Midseason awards
Picking Player of the Season (so far), Goal of the Season, and who looks most likely to step up to the WSL
With matchday 11 in the books, we’re at the halfway point of the Women’s Championship season. The Blades still have a game in hand, but I thought that this international break would be a good point to dish out some WOMEN OF STEEL midseason awards from what we’ve seen from United so far.
For each award I’ll give my top three for that category so far this season. Let’s start with the main individual award going, which also has probably the clearest winner (in my mind, at least).
Player of the season
3. Bex Rayner
2. Fran Stenson
1. Izzy Goodwin
Bex Rayner is having a nice season, continuing her strong performances from last campaign where she became United’s all-time leader in assists. She’ll pop up again in a moment, so let’s talk a little more about keeper Fran Stenson.
United have not defended particularly well this season, it’s fair to say. Per footystats, they allow the third-highest expected goals against per 90 minutes played, with opposition registering 1.56xG per match. That’s only a shade better than Reading (who are 10th in the Championship table) and Watford (who are bottom).
While there’s no data available for xG for shots on target, Stenson has done well to keep United in games this season. According to footystats’ xG model, the Blades should have conceded around 15-16 goals so far this season (they have an xG against of 15.6) while the actual figure is a shade lower, at 14 goals conceded.
Some of this must also be credited to backup keepers Bethan Davies and Eleanor Heeps, who have both played one league match apiece (both conceding one). But the highlight reel of Stenson’s saves from the first half of the season is an impressive one; I’ve also been a fan of how proactively she commands her penalty area as I wrote here.
However, there’s only one real winner of the player of the (half) season and that’s striker Izzy Goodwin. The Blades number 10 has seven goals already – more than half of United’s total goals so far – and has been a superb focal point for the side.
Goodwin is faster and stronger than a lot of the defenders she goes up against, but that’s allied to a fantastic workrate and fitness. She’s started every one of United’s games and has made it to the 90th minute or later in every one.
It’s not all about physique, though. She hits the target at a phenomenal rate, with 75% of her shots forcing the keeper into a save – a mark that sits right up there along her fellow top-scorers in the Championship this season, Palace’s Elise Hughes (76%) and Annabel Blanchard (82%). Only Molly-Mae Sharpe (also of Palace) can match Goodwin’s 24 total shots so far this season.
A high-volume shooter with speed, strength and the situational awareness to find space in the box? Goodwin is having a brilliant debut season and it’s no exaggeration to say she’s been one of the better players in the Championship through the first half of the season.
Most-WSL ready
3. Fran Stenson
2. Izzy Goodwin
1. Bex Rayner
Next, it’s a totally made-up award! I’m looking at this as “if I had to bet on who would make an WSL appearance next, who would I pick” (I’m assuming United aren’t promoted this season, hope I’m wrong).
Stenson’s impressive keeping – the combo of the highlight-reel saves and the command of her area – makes me think she could be in the mix as an WSL keeper in the not-too-distant future. She’s just 22, is on the fringes of the England U23 squad and spent four years at Arsenal before joining the Blades. It’s not too hard to imagine someone in the top flight wanting to add her to the squad in the not-too-distant future.
Goodwin seems like an obvious pick given the numbers she’s putting up and the fact she already looks to have a physical advantage on a lot of defenders at this level. Again, it’s not too hard to imagine a WSL team seeing her immense upside and looking to bring her in and polish her game even further.
The one that really stands out for me, though, is Bex Rayner. She might not have gaudy stats so far this season (1 goal, no assists) but every time I see her play she just stands out as one of the most technically-gifted players on the pitch.
It’s not been enough to drag United to wins by herself – hence the league position – and she has been moved from attacking midfield to wide forward multiple times this season. But her dribbling skill, control and ability to twist out of tight spaces stands her apart from anyone else in the Blades squad. She’s still got the creative spark with the ball, and the lack of assists is as much on her team-mates finishing as anything else.
Rayner also works her socks off out of possession, constantly haring after the ball. If United could find another forward with the pressing ability of Rayner and Goodwin, they could find themselves climbing the league pretty quickly.
Goal of the Season
3. Bex Rayner vs Charlton
2. Izzy Goodwin vs Watford
1. Jodie Hutton vs Southampton
Just missing the cut here is the team goal finished off by Charlotte Newsham at Reading, but I want to hark back to this opening day belter from Rayner to tie things up against the side now at the top of the Women’s Championship:
Taking the silver medal, I’ve got a lot of time for chipped finishes and this one from Goodwin is a touch of class. A nice one-two with her striker partner Jess Sigsworth and then a delightfully deft finish by the United top-scorer:
But Jodie Hutton’s first-time curler against the Saints is definitely my favourite of the season so far – a sublime swerving effort that flew high past the Southampton keeper. An absolute scorcher from the Blades left-back who looks like she has the potential to add a couple more to her tally so far.
Player I’m most looking forward to seeing progress in the second half of the season
3. Ella Kinzett
2. Jess Sigsworth
1. Tara Bourne
I wrote about Ella Kinzett last week and how I hope we see her start more games the rest of the way as she has the athleticism and tools of someone who could become a really good box-to-box midfielder.
Jess Sigsworth has a superb track record at this level but had the start to her season interrupted by that red card in the second game. She’s clearly seen as the first choice partner for Goodwin, having started the last four league games, but has yet to find the net in the Championship (she did score in the Conti Cup last week). We are seeing signs of a good relationship developing between the two strikers – witness the excellent one-two for Goodwin’s first goal at Watford – and she has been on the wrong end of some sensational goalkeeping against both Reading and Durham.
That first league goal can’t be far away for Sigsworth, but others like Sophie Haywood might be hoping for a start in her place if she doesn’t get off the mark soon.
Tara Bourne has gone a little under the radar this season with a bit of a rotating cast of defenders around her, but United’s recent switch to a back three – with her at the heart – has seen her string together her best performances to date.
Bourne’s the best ball-playing defender at the club, and seeing her step out of the backline and start attacks has led to some of the most eye-pleasing moves the team has put together this season. She’s also put herself about defensively, not least the superb goal line clearance against Watford.
United might have settled on the best way to maximise Bourne’s skillset in the second half of the season.
In other news
A few bits of news to round off – United drew 1-1 in their recent Conti Cup game, away at Durham. A late equaliser by Jess Sigsworth gave the Blades a point in the group although they lost the subsequent penalty shootout for a bonus point (having watched the men’s team lose their seventh consecutive shootout earlier this season, I was not shocked by this outcome).
That leaves United all-but eliminated from the League Cup, but the draw for the third round of the Women’s FA Cup (now sponsored by Adobe) took place on Monday with United given a trip to Rugby Borough of the National League. WSL clubs don’t enter until the fourth round, so hopefully United can get the win on December 10th and progress in the competition.