After such a busy pre-season I just can’t wait to get started

Hi and welcome to my West London Sport column. I’ll be writing throughout what I hope will be a great season for myself and Chelsea Ladies.

That season starts with an FA Cup game against Bristol Academy next week and our first league game is at home to Liverpool on 20 April.

Pre-season has gone very well for our squad. It started earlier than most, with a trip to Japan, which was a great experience and bonding opportunity before pre-season actually started. It seems to have gone on forever, as we have played many friendlies and endured tough daily sessions, but we are all ready for the season to kick off at last.

I feel we have greater depth in our squad now after having made so many great signings and have a lot more to offer than last season.

We of course are aiming to win trophies and if we can be competitive in every match we play then I have no doubt that we will be successful this season.

On the England front, I think I need to get some consistency and form for my club after being out for so long, and hopefully England will come hand in hand with that.

Women’s Super League clubs have made some great signings and this has created a lot more interest internationally that will only make the league more exciting as the standard of football improves.

I think this will be the first season that isn’t dominated by the same few teams – everyone has a chance because the quality of players is higher. Each team will be competitive and I think that will make the league very exciting.

A few teams have a lot of ‘chat’ surrounding them and I think we have played it well by keeping quite quiet and not getting too ahead of ourselves.

Manchester City have made a lot of noise, bringing in some quality signings, but I think some of the quieter teams will be ones to watch – like Notts for example.

The introduction of promotion and relegation has also been a great development for the women’s game in this country.

It makes our league more competitive because now we can be demoted, but it also gives the second tier the chance to develop and create sustainable teams that will hopefully feed through for both leagues. Investment leads to higher standards.

And as happened in the men’s game, I think the influx of players from overseas will really enhance the women’s league in this country.

Having international players means that we attract a wider foreign audience which brings more money and investment in to the game and clubs can start to create their own brands and identities.

So there’s plenty to look forward to this season – starting with the FA Cup, which is the best competition in my eyes. It’s what football is all about. Anything goes and it is always unpredictable.

I’ve experienced losing to a lower league team when you are expected to win, getting to the final and losing on penalties.

The Cup is high on our priority list and we will be playing our strongest team because we really want to win it.

It would be great to see as many people as possible come down to Staines, starting with the Liverpool game.

Chelsea fans should definitely come down to see the women’s team in action! It’s a cheap day out for the family and is interactive, as we often have fun and games going on before the kick-off and the vibe is a lot more personal than you would get a men’s match.

Cheers

Claire

Tickets for all Chelsea Ladies home games at Wheatsheaf Park, Staines, are available on the door priced £3 for children and £5 for adults or via https://sales.webticketmanager.com/clfc. Season tickets are £30 for adults and £15 for concessions.

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