West Ham United Manager, Rehanne Skinner spoke to the press on Thursday afternoon, ahead of her side’s Barclays Women’s Super League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion this Easter Sunday.

Kicking off proceedings with a fitness update, Skinner provided the latest team news as her side gear up to face the Seagulls. Speaking solelmly in regards to Katrina Gorry in particular, as the Australian midfielder was forced off in the 21st minute in last weekend’s meeting with Chelsea. The club confirmed that Gorry has sustained an ankle injury that will see her out of contention for the remainder of the 2023/24 season.

“Yeah, with her (Gorry), she’s out for the rest of the season. She sustained the injury in the Chelsea game when she came off so it definitely will be the end of the season for her.”

Talk then naturally turned to Sunday’s defeat to Chelsea, where at 0-1, Riko Ueki had a goal disallowed for offside as the Irons found the leveller at Chigwell Construction Stadium. On second viewing, Ueki was very harshly flagged off, with replays showing at least a yard of onside play between her and the last Blues defender. Skinner commented that she was “getting sick of the decisions”, as she spoke to Sky Sports after Sunday’s fixture.

This decision further enhanced the discussion of whether the implementation of VAR would at all benefit the women’s game- a topic that is being heavily questioned due to NewCo taking over the running of the top two tiers of Women’s Football in England from 2024/2025.

Skinner gave her thoughts on the matter, expressing “It needs to be something that is part of the growth of the game. When I said after the match that the game needs to grow up, this is one of the area’s it needs to grow up in.

We’ve been professional as players for such a long time now, but to still be so far behind in other areas, is not good enough, so that should be the first step, the powers that be professionalising and financing that.

Even if it’s having a TV screen at the side of the pitch so people can review, I think that could be a starting point even if it isn’t the fullest extent of the VAR. “

West Ham United’s opponents this weekend, Brighton and Hove Albion are now under the stewardship of Mikey Harris, with the former Brighton Men’s academy coach having stepped into the interim role after Melissa Phillips was relieved of her duties at the end of the January window.

Harris’ reign in Sussex so far has seem him steer Albion away from relegation worries, particularly with a hectic and chaotic 7-3 win over Bristol City, and a last gasp Elisabeth Terland goal sealing a 3-2 over Leicester last Sunday.

“Brighton are trying to play the style of football that goes through the club structure and in the grand scheme of things, there hasn’t been a pre season or anything like that so we all know how difficult it is to turn it around, from a management perspective.”

As mentioned, Harris has had late goals a lot in his reign at Brighton so far, with Terland’s 86th minute winner against Leicester and three of the seven goals against Bristol City coming in the 86th minute or later.

“I think we’re the same actually, we score quite a few late on but they make sure they work hard till the end and stay resilient.

“Every team in this league poses you different matches so it’s all about when the two elevens go head to head and stays on the top of the game and stays alert to all the threats or eventualities that could happen- which is what we have been preparing for.”

Finally, Skinner had the chance to close out the press conference by shining a light on a youth talent amidst the Irons squad, in Marika Bergman-Lundin of Sweden.

The 24 year old Swede joined West Ham United on deadline day in January this year and with the injury sustained to Gorry, she could be given a chance to impress on the centre stage.

“I spoke to her about it after the game, and she was a little bit nervous having been thrown in the lions den against the champions without warning, but you have to be ready for those moments.

“She is a young, talented player that we have invested in and we need to make sure she is evolving in the right way.

“You forget and people forget that the structure she has been working under in Sweden is different to the way we are full time here. They’re both full time programmes but they are very different. Mentally and physically that can be very tiring to adjust too and you have to be careful how you manage players, because they are adjusting to the life changes, so it’s more than just a game of football.”

West Ham United will now turn their attention towards Brighton & Hove Albion, as the Irons gear up to host the Seagulls at Chigwell Construction Stadium this Sunday at 16:00 GMT.