Portsmouth Women will still have faith in Sadler despite results – David Norris
Portsmouth Women will still have faith in Jay Sadler and his position will be safe despite poor results, David Norris has said.
Pompey’s girls are struggling at the foot of the Championship table – a division they are in for the first time, in their inaugural year as a professional side.
The Blues have just one point in the league, and have twice been hammered at home by local rivals Southampton, who are a lot more established at this level.
Sadler has recently surpassed eight years as head coach of the team and has seen the Women’s side rise from essentially scratch.
“Outside of the top three or four clubs, most of the rest of them will have a ceiling on their ambitions,” former Blues midfielder Norris exclusively told Pompey News.
“It’s totally different financially as well, and there’s less pressure with less coverage as well, and when managers and coaches have done what they’ve done from scratch, they’re appreciated.
“How much scrutiny you’re under is obviously far more magnified in the men’s game, whereby managers can get moved on after five or six bad results.”
Portsmouth Women return to action this weekend
Portsmouth have three games in seven days coming up, which will bring fixtures for 2024 to a close.
Sadler’s side return from the international break – during which two players represented the Lionesses’ England youth teams – to host Luton Town in the third round of the Women’s FA Cup, a winnable tie against opponents from a lower league [8 December].
This could get much-needed momentum on the ball for the final League Cup group stage match against London City Lionesses [11 December], before the long trip to Eppleton to take on Sunderland [15 December].
In other Portsmouth news, Don Goodman urges Pompey on what they simply must do in January.
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