London City Lionesses began their Women's Super League season by fulfilling expectations with a notable performance against Manchester United. The team displayed the attacking football and possession-based strategy promised by their management.
Mama Olid, who was appointed manager on August 5, had pledged a brave, attacking style of play. However, Manchester United struggled to adapt to her tactics in the first half, failing to register a single shot and showing a lack of confidence. The team's basic execution in possession was also reportedly flawed, leading to turnovers.
"In the first half, I didn't feel like the players were believing," Olid stated. "At half time I said: 'Listen, this is not us.' In the first half, we were forcing things, the basics in possession were wrong and we were giving them the ball to attack. That is not what we want to be."
The second half saw an improvement, with Manchester United beginning to implement the desired style of play, building through the middle and moving effectively. This shift in performance was evident, and Olid felt her team was "in the match" during the latter half. The manager emphasized that the difference between the two teams on the day was primarily mental, attributing London City's success to their confidence and ability to capitalize on mistakes.
Manchester United's lone shot on target came in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time, when substitute Simi Awujo scored, providing a more favorable look to the scoreline. Olid believes that if her team plays as they did in the second half, the gap in quality with opponents like London City is not substantial.
"If we play as we did in the second half, I don't think the gap is that big," Olid added. "I think the structure was wrong in attack – when the structure isn't right, the players are lost. We fixed that but mentally, the players were not believing. London City pressed well and took our mistakes to create chances. They did very well in the first half but in the second half, I felt we were in the match."
Olid sees it as her responsibility to foster belief among her players and improve their performance. The manager acknowledged that the team is still in a process of adaptation under her new strategy, which requires time to fully implement.