MD4: Southampton 2-0 Sheffield United
United still searching for their first points, but do pick up striker Jacqui Hand ahead of a clash with another winless team this weekend
Hello, welcome to a belated WOMEN OF STEEL – apologies for the lateness of this one. I’ll keep it pretty brief as we’ve got a game coming up on Sunday, but here’s what’s in this week’s edition:
Striker Jacqui Hand signs
Southampton 2-0 Sheffield United – review of the game
United start their League Cup campaign
Bristol City (H) preview
All stats taken from SofaScore.com unless otherwise specified.
The weekend started with some extremely welcome news, as United – who really have lacked a focal point in attack once Izzy Goodwin left for London City – brought in some experience up top. Jacqui Hand, a New Zealand international, joins the Blades after a spell with Lewes in the Championship last season (where she was a teammate of Maria Farrugia).
Hand didn’t pull up any trees for Lewes, who were relegated, but this could be such a welcome addition for a United side who are still yet to piece together a coherent method of attacking this season (hold that thought). She only scored once in 10 starts for Lewes but contributed a couple of assists and solid chance creation numbers considering the poor standard of team she was playing in.
What jumps out the most, though, is some numbers that indicate a hard worker who could well be that missing focal point for the Blades – a player we can hit the ball to in a pinch and she can get us up the field. Not only did she register 2.9 successful dribbles per game last season, she was winning over 9 duels per game (42% success rate). That reads like someone who could slot straight in as a much-needed number 9 around which players like Farrugia can potentially get higher up the pitch.
Hand made her debut off the bench at Southampton, and hopefully will be able to go from the start in this weekend’s match. Grace Foy has been a pretty game presence up top but having a senior, more physical player there could be a real boon.
Onto the Southampton game: I’m going to keep this fairly brief, partly because United were largely outplayed and barely had a sniff of goal at any point (one shot in total, with Southampton racking up 14 shots and over two expected goals). Manager Ash Thompson was right to praise the side’s defending in his post-match interview, because the Blades did keep the Saints at arm’s length for an hour, but there was no recovery once Freya Gregory had given the hosts the lead.
United lined up like this, with Satara Murray travelling with the squad but not on the teamsheet. The club have been quiet about Murray’s injury, which possibly bodes well (for comparison, Molly Graham’s ACL injury was made public once the extent was known), but no surprise at all to see her missing this game:
A few notables from this: youngster Liv Edwards was given her first senior start, replacing Ellen Molloy who was missing the match due to personal reasons (hopefully all is ok). Edwards didn’t get on the ball too much in her 45 minutes of action but overall did well, surging forward to try and support Foy where possible, much as Molloy has done so far this season.
Leanne Cowan dropped into RCB, which is a shame as I’ve enjoyed watching her get forward down the right in the last few games. It also meant Eva Butler playing more as a wingback, with the vast majority of her touches coming in our half. Indeed, looking at her heatmap, she didn’t have a single touch in the Southampton box – not ideal for someone who racked up the U21 goals last year.
I think Farrugia was notionally playing further forward but in practice ended up dropping into an inside-left position – and again, so many of her touches were in her own half:
Not ideal, but a) it speaks to how on top Southampton were, and b) there’s already an element of needs-must about this side with Murray and Molloy out (and forgive me for bringing it up yet again, but without Goodwin too). I think ideally we want Butler and Farrugia playing as actual wide forwards, and with a proper target up top. Here’s hoping Hand – who did play that exact role when she came on in the second half – can be just that.
United were indebted to keeper Sian Rogers for keeping the score level heading into half-time, as she pulled off a brilliant double save from close range. Molly Pike volleyed a cross at goal from inside the six yard box and Rogers parried, and then got herself up and in position to block a first-time rebound from Megan Collett. Rogers then made another good save, pushing a Rachel Rowe header around the post.
There was nothing she could do about the opening goal though, as Freya Gregory swung her left foot through the ball about twelve yards out and fired a surprise early shot into the top corner. It was a fantastic finish and if anything Rogers did really well to get a slight fingertip on it.
The Blades’ single shot came at the end of a decent counterattack, as Robinson burst forward and teed up Farrugia, but her first-time effort from the edge of the box flew over.
Southampton were in their groove now, with Pike firing a great chance over from six yards before substitute Rianna Dean sealed it in the last few minutes. It was a great counter with Dean finishing nicely across Rogers when played in on goal.
United gave Hand 45 minutes as a sub for Edwards, with Jade Bailey also getting half an hour into her legs and youngster Isla Phillips coming on for Robinson late on. Tara Bourne was typically solid for the Saints against her former team, while keeper Fran Stenson had a far quieter game than she was used to with United last season.
Four defeats from four in the league for United, and, although Portsmouth lost again, Sunderland’s surprise win over London City means the Blades are perilously close to the Championship’s single relegation spot. United take on another winless team this weekend which I’ll get to in a second, but the Blades also started their League Cup campaign last night with a 2-1 “home” defeat by Sunderland at Alfreton.
Quite a few first-teamers started in this one – Kinzett, Wardlaw, Robinson, Farrugia, Wilding and Butler – which speaks to the smallness of the Blades’ squad. Farrugia bagged her first goal for United but Sunderland took the points late on (the League Cup has a group stage, for those unfamiliar).
It was nice to see a full senior debut for Tilly Bristow, who starred in the PGA Cup final for United last season, and youngster Ruby Ormiston also made her first-ever appearance from the bench. Jacqui Hand was given another run out so hopefully will be closer to full fitness for the Blades’ most important game of the season so far on Sunday.
Bristol City (H), Sunday 6th October, 13:00 kick-off
Bristol City were in the WSL last year but have found the transition back to the Championship to be a tough one so far. Manager Lauren Smith left her post less than two weeks before the start of the season to take over as head coach of England U19s, and City are yet to win (they’ve played a game less than United).
I expect they’ll climb the league soon, much as Birmingham did last season, as their underlying numbers to date are better than their league position. According to footystats.org, the Robins are averaging the 6th best expected goals per game and have the second best defence by the same metric: not earth-shattering numbers, but the kinds that suggest a team that’s more likely to be in the top four than the bottom three as they currently stand.
However, this is a team that will almost certainly be telling themselves that they have to win on Sunday – potentially representing a chance for United to spring a surprise. Back at home after two tough away fixtures, let’s hope the Blades are buoyed into their best performance – and first points – of the campaign.
Thanks for reading, enjoy the game.