Brian Sørensen confident ahead of Villa clash after positive update
Ahead of their Barclays Women’s Super League clash against Aston Villa Women, head coach Brian Sørensen spoke about Everton Women on the back off international break.
With several key players returning to training during this period, the manager provided a positive update on the squad. The Toffees have endured a mixed start to the season, but the manager believes recent progress and returning fitness could help the team rediscover consistency and momentum.
Team News and Injury Updates
As international break ended, the players returned to Merseyside to prepare for this weekends WSL clash. Regarding team news, the manager seemed positive that nothing changed during the break:
“We had the girls come in today from their national teams. There weren’t any injury reports from camp, but we’ll see how they are today.”
The Toffees recently suffered a few injuries to key players: whilst some are ready to return to the squad, others will remain sidelined and assessed:
“After the Forest game in the League Cup, we still had several players out, but it’s definitely better now than before the break. The international break came at a good time. We’ve got two players back, training has been strong this week, and a number of players have been in since Tuesday. They’re in contention to play some part in the game, though we’re still a little short.”
Three players have been confirmed back in training: Rion Ishikawa, Hikaru Kitagawa, and Ruby Mace, who have all recovered from injuries that ruled them out in September and October:
“Rion is back in training, Hikaru is in today, and Ruby too. We’re in much better shape than we were right after the international break.’
Form and Progress
Despite a challenging run of results, Sørensen emphasised the importance of patience and perspective in building consistency:
“It’s a process we’re working on. We’ve seen progress with this new group, and it’s about building on that. It’s been tough with injuries and little consistency in selection, but we want to move upward this block. The goal is to get better day by day.”
Despite falling short of their expectations so far this season, the head coach has faith that his squad can get back on track:
“We didn’t have the start we wanted, but we’re only two points behind Villa. They haven’t had the best start either, it’s fine margins. We just need to trust the process and put in a strong performance.”
For Sørensen, the table does not hold a huge bearing on his analysis. Instead, he focuses on the performance and how this can be turned into one of dominance and goals in the back of the net:
“I don’t look too much at the table — it’s about the performance and what we do every day. If we perform well, the results follow. We need to be braver on the ball. In some games, like against Manchester United, we had to defend a lot, and that’s something we’re looking to improve.”
Defensively the Toffees are currently lacking options, resulting in substitutions affecting the tempo of the game late on. The head coach reminded that some players are still returning to full fitness and therefore cannot force ninety minutes:
“It comes down to player availability. Some players still aren’t ready for 90 minutes, so we’re forced into several changes late in games, which affects rhythm. We’re working on tightening our defence and being more compact in those closing stages.”
Facing Aston Villa
Everton travel to Villa Park this weekend where three points is the only aim.
Speaking about recent clashes with the Villains, Sørensen remembers the aggressive play and high press that Everton must exploit to secure something from the away trip:
“We’ll need to be defensively solid. Last year, we controlled the game against Villa after the international break and took our chances; it’ll be similar this time. They press high, they’re aggressive, and make it hard to play out. But there are spaces we can exploit if we’re sharp.”
Aston Villa are currently building momentum and positive form, which creates a tough task for the Toffees to dominate the game away from home:
“We’ve studied their recent matches and feel very prepared. They’re a strong side with a mix of youth and experience, but we’re ready for the challenge.”
However, more importantly the head coach wants to see his team perform well and improve upon recent matches. With fluctuations in their progress, he is looking for consistency to establish their identity:
“It’s not about calling it a must-win — it’s about improving every week. We’re working hard, focusing on the details, and making sure we keep getting better.”
With the match taking place at Villa Park, Sørensen spoke about the experience of playing on the big stage:
“We love playing at big stadiums. Villa Park and Goodison Park always provide great occasions. It’s a fantastic experience every time, and long may that continue.”