Maestre emphasises collective discipline ahead of Manchester United test

London City Lionesses head coach Eder Maestre highlighted the importance of collective cohesion and game intelligence as his side prepare to face Manchester United Women, acknowledging the challenge posed by the opponent’s strong metrics and attacking strengths.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Maestre stressed that maintaining connection across the pitch would be vital throughout the contest:

“When you look at what Manchester United have and the metrics they produce, it’s clear we need to stay connected for the entire match”, he said. “We must play as a team in every moment and understand that there will be phases where we are under pressure”.

The Lionesses’ head coach underlined the importance of resilience during difficult spells, emphasising that recognising key moments could define the outcome:

“In those moments of struggle, we need to relate back to the key principles that allow us to compete and achieve out objectives”, Maestre explained. “That applies not only when defending against Manchester United’s counterattacks. But also when we have opportunities to hurt them ourselves”.

Maestre also pointed to the importance of transitional phases, particularly against an opponent capable of punishing teams on a counterattack:

“We need to be very aware of their threat in transition, but also confident in our own”, he said”. “If we can win those moments, especially when we regain possession, we can be very effective. That requires total connection-mentally, tactfully, and physically”.

The head coach added that preparation during the week had focused heavily on collective responsibility and decision-making under pressure:

“Our preparation has been about clarity and trust”, Maestre noted. “Every player needs to understand her orle within the collective structure, because it’s the team behaviour that allows individual quality to come through”.

Concluding his remarks, Maestre reinforced the importance of belief and togetherness as London City Lionesses continue their competitive campaign:

“This is about being united for every second of the match. If we stay connected, accept the moments of struggle, and commit fully to the team idea, then we give ourselves the best possible platform to compete”.