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Women’s Super League 2024-25 Preview No. 2: Aston Villa | Women’s Super League 2024-25 Preview

Photo of Vaseline VaselineSeptember 10, 2024
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Women’s Super League 2024-25 Preview No. 2: Aston Villa | Women’s Super League 2024-25 Preview

The predicted position of the writers of The Guardian: 9th (NB: this is not necessarily Sophie Downey’s prediction, but the average of our writers’ tips)

Position last season: 7th

The plan

There is a new face in the dugout for Aston Villa this season, but apart from a change of leadership, things seem fairly stable. After Carla Ward’s surprise decision to step down from her role at the end of last season, the announcement of Robert de Pauw as her replacement in June was a relatively swift end to the manager hunt.

The Dutchman’s arrival was smooth enough, the speed of the decision giving him time to settle in. While there have been changes to the coaching staff, Villa have retained much of Ward’s squad, with a handful of new arrivals to bolster the backbone of the team.

From Rachel Daly to Jordan Nobbs and Rachel Corsie, Villa have a strong core of experienced senior players with a wealth of experience, and they will be looking to avoid a repeat of last season’s disappointments. After finishing fifth in 2022-23, many had tipped Villa as the most likely to break into that elusive top three, but a slow start alongside key injuries and an over-reliance on Daly for goals compounded their woes. They recovered from a poor start to finish seventh

While maintaining the backbone of the team provides stability, the fact remains that a number of players are in the twilight of their careers and are wondering whether they can rediscover their old form. Perhaps that is why De Pauw has brought in younger players to freshen up his squad. Dutch winger Chasity Grant caught the eye with her performances for Ajax last season, while the arrival of Missy Bo Kearns brings in an energetic midfielder who is trying to break into the England senior squad.

There are still many uncertainties about what this Villa team will look like under De Pauw, but they have had a successful pre-season. A trip to Spain saw them beat Real Betis, while they have also beaten Liverpool and Everton. Chelsea away on the opening day will be a sterner test, but it is also a free kick for a new manager. Future games against Tottenham, Brighton and Leicester will give a more accurate indication of whether this season will be a successful one.