London City Lionesses head coach Jocelyn Precheur says he can see that his side are heading in the right direction after a difficult start to life in the Women’s Super League.
London City were promoted from what was then the Women’s Championship last year – but after two games are currently at the bottom of the WSL table, with a goal difference of minus 7.
So far they have lost 4-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates on the opening day of the season, and then 5-1 to Manchester United at home last weekend.
But the Frenchman sees positive signs in the progress of their performances as he works to join up a squad of experienced superstars and make them into a team who can compete at the top of the table.
“It’s not simple,” he admitted to journalists in a press conference on Wednesday. “The challenge for me at the moment, and for the staff, is to do a job which began during the pre-season. If you look at some players who started against Man United, they arrived two weeks ago.”
Jocelyn Precheur: We are not ready yet
Getting new players used to the “game project”, he said, would take a little more time, adding: “Obviously we are not ready yet, and that’s why we struggle at the moment to compete the way we want to compete, but despite the result, our game was so much better against Man United.”
Precheur – by his own admission, not a naturally patient person – is working on a long-term focus. Mentioning “stupid” mistakes he had seen on the pitch in their opening matches, he said that it can be difficult for people who are used to winning, like many of his top-class players, to adjust to their current situation.
“We have a lot of things to deal with, but the only thing is to keep our improving dynamic. Yes, the beginning is difficult for us, but it makes sense. I’m not someone very patient…but I have to be, because I cannot ask more than I am asking of my players at the moment.
“Everyone is working very hard. Everyone is really focused on every part. That commitment is really impressive. We need to keep all this energy, keep this dynamic, and it can be only better and better.”
London City Lionesses’s next match in the WSL is a trip to Goodison Park to play Everton, on Friday, 19th September.
