Kaminski: We must manage key moments in WSL
Ahead of Crystal Palace's crucial clash with West Ham in the Barclays Women's Super League on Sunday, head coach Laura Kaminski spoke to the media about the team's preparations and what they can expect from their opponents.
Palace Women's last WSL fixture was on the 17th November, with many of the players featuring in important international games since.
"It’s always a challenge when they've been away all week.
"We’ve been working hard with the players who stayed behind, and those who returned have come back in good spirits, which is positive for us," she said.
There was jubilation for Lily Woodham, Josie Green and Elise Hughes during the international break, as Wales secured a historic qualification to Euro 2025, as they knocked out Abbie Larkin and Izzy Atkinson's Ireland.
Speaking on how these experiences affect the group, Kaminski said: "It's up to the players to compartmentalise.
"Although we support them on international duty, they know they need to focus on the task at hand. They’re professionals, and they’ve shown they can shift their focus quickly."
Looking ahead to Sunday’s London derby, Kaminski highlighted the importance of the match against a well-organised West Ham side.
"They’re a disciplined team, set up well defensively, and they’ve been unlucky in some matches.
"It’s going to be a real challenge for us, and we must be prepared."
With only goal difference separating Palace and West Ham in the table, Kaminski recognised the significance of getting points from every game.
She said: "There’s only a couple of points between seventh and bottom, so every point matters.
"But for us, it’s just another opportunity to get points on the board. We’ll approach it with confidence, aiming to stay in the game and take something from it."
Palace have not struggled to put the ball in the back of the net in the WSL so far, scoring more than Leicester City and Everton.
Kaminski said: "We’ve been creating chances, but we’ve learned costly lessons in recent matches.
"We need to manage those crucial moments to turn strong performances into results.
"It’s still early in the season, and the table can shift quickly, we’ve been performing well, and we need to manage key moments better to see those performances turn into points."
Palace play West Ham at 14:30 GMT on Sunday, 8th December at the Chigwell Construction Stadium; tickets are still available here.
After that, Palace have two final home games of 2024.
First up is Tottenham Hotspur in the WSL Cup at the VBS Community Stadium on Wednesday, 11th December, before our last game of 2024 against Man Utd on the 15th December.