Martin Ho praises Tottenham for their adaptability and belief ahead of Manchester City
Tottenham Hotspur Women are set to face Manchester City under the lights at Brisbane Road this weekend. In positive form, Spurs will be looking to perform well in front of a home crowd and add another three points to their tally.
On the back of two wins in two for new head coach, Martin Ho, he shared his ambitious and confident mindset with the media.
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There is a positive update from Hotspur Way, with Ashleigh Neville, Martha Thomas and Mathilda Vinberg back in training. In the opening two fixtures, all three were absent from the matchday squad, so their return boosts the squad depth and talent on the bench.
As expected, Ella Morris and Luana Bühler are still sidelined with long-term injuries. Ho added that Molly Bartrip also remains absent from the squad.
Regarding summer signing, Cathinka Tandberg, the head coach spoke proudly of her contributions so far. On her first start in the Barclays Women’s Super League, she marked her debut goal with a long-range effort curling into the top corner. Whilst this was not part of Spurs’ tactical plan, the head coach did not seem too surprised at her world-class finish and credited her bravery for attempting such a strike:
“I’ve seen her do that before in the training. I’ve seen her do it when she was in Sweden too.”
It was also questioned how Josefine Rybrink became a right back under Ho, as she naturally played in centre-back or even central-defensive midfield last season under Robert Vilahamn. In his response, he spoke about versatility and how he does not believe in limiting his players to simply one position when they are capable of so much more:
“I think the way modern football’s gone, you, and I definitely don’t, can’t pigeonhole someone into a position because I feel you limit the skill set and probably their development, which more importantly for me, I want to make sure every player develops consistently. And Josefine alongside that backline has been brilliant.”
A new era for Spurs
At present, Spurs are the only side not to have conceded in the opening two fixtures. When questioned whether Ho’s side have been underestimated during preseason, especially on the back of an eleventh-place finish, he gave full credit to his squad and their efforts to compete with high intensity and passion.
“Yeah, it’s nothing to do with me. The players do their work. I just stand there as their coach… Having the hands-on experience of working with these players every day and over the last seven weeks, I think has shown me that there’s a lot more to come from this group.”
However, there is still work to be done for Spurs. Despite the best defensive record in the WSL after the opening fixtures, the team must stay grounded on focus on continuing to turn up under pressure:
“But more importantly, I’m not I’m not deluded enough to know that we still have steps to take, and we still have a lot of work to do. So we have to keep our feet grounded more importantly and make sure that we continue to help the group grow.
On a long-term level, it is important to Spurs that they move away from the history of low finishes in the table and early exits from competitions. Implementing the high intensity and competitiveness from the training ground onto the pitch is essential to Ho’s philosophy:
“I know that no player goes on to the pitch wanting to underperform. No team goes on the pitch wanting to underperform. But more importantly, since I’ve been here I’ve seen a really hardworking group and a really committed group.”
Breaking down Manchester City
Regarding this weekend’s opponents, Spurs should not underestimate the quality and threat Manchester City have, especially regarding their attacking individuals.
Whilst Tottenham showcased a much-improved performance against Everton than in their opener against West Ham, this will be a tough test for the team. Comparing attacking statistics, Ho reminded that his side only registered one shot on target against the Hammers – this was in fact Bethany England’s penalty – whereas this escalated to eight at Goodison Park. Converting attacking opportunities will prove key against City:
“We want to defend well and not concede the shot, but also when we do have the shots, we want to make sure we take those opportunities.”
Recently moved to the blue side of Manchester is Grace Clinton. The Lionesses’ star has worked alongside Ho at both Everton and Manchester and played with several of the Tottenham players during her loan spell in the 2023/24 season. The squad are prepared for her to make her debut for Manchester City on Friday and are focussed on preventing her from driving forwards into space with the ball.
Closing the gap in the WSL
For several years the gap between the top four teams and others in the league has been significant. However, Martin seemed confident that Spurs have the infrastructures and resources to shake things up a bit. It is up to the players on the pitch and their mentality to close the gap:
“I think we have the resources of facilities, the staff and the leadership, the infrastructure around us to make sure that we can perform and not just perform. We can train at optimum levels.”
Speaking about the setup at Tottenham Hotspur, the head coach seems content with the support around him and remains ambitious for Spurs to exceed expectations:
“I know we have everything here and more importantly for me to make sure the resources we have in the facilities that we maximise. And by maximising them it gives us the potential to go and win games. So, we leave ourselves with no excuses.”
There is a confidence in the way Ho speaks, which he echos beyond the pitch. Could this be the leadership and self-belief his Tottenham side need to stun City this weekend and push for a top four finish?