Presser Points | Everton vs Spurs (WFA Cup) | Robert Vilahamn | OneFootball

Robert Vilahamn spoke to the media at Hotspur Way on Monday afternoon, ahead of our Adobe Women’s FA Cup fourth round tie against Everton at Walton Hall Park on Wednesday evening (7pm UK).

Here’s what he had to say…

On the Palace win…

Robert: “I mean, it's an extremely important win. I think we had a really good first half, then we struggled some in the second half, so to get the win anyway is a real boost for self-confidence. If you look at the last six games, I think we are we are doing some quite good results and some decent performances in the games, but not the all the games, still it was a really important win, and how we won it, with a free kick in the last minute, it was very good.”

On not converting our chances…

Robert: “We scored three goals, we scored another with Bethany [England], and I'm not really sure it was an offside, but that's quite good to score those goals. We created chances with quite a few goals, the first half was actually really good against Crystal Palace, if you look at the rain and wind, then how we actually played them out and how we scored those two goals, it was a good performance. But I'm honest with the second half, it's not a good performance, so we need to be better to keep that performance on a different level, so we don't get the teams coming to us because we shouldn't be giving the chance to win against us. But I'm not even concerned, I think, the two goals from Bethany England, it's world class, the cross from Anna [Csiki] I think is brilliant, the corner from Maite [Oroz] is really good, so I actually see stuff to get us better right now and it's so pleasing to see. We need to fix a few details, so we win games even easier, but we actually win games now and score goals, I’m actually quite pleased.”

On the addition of Josefine Rybrink…

Robert: “When I had her in Hacken, she was my vice-captain and she was one of the key players to make sure we can play the way we want to play, so she's very aware of how we play. She's very good on the ball, extremely technical and good in the position. The good thing in the last two years, she also has developed to play as a six as well, which means that she gives us options in different positions, so we have a really strong centre-back and a six. She just had her first training session, we're going to make sure she gets to know everybody and makes connections, that gives us a lot of good options through the next five months, she’s great character as well, very professional, very high demanding person as well, it’s a really good signing.”

On the latest team news…

Robert: “Drew was on the grass today and everything looks like she can participate on Wednesday. The only player that can’t play from yesterday is Lize as she wasn’t registered before the original date, so she won’t be in the squad.”

On the lack of clean sheets…

Robert: “If you look at Lize [Kop], she had a clean sheet in the first game. If you look at this game (Palace), she didn’t have a clean sheet, but you can tell that she's a really good goalkeeper, those two goals are nothing to do with her. We’ve strengthened our team with Josefine as well, she will give us options to make sure we can develop, but tactically also, to make sure we have a better balance when we are attacking, where we can risk the ball and how we adapt when we lose the ball, those are the areas we need to improve now because we're not bad in the press or how we defend, it’s more like some phases of play we let them create really good chances. Every week will be a new phase, we need to learn and develop and, right now, it’s from this moment.”

Robert on Bethany England’s work rate…

Robert: “We’re going to look into the game in training tomorrow, make sure everybody's feeling fresh. Bethany is one of those who has played all these games, I think she's on the limit for how much she can play this game. I need to find a good way to use her because she's giving a lot to the team, but we’ll train tomorrow and see who can start, who can be coming off from the bench. She's going to be in and around the team but, if she's starting or not, we’ll have to see.”

On prioritising the FA Cup…

Robert: “We have a really strong belief that we want to go for it again in the FA Cup. Those moments last year, it was something special, and this year, we have this tough period of time, where we were postponing the game, it adds something where we have a little bit of a struggle, where we play so many games in a short time, and we have Man United on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which means that you absolutely want to go and win. Tomorrow, that’s the aim for it. But I'm not willing to risk the players’ health and injuries to go far in the FA Cup. I need to make sure I balance the squad on Wednesday with how fresh they are because it's really hard to go from five weeks off to playing Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday, so we're going to have a really strong team, we're going to be a really strong eleven, but I'm picking the starting eleven also compared to how I can get the best energy from the squad, then I hope we can find a way to win that game and also have a cup run.”

On the last-minute winner against Palace…

Robert: “I think that's one of the best feelings when you're a coach, obviously you want to win 4-0 or 5-0, but then you don't get that feeling when you get that adrenaline in the end. Right? It's a roller coaster, it's relief, but it's also so much happiness and good to strengthen the team, I just love that. I mean, it's not the easiest way to win a game in the toughest league in the world, so well done to the girls for finding a way to win.”

On the upcoming run of games against Man Utd & Arsenal

Robert: “If you look at the mental aspect, we're coming into these games now with quite a good the run of games. Self-confident wise, we’re probably in a better spot than when we drew to Aston Villa and lost to Liverpool before we went to those games last time. I think we have developed as a team, especially in the press and how we defend, which is quite necessary when we play these big teams, we have got back some of the players who couldn’t play - like Matie and Hayley [Raso] - which is also going to strengthen us, we have signed a really good goalkeeper, Josefine [Rybrink] and Olivia [Holdt], so we have more players that are on higher level. We have different stuff that’s going to make sure that we have a bigger chance against them. They are strengthening their squads too, nobody expects us to win the three games that are coming up against those top teams, but we know how we should try to win against them, and if we can win one, hopefully the first one with Man United, then we can push for the next one. It's not logical to think we are going to win those three games, but we need to make sure we get closer in those games and try to get at least one win, perhaps two wins, so we can take steps. The main thing is we play Everton on Wednesday, so we don't really have too much headspace on those games yet, Wednesday is much more about how we are going to play and try to dictate the game, and then we're going to go for Man United, which is going to be tough. You can tell they are really good right now, they have a really good defence and are winning games. I'm looking forward to it, I want to start winning against the top teams.”

Last time out against Everton

On Everton…

Robert: “I think Brian [Sorensen] is a tactical coach, he's very flexible in changing formations and style, during games as well. They have recruited good players, I'm not sure if all of them are available or not, but they have a strong squad now and a big squad compared to last time. They obviously lost against West Ham the other day but, you know, they’re good in the games, they play some good football, I also know when we play them, all the times we have played them, we had a good chance to dominate the possession and create chances. So, if we have a good day, I know we have a good chance to win. If we don't have the best day, it's going to be a really tough game. The focus is on ourselves to make sure we have a really good performance, it's still a tough game, so you need to be very sharp in some decisions and sometimes you need a little bit of luck as well, however, we're going to go for it and see if we can go to the next round.”

On balancing preparations…

Robert: “We were in today but, instead of training today, everybody had a yoga session to recover mentally and relax, to make sure they can go again on Wednesday. Using the squad is one of the biggest things we use now to make sure everybody's a part of this development. Then I feel just looking at the next game, and not the game after that, we need to stay present. We need to work here and now, and the yoga helps us with that. I think the squad is helping out, the players coming off the bench in the last game, Olivia [Holdt] and Jess [Naz], for example, having some great moments to make sure we got the win, we are building momentum in the squad. It's not only the starting eleven that makes us go forward, it's the whole squad and the team around, the staff members as well, so one game at a time, stay present, make sure we win the next game and then we take the next game after that.”