Chelsea’s showfight after back-to-back wins in Women’s Super League – only they can silence the unnecessary noise | Soccer News

Sky Sports columnist Laura Hunter breaks down the big talking points from the latest Women’s Super League fixtures and explores the key stories at the heart of the women’s game.

Is the noise around Chelsea justified?

Much has been written about Chelsea’s plight in recent weeks. In my opinion, much of that is warranted. This is a club that cheers when they lift a title or admire a trophy. When things don’t go well, you need the humility to accept criticism.

I think the “Chelsea crisis” is an exaggeration, given their wide range of positions. Much of their suffering has to do with their status as unyielding champions. Thanks to the incredible achievements of the past decade, even a 1% decline would be noticeable, even if it isn’t.

However, some things could have been handled differently. Sonia Bompastre did herself no favors after the 5-1 defeat to Manchester City, claiming her team lacked depth. it’s not. Chelsea’s selection of top talent groups has long been the envy of the WSL.

If everyone gets fit, there will be almost two starting members. Availability is a big issue. Bompastor is justified in claiming that injuries have cost him the team. The Frenchwomen were forced to resort to Plan B with a number of key players absent. And Plan B often disappointed her.

Still, Bompastre has a big team to rely on. The fact that she has made the most in-game substitutions of any manager this season (75) actually negates any claims that her team is under-represented. Really lacking fitness and form. And perhaps also the profile of a midfielder that her style of play requires.

The next mistake was announcing the extension of Bompastre’s contract and the resignation of Paul Green, the club’s respected head of women’s football, within the same three days. This does not necessarily mean questioning the logic of each decision, but rather its timing. It was an unpleasant feeling, as if the blame for an underperforming team was right there on the green.

Green, who spent 13 years at Chelsea and helped them win 19 major trophies, certainly deserves a better send-off than a statement of less than 150 words with no attribution from anyone close to the club. The players are said to have been shocked by the news. Captain Millie Bright wrote on social media that she was “absolutely devastated.” Many will have the obvious question: Was Green the fall guy?

There is no doubt that Chelsea were entering a phase of evolution following the departure of Emma Hayes, but it appears to have started 12 months later than planned. Bompastor’s amazing first campaign meant there was little need for change or modification, just a continuation. However, current results fall short of the extremely high standards set during Hayes’ tenure and in the first year that Bonpastor was forced to act. Being seen doing something.

But there must have been a softer approach that didn’t risk alienating players, staff and fans, and Green played an integral role in bringing it together.

What is clear from the performances on the pitch is that the team needs a makeover, regardless of the complex bureaucracy at the top. Bright, Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Guro Leiten, Sam Kerr, Aggie Beaver-Jones and Katarina Macario are all out of contract at the end of the season, and at least half are expected to move on.

Whether Chelsea end the season with a silver medal or not, there is no doubt that this will be a summer of change. They have long conceded the WSL title to Man City, but the League Cup Final, FA Cup and Champions League are in the running for prize money.

Sky Sports’ Jizzy Christiansen said live on Sunday that the obsession with the latter could be diluting Chelsea’s “process and culture”, essentially making the pursuit of the Champions League less motivating and a distraction.

Indeed, Bompastar was headhunted in part because of his competition as a player and coach at Lyon and his track record in Europe. However, she is less formal about how she deals with fatigue. It was the first consecutive defeat to Arsenal and City in her 104-game managerial career.

Bompastar must accept that the growing noise is simply a byproduct of the beast Chelsea have built. “If you want to be that successful, you have to take a hit,” Christiansen concluded. Chelsea have so far silenced the critics with solid 2-0 wins against Tottenham and Liverpool, but they still remain nine points clear of the leaders.

Some might suggest that such a large gap constitutes a dismantling of champions. That’s the world we live in. A person falling from a height would cause an even bigger mess and would make for a better headline.

The true measure of Chelsea’s “monster mentality”, as Hayes coined it, will be how effectively they drown out the chatter between now and May in the hope of salvaging something. Because, in reality, this is a situation of Chelsea’s own making.

hemp creativity

Lauren Hemp has long been one of the best wingers in the league, and arguably the most complete. But after spending much of last season injured, it took her time to rediscover the form that won her that title.

Her creative output in Manchester City’s recent outing suggests she is close. The 25-year-old became the first player in WSL history to create more than 10 chances from open play in Friday’s 6-0 win over Leicester. She assisted on two of the six goals.

Still, her reaction when the final whistle rang was to criticize herself for not scoring. Hemp’s contribution was as valuable as any other scorer, with City having 15 shots on target, the most of any team all season. They managed a staggering 232 final third passes.

This figure is even more impressive given that Leicester play in a deep and compact shape, often banked in the middle to protect the width of the goal. Hemp was out wide and the following situation ended with Hemp’s cross from the left and a great attack from Kerorin from the second phase.

“We continue to raise the level and chase more goals. That’s what I’m most satisfied with,” reflected Andriy Jegrats after the match. Hemp is a standard setter and her talent and effectiveness are at their peak at the perfect time for City to prove an unstoppable force.

Read last week’s WSL column

Last week’s column analyzed Arsenal’s defensive resilience and the surprising role of Olivia Smith after back-to-back clean sheets against Chelsea and Manchester City.