Maestre aims to “empower” his squad as London City prepare to host Everton

London City Lionesses manager Eder Maestre spoke to the media ahead of his side’s fixture against Everton on Sunday at the Copperjax Community Stadium.

In the Barclays Women’s Super League, London City host the Toffees as they look to bolster their position in the top half of the table.

Team News

On deadline day of the January transfer window, London City Lionesses made one final piece of business with the introduction of Malou Marcetto to the squad. Maestre spoke about his excitement to have a player of her calibre join the team:

“She’s a player I know very well from the Spanish league, a very talented, creative young player, and a great addition to the squad. I’m very pleased with her signing.She needs some extra time to settle, and we’re going to allow her that chance when she moves from Madrid.

Malou is a very good, flexible, talented player. She has started to play more in the number ten role and scored four goals for Madrid. That flexibility and performance in that position is a real threat in the opposite box, and it gives us the chance to be less predictable on the field. When you have players like her, you can mix positions often, which is really nice.”

Regarding other team news, the head coach confirmed some players still remain sidelined with injury, and others must be managed carefully in training to prevent further absences:

“Some players are out due to injuries, with a few expected to be out for 5–6 weeks. We’ll need to see how we move forward and wait for further updates. It’s a little disappointing for the coaches, as the players were training really well.

We need to be tactical in the way we train, and I’m very pleased with how the team is working every day. In that sense, everything is good.”

On Everton’s managerial change

Under-18s manager, Scott Phelan is now in interim charge after the departure of former coach Brian Sørensen. In response to this change in management, Maestre said they should not underestimate the Toffees:

“When you’re preparing for a match and thinking about the kind of game you’re facing, a managerial change adds complexity. A new manager comes in with new ideas, and we’re essentially starting blind in understanding their new approach.

It’s challenging, but we need to be ready for the contest. We’ll consider all the things they did before, but we know some things will change; it’s about being prepared.

Maybe they’ll be disruptive in the way they play, so we need to be ready and confident to face them.”

Everton’s threat and mentality

Despite being lower in the table, ninth place as opposed to London City’s sixth place, Everton present several challenges:

“When you play against a team lower in the table, it’s always a challenge because the opposition brings an underdog mentality and extra energy.

Changing the manager adds another layer; they’ll want to impress the new coach, show they deserve to be in the squad, and demonstrate their capabilities. That gives them extra motivation for the game on Sunday.”

Regarding Everton’s mentality and bouncing back, their first win at Goodison Park last weekend will prove key in their determination to register another three points on Sunday. Maestre must prepare his squad to overcome a hungry opposition:

“I think they have very talented players in midfield. Even if those players aren’t in midfield every game, they have the pace and rhythm to impact matches.

They’re fast in 1v1 situations and can challenge goalkeepers, so we need to be aware, especially from the back. Every long pass could be dangerous.”

Managing player’s expectations

Creating a balance between younger and more experienced players is challenging, but vital when successful for London City Lionesses as they build a squad depth and push for points:

“It’s challenging because we try to push players to the edge of their development, playing them in tactical environments to empower them, not just to teach, but to help them understand their positions and behaviours. This is useful for both experienced and younger players…

For younger players, it’s an interesting environment because their careers are just starting. They need to understand how experienced players move and make decisions; it’s not easy to reach that level.”

In particular, it is important that experienced players show leadership and encourage younger players to remain grounded, whilst also being ambitious:

“When you combine the knowledge of experienced players with the energy of younger ones, it’s very powerful. These two energies work well together.

Experienced players show the way to younger players, not only tactically, but in managing rest, facing difficulties, and maintaining the right behaviours. They act as mentors, sharing information, driving the team’s emotions, and helping the team achieve its goals.”

Moving forward with ambition

Maestre noted that being ambitious week in week out is essential in preparations for every match, especially in the competitive WSL:

“Hopefully, that’s the way we approach every week, preparing, thinking we can win, and understanding how and why we want to win. In our last games, we saw good passing and good understanding, and we always maintain an optimistic mentality.”

However, he understands progress is not linear, as each opponent presents a different challenge to overcome and assess:

“All processes are non-linear. Against City, we found very good sensations, but against Brighton, it was a very tough game. They were above us in the league, and we struggled to be aggressive in our positions, so we were a little disconnected at times.

Still, I recognised how the team fought and tried to improve in the second half. It wasn’t enough, but the players gave everything. We need to work on improving our performance and being more consistent across games.”

Connections between player and coach:

Since his appointment, Maestre is focused on building positive relationships with his squad, pushing towards stronger foundations for the future of London City Lionesses:

“We have new ideas and are moving forward, building on our foundations.

It’s not about creating a completely new model but using the foundation to keep developing. We have new players and building that connection isn’t easy.

I started by observing new and exciting situations, first movements, and the will to win. I’m happy with how things are developing and proud of how the players are performing and the behaviours they’re bringing to the team.”

London City take on Everton at home at the Copperjax Community Stadium on Sunday (12:00 KO).