Everton Women manager Brian Sorensen has revealed plans to play Ruby Mace higher up the pitch.
The Toffees were left to reflect on another narrow defeat against top-level opposition after their latest outing against Manchester City.
While the result did not go their way, head coach Brian Sørensen highlighted belief within the squad and reserved special praise for Ruby Mace, whose performance stood out once again despite the disappointment.
Since joining from Leicester for a club record fee, Mace has predominantly been used as a centre-back. However, Sorensen hopes to change this in the future.
What did Brian Sorensen say about Ruby Mace
Mace has been a consistent presence this season for Everton and impressed again against Manchester City, operating in a defensive role.
Sørensen explained that Mace’s current positioning is down to necessity rather than preference, with injuries leaving Everton short of options at centre back. Even so, her composure, intelligence and physicality have allowed her to adapt seamlessly.
He said “Right now, it’s centre-back because we don’t have a centre-back available. Of course, in the longer plan, it’s probably a bit higher up in that six position, but that’s the good thing about Ruby, she’s so technical, a student, physically there.
“It’s also when you have to deal with Bunny [Shaw] and [Vivienne] Miedema, it’s nice to have a player like Ruby to deal with that. I thought she was excellent again today.”
Mace’s versatility has been invaluable during a demanding period, particularly against forwards of the calibre Everton faced in this match. Her ability to read the game and remain calm under pressure continues to mark her out as a key figure within the squad.
Sorensen calls for Everton to pick up more points
Sorensen also made it clear that the belief within the Everton camp remains strong, even when results are not forthcoming. He acknowledged that games against teams like Manchester City and Chelsea are challenging but insisted his side are capable of taking points from anyone on their day.
He said “We need to be good at beating the teams around us. It’s a bonus if we can get three points against City or Chelsea but we know we can do it.
“We did it at Goodison Park almost, where we should have got a point at least against City and we won against Chelsea, so it is possible.
“That’s the belief that we have and we go into these games with and that’s why I’m so frustrated with the key moments because we don’t get 30 attacks like City does. We get three or four and we have to be taking those and making sure we put the ball in back of the net. When we do that and it gets disallowed, it’s a bit frustrating.”
Focus on progress
While the defeat adds to Everton’s challenging league position, Sorensen’s comments underline a continued sense of progress and resilience.
Performances against top sides are providing encouragement, even if points remain hard to come by.
With belief intact and players like Ruby Mace stepping up, Everton will now turn their attention to converting those performances into results against teams around them as the season moves forward.
