Barclays Women’s Super League football returned to East London for 2025 this weekend but West Ham’s first match since the winter break did not go as planned. Prior to this match West Ham had only lost once at the Chigwell Construction Stadium all season and had just won three matches at home in all competitions in a row.
However West Ham’s positive home record this season was dented by Chelsea on Sunday afternoon when the visitors scored five without reply. The Halfway Line got the chance to speak West Ham head coach Rehanne Skinner after the match.
West Ham ‘need to learn’ from defeat to Chelsea says Skinner
Chelsea were in a world of their own on Sunday, they were utterly dominant against their London rivals. Four of Chelsea’s goals were wonder goals which West Ham could do little to stop and Skinner was asked for her assessment of a tough afternoon, she reported:
“I think, in all fairness to Chelsea, you know, everything they’ve hit has pretty much gone in today, and that’s been difficult for us to kind of manage. I think ultimately, our shape, we worked really hard. There was a lot of positives in terms of 1-v-1s. I thought we did well across the board. We just didn’t necessarily get enough pressure on the edge of the box that probably has created the chances for them when we could have.”
Skinner continued, “We are better in possession than what we’ve probably showed today. We took a little while to settle into the game, and the things that we have as our strengths we didn’t necessarily exploit as well as we could have, and that we plan to do within the game itself. So we obviously need to learn from that and just be a little bit more positive when we’re playing forwards and I think we could have caused more problems like we did in the second half.”
Skinner says West Ham need to be ‘harder to beat’
Skinner was reluctant to blame her side too heavily for defeat against the reigning champions and the side at the top of the table but did bemoan the ease with which West Ham were defeated. Skinner noted:
“At the end of the day, we don’t want to be conceding five goals. That’s the bottom line. However they go in, we don’t really [want to] be conceding five it’s like a personal pride amongst all of us, players, staff, you know, we want to make sure we’re harder to beat than that. And to be honest, we have been.”
She continued: “This is the first time this is kind of we’ve looked anything like that, but as I say, the quality that they’ve had on the ball to finish those strikes, all of which were really, really good goals, to be honest, it is difficult, and on another day we get more chances in the second half, we probably could have punished them a little bit more. It probably would have been a consolation by that point but ultimately we just have to be a little bit more confident on the ball, I think, and then that gives us the chances and builds us into the game a little bit more.”
Denton has found ‘another level’ praises Skinner
If anyone could have caused Chelsea problems in West Ham’s claret and blue yesterday it was young full back Anouk Denton. Denton set the tone for an improved Hammers showing in the second half including beating the Chelsea press and playing through Seraina Piubel for West Ham’s best chance of the game late in the first half. The Halfway Line got the chance to ask Skinner for her thoughts on Denton and her performance, she beamed:
“There’s reason we’ve renewed a contract, right? You know, today sums her up. I think she’s a fantastic young player. I think when you think about how old she is as well, there’s so much more to come. The work that’s been done amongst everyone, really, that’s contributed to that last year and to this year, and obviously her attitude and approach to all of this, defensively, she’s gone to another level this year.”
Skinner continued: “And in possession, she’s been more and more effective in games. And there’s still so much more growth to come, which is scary, but in a good way, because she’s one of ours. So, so I think she’s been fantastic today. I think she’s our most consistent player, for sure.”
‘Sustainability’ key for Skinner
Since Skinner joined West Ham she has struggled as many of West Ham’s best players have moved on at the deal of their deals without any transfer fee secured. Just last Summer several first team regulars left on a free including Mackenzie Arnold and Hawa Cissoko but West Ham seem intent on changing that with new deals for Anouk Denton and Amber Tysiak announced this month. The Halfway Line asked Skinner about contracts and the importance of sustainability at the club, Skinner responded:
“I think ultimately, we want to create more sustainability within the squad that’s important to us, because there’s been a lot of turnover in the club over recent years. So the longer term contracts and the work that we’ve been doing behind the scenes to kind of set the tone and the intent for that has become evident in the likes of a Anouk [Denton] and Amber [Tysiak]. And I think that’s the way that we’ve got to move forward, is securing the stability within the squad and the core that we see as being the future of West Ham. And obviously keep adding value in the transfer windows to make sure we keep moving the squad forward.”
Skinner continued, “We’re going to keep adding value to the squad. And we want to obviously be competitive in this league. [It] Just takes probably longer than any of us want actually to do that turnover, but we’re getting there, and I’m pleased the way the squads moving.”
Skinner looks forward to ‘fantastic’ Martinez in West Ham colours
West Ham Summer signing Shekeira Martinez made her debut for the club off the bench against Chelsea. She had been on loan at Freiburg as she awaited a work permit to be confirmed for her to play her football in the UK and was recalled once it was this month. The striker impressed managing seven goal involvements in eleven games in the Frauen-Bundesliga. The West Ham head coach was asked about the German forward post-match, Skinner responded:
“Yeah, Shekeira is going to be fantastic for us. I think you’ve seen snippets of what she’s capable of today. I think she’s had a fantastic loan spell and been really effective at Freiburg, and that’s given her the confidence coming in. I think, obviously this is a really tough game to come into against the champions of the league, you know, at this stage, first game, so there’s a lot to take in for her but I thought she did really well.”
Skinner continued, “You can see the bits that she’s going to be effective in terms of getting behind and positive going forwards, and she can score and assist goals, you know, there’s no question on that. So we’ll only see more and more. The better relationship she gets with the players, you know, and the team, the more she settles in. And it’s a different country, different language, and there’s all those aspects to get used to. And our league is harder than the German League, and so that’s going to take an adjustment period for her, but she’ll be fine. She’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to the way she evolves.”
