Ho “excited for the Future” as Spurs aim to execute High Standards in Season Finale
Tottenham Hotspur travel to the South Coast to face Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday for the Barclays Women’s Super League season finale.
Martin Ho joined Spurs as head coach ahead of the 2025/26 season and reflects on a positive campaign for the club. With one remaining fixture, Spurs will finish in fifth place in the league, currently on 33 points – their record tally in a WSL season.
Addressing the media for the final time ahead of the summer break, Ho outlined team news, his aspirations for next season and summer transfer news, alongside a summary of his first season in charge. Tottenham look to finish a campaign that perhaps surpassed the expectations of many on a good note this weekend away at the Amex Stadium.
Team News
Regarding team news, Ho confirmed that there are no changes to last week’s selection. The long-term absentees still remain sidelined, but all other squad members will be available for the matchday squad.
Captain, Bethany England will play her final match for Spurs this weekend as her departure this summer is confirmed.
Learnings and Ambitions: Reflecting upon the Season
When asked to reflect on his first season at the club, Ho outlined the positives in terms of developments and infrastructures. However, he remains ambitious to be in with a shot of winning silverware next season:
“I think it's been positive in in numerous aspects from, yeah, on the pitch off the pitch. There's been a lot of learnings on and off the pitch. There's been a lot of developments on and off the pitch. I think it's give us really strong foundations to build from in the future.
Pleased that it's gone well, but you still have work to do because finishing 5th doesn't win you anything. It doesn't give you anything. We want to win, we want to compete, we want to win trophies. But yeah, a lot of a lot of pride and a lot of really, really proud of the players in terms of what they've done and the staff. But we still have a lot of work to do.”
Consistency is core in Ho’s mentality and long-term expectations with Spurs, which he expressed regarding points to improve upon next season and becoming a top club in European Football:
“We're getting more consistency in that part of our game and then also evolving in and growing in mentality that if we want to compete at that top level that we have to psychologically be strong.
And then find in ways we can internally grow the business, the organisation, the infrastructure around us to make sure that we, we can provide the players with everything they need from a football perspective and, or a personal perspective, but also ways that we can evolve this club to be recognised as one of the best things, not just in England, but in Europe.”
Giving an overall summary of the season, Ho praised his squad’s mentality and development:
“The mentality of the group in terms of how we've reacted and how we've done things over, over the season. I think we had a really good start and we've we had a bit of a bumpy road, the second part of the season. With how we, how we face those teams and the adversity we face, but I think our reaction to that and some parts of those games we perform well.
So yeah, probably the mentality, the group, the developments and growth of the group. And also away from the pitch, the infrastructure and the processes we put in place to allow this team, not just short term, but long term to be successful. And are now making sure that we can, we can build momentum going into the summer and onwards into the new season.”
Summer Transfer Targets
In terms of Spurs’ summer transfer targets, Ho is confident that several deals have already been secured; this puts the club ahead in their negotiations and securing the players that fit into Ho’s long-term plan for Tottenham Hotspur and the direction he wants the club to take:
“A lot of our business is done. So, we’ve been really proactive in the window already. We've been really proficient and really selective of what we want. We've made sure that we're going to add value to the group in terms of the quality that we bring in in certain positions. And yeah, I know that we're going to have to, we're going to have to lift our levels going to next season and by doing that you need the depth, as you said.
And we just need to make sure that we can allow the players that come into adapt. We can allow the players that are here and still with us now to really perform and develop themselves so that we can be more competitive going into next season.”
Although the head coach did not disclose any information about the summer transfers, he added that bringing down the average age of the group and securing players who can develop at the club is important:
“I think over the course of the last probably 4 or 5 months, we tried to do business early and that's something we wanted to. we've always wanted to do. There are numerous players that will come in. Obviously, I won't put a number on it because I don't want to restrict it if we want to do more business. But numerous signings have been made, and I think it'll definitely give us better squad depth, which you need.
It'll drop the average age of the group. It'll also add experience to us and just feel certain positions that I feel are right to, to the way we play and the model we have and making sure that we continually evolve. But for now, we need to really focus, focus on now and focus on this, this game against Brighton.
But yeah, I'm excited for the summer, the future, and what we can do with the players next season.”
Nomination for Manager of the Season
Ho is one of three nominees for WSL Manager of the Season, and credits this nomination to the club as a collective, emphasising the hard work by the staff at Hotspur Way:
“I'm blessed that I have good, good players and good stuff around me and then a good leadership group that support me and back me and I'm making sure I have good family and friends around me that lift me when I need it and also tell me when I need to be told.
I still have people around me and I think the staff and players do endless work around it and I'm the one who has to sit here in front of media and in front of cameras to, to talk about if we win or we lose, but I think the, the plaudits and the players should go to a lot of the staff and players.
They do the hard work behind the scenes continuously and I'm the one who just has to maybe provide an environment and some guidance alongside that. But yeah, it's it's a nice, nice moment to be recognised, but it's a, it's a collective one for us.”
Tõko Koga and Clare Hunt: Winning the Supporters’ Player of the Season Awards
This season, newly established centre back pairing, Tõko Koga and Clare Hunt showcased their ability and complementary style as a defensive duo. At the end of season awards, the two won the Supporters, and Junior Supporters Player of the Season awards. Ho praised Koga for her maturity and football understanding for such a young player:
“If you look at Tõko as an individual, as a player, someone who's coming in at 19 and now just turned 20 is, is performing at such a high level. As an individual, she is well above her years in maturity and football understanding. Her character and personality as a player is, is outstanding for us and she's playing well above her years.”
There was also high praise for the Australian defender, following some big performances this season:
“Clare then complemented that with her performances, how she's done things, the way she's done things as a player.”
Regarding their partnership, Ho credited the duo for playing to their strengths and working alongside one another to keep clean sheets and provide defensive solidity to deserve them these awards, as perhaps often underrated players:
“And just try to enable them to play to their strengths when they've been together and when you get a partnership that's working, we kept so many clean sheets, we were performing well in front of, in front of goal and defending our goal. And we just try to keep a consistency with that.
I think when those two awards come to a centre back pairing, you maybe expected to be maybe a midfielder or a forward, but I think maybe what goes under the radar is some big performances defensively, and those two have definitely done that this season, along with the players in there. That backline and Lize [Kop] have been, have been outstanding, and then collectively, defensively, we've had large moments where we've been good, but small moments where we haven't.”
Previewing in-form Brighton
On Saturday, Spurs have a tough opposition in a currently in-form Brighton. Having qualified for their first ever Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final and sitting one place below Spurs in the WSL table, they are a side full of confidence who must not be underestimated by Ho’s Lilywhite side:
“They have a wonderful squad. They have wonderful players. They've got some of them, some of the best, and Fran Kirby, probably one of the best in women's football and to put on a football shirt. So, yeah, well gifted.
And I know they're well organised, very fluid with the ball. Probably one of the best footballing teams in the league and I think they've, they've started to really pick up some momentum at the back end of the season, when credit to, to the group of players and, and Dario, especially after what he's been through personally. I think it shows a lot of character and the type of person he is. And, yeah, congratulations to them on getting to the FA Cup Final.”
Despite the difficult demands of Spurs on Saturday, Ho recognises the importance of a final weekend clash for the women’s game:
“And I know this weekend's going to be a tough game, but it'll be a wonderful spectacle for women's football because both teams want to play, both teams want to press, and I think it'll give us opportunity to have a wonderful game of football.”
Mental Health Awareness Week
Following a recent interview with Matt beard’s family on the BBC, Ho spoke about the reality for managers and the need for better support mechanisms and understanding for the human behind the badge:
“What people probably don't recognise behind the badge, the shirt, the jumper, is that we're human at the end of the day and those managers are exactly the same. We come under a lot of scrutiny when we, when we don't win, which is fine, because we're responsible for it, we may be. Then we get praise, sometimes we don't.
But at the end of the day, you have to look back of not just the individual who's sitting in front of you as head coach, but the person behind it and there's a lot of people that will face a lot of scrutiny and maybe mentally don't know how to cope with it, don't know how to find a way out of it. And then maybe take a different route and that's the route we want to minimise.
I'm really big on that, making sure that we can provide support, not just for players, but for staff and making sure that they're in a place where they can feel comfortable and their well-being and their mental state is steady.”
Andy Rogers Departure
Earlier this week, Tottenham Hotspur announced the departure of the Women’s Managing Director, Andy Rogers. Ho praised him for his work at the club over the last two decades and spoke honestly about his devastation for his departure:
“Devastated. Yeah, 24 years is so long at one organisation, at one club. At a professional level, he's had the whole grasp of the club in terms of from all the way through community to men's to women's and his impact that he will leave on this club on this team. What he doesn't know about the club's not worth knowing.
He’s made a huge, huge impact on his women's team in the short space of time I've been here and, um, yeah, when I, when I spoke with him, got the news, I was absolutely devastated because we built a relationship on, yeah, so many aspects and he's been a pivotal part in allowing his team to, to be where it is now.”
Olga Ahtinen Contract Renewal
Finnish midfielder, Olga Ahtinen signed a new long-term contract with Spurs this week and Ho praised her for her diligence and character on the training pitch:
“A wonderful person, first and foremost, and that's the key part for me. And as the player, you can work with them, you can develop them, you can help them reach their ambitions and their objectives, they set individually.
Training-wise, exceptional, one of the best people I've worked with in terms of from a footballer capacity, as a human, as a professional, the way she conducts herself. The way she sets example and leads by example in how she does things, not just with words, but with action. And I think there's a lot more in Olga that there's to come.
We need to make sure that we continue to challenge Olga to push new levels and we are doing that and then making sure that we give her a safe space where she feels comfortable, confident and motivated to, to perform. And she's had some injuries along the way, she had some nickels along the way, which have maybe disrupted the season a little bit. And we're just trying to keep her on the straight and narrow that we keep it injury free, but we’ve seen earlier in the season, we played there in numerous positions and she was effective.”
Spurs face Brighton on Saturday 16 May at the Amex Stadium (13:00 KO BST) where Ho aims to see out the season with three points and an away day win: the best possible send off for this summer’s departing players, including the Captain.