Women’s football

WEST HAM Women boss Matt Beard has left the club by “mutual consent” with immediate effect. 
The Hammers boss arrived in June 2018 ahead of the club’s first season as a professional outfit in the WSL.

Matt Beard has left West Ham Women by “mutual consent” Credit: Getty Images – Getty

The 42-year-old guided the East Londoners to the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in May 2019. 
But the Hammers have limped to just one win out of seven in the league this term with him at the helm.
This included a 9-1 demolition by Arsenal at home at the start of the campaign.
Beard said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my time with West Ham United,

“And, while I am sad to depart, I am proud of the work we have done to grow and develop this team,
“Although I am leaving, I do so with some wonderful memories that I will forever treasure, and I would like to thank Jack Sullivan and everyone at the Club for the opportunity to work at West Ham United.”
Managing Director Sullivan said: “ I would like to say thank you to Matt for his hard work and dedication during his time with the Club.  “Our growth, from a newly formed professional team taking our first steps into the Women’s Super League to an established side in the top-flight, has been colossal, and Matt has been one of the leading figures in that effort.  “Personally, it has been a pleasure working closely with Matt and, although we are parting ways, we do so amicably and with plenty of unforgettable memories shared.

Leading @westhamwomen out at Wembley with @mattbeard02 will always be one of my favourite memories for so many reasons. No longer my manager but always my family. Thank you for everything Beardy. You saved me from one of my lowest spells of my career & I’ll never forget it ❤️#TTP pic.twitter.com/5TV8aUxoph
— Gilly Flaherty (@Gilly_flaherty) November 19, 2020

“I genuinely wish Matt all the best for the future.” Goalkeeping coach Billy Stewart and first-team coach Paul McHugh will take temporary charge of the team.

The club revealed it is in the midst of recruiting a new manager “to take West Ham United Women’s team forward”.

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MANCHESTER UNITED’S Lauren James has been given her first senior international call-up ahead of England Women’s training camp this month.
The striker’s performances for the WSL leaders, who play Manchester City this week, have impressed Lionesses boss Phil Neville.

Lauren James’s Man United performances this term have earned the striker her first senior England call-up Credit: PA:Press Association

Other starlets joining England’s 10-day camp include Arsenal’s Lotte Wubben-Moy and Liverpool’s Rinsola Babijide who both receive their second senior call-ups. 
And twelve Manchester City aces will be part of the group of 29 players who will gather at St George’s Park on November 22. 
Among their number will be Lauren Coombs, 29, who returns to the national squad for the first time since October 2015. 

James, 19, and Man City skipper Steph Houghton will be part of Phil Neville’s 29-strong England Women’s campCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The midfielder and James, 19, were part of the City and United teams who drew 2-2 in a thrilling WSL Manchester derby on Saturday. 

England boss Neville said: “I’m delighted to give Lauren James her first senior call-up. She is an exciting young player  that we want to help develop further. 
“She joins the squad alongside many other young players who we’ve introduced over the last few months. 
“Laura Coombs is a player I have watched a lot this season and I have been very impressed  with her progression in the game.
“She has performed consistently at a high level which merits her call-up to the squad. 

Lauren Coombs (right) has received her first call-up to the Lionesses since October 2015Credit: Getty Images – Getty
“This has been a challenging time for everyone, but it will be good to finish  the year with an intensive training camp during which the squad will develop further and in  which every player has the chance to prove themselves ahead of our upcoming major  tournaments.”
The call-up for James, who is a sibling of Chelsea defender Reece, follows the striker winning a Rising  Star trophy at the North West Football Awards this month. 
The United ace and her England colleagues were due to play a friendly against Norway in Sheffield on December 1. 
However Covid-19 travel restrictions have led to the clash being called off.  
And the cancellation of the Norway game means veteran Lioness Jill Scott will have to wait for another chance to claim her 150th cap.

England Women’s Squad

Phil Neville’s 29-strong squad list:

Goalkeepers: Sandy MacIver (Everton), Hannah Hampton (Birmingham), Carly Telford (Chelsea)
Defenders: Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Millie Turner (Manchester United), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Jill Scott (Manchester City), Laura Coombs (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Manchester City), Keira Walsh (Manchester City), Lucy Staniforth (Manchester United), Ella Toone (Manchester United)
Forwards:  Rachel Daly (West Ham United, on loan from Houston Dash), Nikita Parris (Olympique Lyonnais), Ellen White (Manchester City), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Lauren James (Manchester United), Rinsola Babajide (Liverpool), Bethany England (Chelsea), Beth Mead (Arsenal) 

Man City’s Jill Scott will have to wait a little longer for her 150th England cap Credit: Getty Images – Getty

This milestone for Scott will make the Sunderland-born star the second international player to reach this figure behind Fara Williams.
Neville and his team hope to use the camp to prep their internationals ahead of the Women’s Euros in 2022. 
The England boss added: “Although sadly we no longer have a competitive fixture, every minute spent on the training  pitch and in planning is crucial and plays an important part in preparing for the UEFA Women’s  EURO.” 

Lionesses in training More

LEICESTER CITY ace Ruesha Littlejohn has left fans in stitches after posting a hilarious gif of her girlfriend Katie McCabe being body slammed in the London derby.
In the clip the Arsenal left-back is mercilessly taken out by Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert at Borehamwood stadium.

Chelsea’s Cuthbert brutally shoves McCabe to the floor

The clip sent fans into meltdown on social media

The duo tussled in the heated London Derby on Saturday

Littlejohn reposted the gif on Twitter and wrote: “Cheers @erincuthbert_ send me ur bank details, I’ll transfer that tenner.”
The Blues forward replied: “I thought we agreed £20?!?!”
To which Littlejohn said: “Ok deal.”
The hilarious exchange sent social media into meltdown, with one fan writing: “A goal from you and Katie getting decked all in the same day, what did we do to deserve this.”

Another Twitter user added: “Thats what u call a good old Scottish tackle.”
And one supporter said: “Man these two are so funny.”
It was a gut-busting performance from McCabe against Chelsea on Sunday, which ended in a dramatic 1-1 draw.
The Gunners were getting ready to celebrate their first win over the Blues in TWO YEARS after Beth Mead had put them ahead with a late strike in the 86th minute.

Katie McCabe and Erin Cuthbert tussled in the London derby Credit: PA:Press Association

Ruesha Littlejohn and Katie McCabe are Ireland teammates and have been together for four years Credit: Sportsfile – Subscription

Littlejohn and McCabe both play for the Republic of Ireland national team and have been an item for four-years.
Recalling how their relationship came to be, McCabe told Evoke: “It started with football. She’s a few years older than me.
“I go to know her through football first and we became good friends at the start and we then we began spending a lot more time together off the pitch socialising together and it kicked off from there.”

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TOBIN HEATH made her allegiance to the red half of Manchester well and truly known in the run up to the derby with City.
The USA superstar arrived at the Red Devils in the summer and has already fully immersed herself in Old Trafford culture.

⚠️ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

Tobin Heath expertly trolled Man City in the lead up to the derby
She told the New York Times: “I love learning about all the history,
“And we were taught that Manchester is red. Like nobody goes to Manchester City games.
“I feel like, City, because they’re this modern global team, in the United States we think they’re a really big club. But here in Manchester, it’s not a big club.”

When the Citizens were 2-0 up at half-time at the Leigh Sports Village on Saturday the 32-year-old may have been wishing she had stayed quiet.
But after the break she instantly put her money where her mouth is by cracking a contender for goal of the season into the top corner to get United back in it on 54 minutes.
She pounced onto a limp pass from Lucy Bronze and lashed in a sweet finish into the top corner from an awkward angle – sparking mayhem on the host’s bench.
The USA World Cup winner even kissed the Red Devils badge in celebration.

Heath’s wonder-strike quickly sent social media into meltdown including Arsenal legend Ian Wright.
He wrote on Twitter: “Tobin Heath angry goal!!” with a rocket and flame emoji, and posted a series of gobsmacked faces.
And he retweeted a post which said: “Tobin Heath my lord. Hulk smash.”
He had previously been ripping into the Red Devils’ defence after they shipped two goals in the first-half.

United went on to seize a point from their rivals thanks to Kirtsty Hanson’s equaliser.
When Heath signed for United she made no secret of being a huge fan of the club.
She said: “Any footballer’s dream would be to play for Manchester United and to play at Old Trafford.
“I had all the feels when going back there. I was nerding out before and during the Olympics when we played there.
“I think in our first game, there was a group stage match and then we played that epic, semi-final against Canada.
“The pitch just has this iconic feeling about it and it’s just such an iconic venue for any footballer.”

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THE changing of the guard in the Women’s Super League means today’s Manchester derby assumes even greater significance.
Back in 2017, Casey Stoney sat in Old Trafford chief Ed Woodward’s London office, convincing him how she would build Manchester United women’s side.

Man Utd women celebrated their promotion to the Women’s Super League in 2019

Ed Woodward watching the women at the Leigh Sports Village in their maiden campaign in 2018

The women had been booted out a few months after Malcolm Glazer completed his takeover in 2005 because they did not benefit the club’s “core business”.
After years of criticism for their absence at the top of the WSL, United finally applied for a licence after a 13-year hiatus.
And they have already confirmed their arrival among the division’s elite.
They are now sitting pretty at the top of the table for the first time since they were reformed two-and-a-half years ago.

Boss Stoney said: “I went through an interview process, a stringent one. If I am honest, I never expected to get the job.
“When I heard I got the job all the cogs were turning about how I was going to do things.
“I went to the London office and met Ed and explained my vision for the women’s team.
“I gained an understanding of how the club were going to support me in achieving what I felt we could.

Casey Stoney has been at the helm of the club since it was reformed in 2018

Ella Toone sent the Red Devils top of the table for the first time ever with a late strike over Arsenal last time out

“It was a blank canvas — I was going to build this club from the bottom up.
“The first thing was to bring in players that I wanted, embed the philosophy that I believe in and create the environment I thought would work.
“The club allowed me to get on with it, they knew I knew women’s football better than they did.”
The ex-England captain worked alongside Lionesses boss Phil Neville as his assistant at the time — and it was the former United star who convinced her to apply.
She had just four weeks to assemble a team of 21 players and her backroom staff.
It did not take her long to capture hearts and minds in Manchester, when the club stormed to promotion from the Championship in their first season.
But United’s lengthy absence from the women’s game still rears its ugly head, with USA superstar Megan Rapinoe blasting it as “disgraceful” this week.
However, Stoney said: “She’s about two years too late for the comments, but people are going to have their say, it’s a big club.
“When you go to United you get used to that. It’s water off a duck’s back to me.
“I came in and everyone criticised the club for not having a women’s team, but I know the reasons why, when and how they wanted to do it properly.
“It wasn’t resourced with staff beforehand for it to be able to be done the way it is now. I believe we’re in a good place.”

USA icon Megan Rapinoe says it took a “disgraceful” amount of time for United to form a women’s side

United’s first top-flight game saw the WSL’s attendance record smashed as 31,213 turned up at the Eithad for the first women’s Manchester derby
The team play and train at Leigh Sports Village, 15 miles from the men’s Carrington HQ.
For Stoney, the next step is for her squad to have their own hub.
She said: “Carrington hasn’t got the capacity.
“The club are completely in agreement that if we move into Carrington it needs to have facilities that we can use at our times.
“We’re not adapting around anyone else.”
At lunchtime United face a Manchester City side who have lifted the WSL trophy once and are three-time FA Cup winners.
But this time United will be the favourites and City striker Ellen White is relishing the underdog tag.
She said: “That’s fine if everyone wants to put them as favourites. We concentrate on us.
“When they got promoted it was a really tasty and exciting prospect to play them.”

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