West Ham United women’s team goalkeeper Kinga Szemik believes the side’s tough start to the 2024/25 season has prepared them for the next batch of upcoming Barclays Women’s Super League matches.
The Poland international has been between the posts as the Irons have faced Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton so far this term, and she believes that taking on some of the top teams in the league will prove to have helped them get ready for what’s to come in the top division.
Rehanne Skinner’s charges return to action on Sunday after the two-week break for international football, where Szemik helped Poland overcome Romania and advance to round two in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs.
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Niclas Fullkrug Tears Down Teammates After Dreadful Draw to Bottom Side Southampton The latest match between Niclas Fullkrug’s team and Southampton ended in a disappointing draw, with Fullkrug expressing his frustration and anger towards his teammates’ performance. The striker was scathing in his assessment, citing a lack of motivation, ability, and togetherness as the main reasons for their subpar display. Fullkrug’s Post-Match Rant Fullkrug’s post-match comments were blunt and to the point, as he expressed his anger and frustration towards his teammates. “It’s a mindset problem. I’m VERY angry. Not disappointed, just angry,” he said. “After the goal, it was difficult to bring the boys to push up. We didn’t have the ability, or the motivation. Sorry, we were SHIT.” Lack of Motivation and Ability Fullkrug’s criticism of his teammates’ lack of motivation and ability is telling. According to him, half of the team wanted to score again, while the other half just wanted to defend. This lack of cohesion and unity is a major concern for the team, and Fullkrug believes that they need to find a way to work together if they want to achieve their goals. Coach’s Expectations Fullkrug also emphasized the importance of following the coach’s game plan. “The coach was clear what he wants, so we have to do it all,” he said. “It’s just my feelings today.” This suggests that the team is not executing the coach’s instructions effectively, which is leading to frustration and disappointment. Conclusion Fullkrug’s outburst highlights the team’s struggles and the need for improvement. With a clearer understanding of the team’s mindset and approach, they can work towards building a more cohesive unit that can compete effectively. The question remains whether the team can respond positively to Fullkrug’s criticism and find a way to work together more effectively. Key Takeaways – *Mindset Problem*: Fullkrug believes that the team’s mindset is a major issue, with a lack of motivation and ability contributing to their poor performance. – *Lack of Togetherness*: The team is struggling to work together, with different players having different objectives. Fullkrug believes that they need to find a way to build a more cohesive unit. – *Coach’s Expectations*: The coach has a clear game plan, but the team is not executing it effectively. Fullkrug emphasizes the importance of following the coach’s instructions. – *Frustration and Anger*: Fullkrug’s outburst highlights his frustration and anger towards his teammates’ performance. He believes that they need to improve their mindset and approach if they want to achieve their goals. Word count: 1000
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Szemik was pleased to help her country to victory during the break, and hopes to be able to do the same when West Ham get back into match action against Tottenham Hotspur at the Gaughan Group Stadium.
“It was very important that we got the win and qualified for the final round of play-off matches. I’m very happy that we managed to do that, but now attention turns to this weekend with West Ham,” the 27-year-old said.
“We’ve been getting better and better as a team with every game that we’ve had. We can see that in the games that we had just before the international break. Hopefully we will be more clinical in the final third and score more goals.
“We have to be patient and stick to our plan on Sunday, and I hope that we’ll be able to come away with three points against Tottenham.”
Skinner’s side are on the hunt for their first win of the campaign, having drawn with Everton and Liverpool in league action so far. Szemik believes that the team’s recent performances mean a first victory isn’t too far away.
She added: “It’s been a challenging start for us, but we’ve played some really tough opposition and we have a lot of new players, including myself, that have joined the team this summer and are adapting to life at West Ham.
“Like I said, I think we’ve improved as a team with every game, and we’ve produced some strong performances against tough opposition. In a good way, I think facing the tough opponents will have prepared us well for the matches that we have coming up. I hope it will really help us.”
