Rita Guarino has said that she is focused on improving West Ham ‘step by step’ ahead of the Hammers’ visit to Leicester this weekend.
West Ham won 3-0 away at Newcastle in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup last weekend to give Guarino her first victory in charge of the club.
The Italian head coach spoke to the press ahead of her side’s visit to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City and The Halfway Line was there to hear from her.
Guarino wants to help West Ham with ‘scoring’
Guarino is the sixth top scorer for the Italian women’s national team of all time, even netting for her nation in a World Cup quarter final.
The Halfway Line asked Guarino if her prolific goalscoring record from her playing days would come in handy trying to help West Ham unlock their potential in front of goal,
“Correct!” Guarino replied with a smile to The Halfway Line‘s assertion of her goalscoring talents in her playing days.
“First, I think that is important, the experience that you had as a player is important, not just the position you played but the experience. To try to finish better but also to be organized when you lose the ball.
“So I think that yeah, some detail in the training could be could determinate also the finishing but yes, I hope that I can help also for the scoring!”
Newcastle victory an ‘important reaction’ to Chelsea loss says Guarino
West Ham lost Rita Guarino’s first match in charge, 5-0 away to the WSL champions Chelsea at Kingsmeadow. However they followed that up with a 3-0 victory at Newcastle in the cup, Guarino was asked about the confidence her team can take from that result,
“Yeah, for sure, it was a very important win” Guarino said.
“Especially [as] they [the team] scored three goals, and yeah you know, it was also a game where we improve a lot. We improve also during training. So every game is important to learn better what we need.
“You know, as for me, [victory over Newcastle] is a very important reaction, okay, because you can, you can do mistakes.
“You can, you can [make mistakes] every time [you] play in the way that you that you want. But it’s very important the reaction, so the confidence to do better is very important for me.”
Rita Guarino focused on improving West Ham ‘step by step’
The West Ham head coach was also asked for her assessment of the Irons opponents this weekend, Leicester City, who won this fixture 5-2 last term,
“Yeah, they are solid” Guarino said.
“They are solid team, very organized in the defence and yeah, so we prepared this game. And we know that they are a solid team, but we are as well.”
As for injury concerns going into the match against the Foxes, Guarino noted,
“You know that in the last game, we [did] not [have] [Katrina] Gorry and [Shekiera] Martinez, so we are trying to get them on [for] the next game.”
Rita Guarino familiar with the ‘intensity’ of English football
Guarino, an electric footballer in her day was asked what she has learnt about English football, two matches into her West Ham tenure,
“Yeah, you know, I don’t need to play here to know English football, because I met some clubs previously in international games” Guarino noted.
“So I know that the intensity of the game here, I know that there are high, high, very quality players. So I was not surprised of that.
“So the learning is about how we can do better is I’m very focused on my team, not to the opponent. Honestly, because I think that in every game we can improve a lot. So is the learning is about us and how to help the team to be better, step by step.”
Hammers recruitment staff ‘working to bring new players’ confirms Guarino
Just this week West Ham fans were shocked by the news that fan favourite Manuela Paví had left the club to join Liga MX Femenil club Deportivo Toluca F.C. Guarino was asked if the Irons would be active in the rest of the window with incomings,
“You know, it is a tough moment in the transfer window” Guarino said.
“So our recruitment staff are working to bring new players. So I am confident that they, they are doing a good job.”
As far as potential outgoings are concerned, The Halfway Line asked Guarino about Jess Ziu’s future. The Irish midfielder was recalled from a loan spell at Bristol City earlier this month,
“Yeah, you know in this moment, she’s very focused to come back from the injury, so she’s in training every day” Guarino explained.
“She’s trying to do her best to feel better but she needs time. Okay, so we will see.”
