best of the rest is essentially everyone who is not challenging for the title and not involved in the relegation battle. It's clear that their parent club is committed to the Women's team now—a big change from a few years ago when they came under fire for severely neglecting the team. However, they don't have any big names outside of Finland's Emma Koivisto and Northern Ireland's Rachel Furness. Only time will tell if they can make the jump from comfortably winning the Championship to playing at WSL level.

Leicester City in trouble?

(I guess this also goes for their Men's side this season...)

All of the other teams below Spurs in last season's table seem to have done enough in the transfer window to at least maintain their safety in the WSL, with the exception of Leicester. Much as I liked Josie Green while she was with Spurs, I don't think she's quite the difference-maker Leicester needed to improve upon their poor finish last season, when they were in danger of relegation almost the entire campaign, only staying up by a two-point lead over Birmingham City. The other teams all made smart signings that should be enough to keep them up. Leicester probably have not. However, we learned the hard way last season not to take Leicester lightly after some early substitutions on our side gave them a chance to get back into the game, and they knocked us out of the FA Cup.

As with the Men's league, there are plenty of interesting players who have just transferred into the WSL that I will enjoy watching this season, even if they're not playing for my team. One player that I didn't mention yet is Rachel Daly, who was always a joy to watch on the Houston Dash. I wish Spurs had made an attempt to sign her (for all we know, they might have), but at least this will make our matches with Aston Villa more exciting. Some other intriguing signings across the league include Ève Périsset at Chelsea, Lina Hurtig at Arsenal, Mary Fowler at Manchester City, and Risa Shimizu and Viviane Asseyi at West Ham. There have also been several inter-team transfers to keep an eye on, such as Veatriki Sarri to Brighton and Nikita Parris to Manchester United.

Let's hope Sam Kerr can get some decent competition for Golden Boot this season—come on, Nikola!

This is sure to be a thrilling WSL season, and we can only hope the excitement from the Euros translates into stronger average attendances across the league. On that note, if you are lucky enough to be in the UK and will be attending Spurs Women matches either home or away, be sure to follow the Tottenham Women Supporters Club for helpful info about ticketing, away match meet-ups, and more.

You can also subscribe to the podcast I co-host, N17 Women, for match recaps and discussion. There are a few general WSL podcasts that I highly recommend, too, if you want to stay up to date with the whole league (and even some Championship chat!): Upfront, Women's Football Weekly, and Two Girls Talk Balls.

COYS

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