Smerud: We have to keep believing
Crystal Palace Women's manager Leif Smerud has urged his side to take lessons from their 4-0 defeat to Arsenal as they continue their battle to stay in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
Speaking after the match, Smerud acknowledged the quality of the opposition but was encouraged by elements of his side’s performance.
He said: “I think we controlled things okay, especially in the first half.
“The first goal was world-class, and the second was a cheap one to concede. But apart from that, we made it difficult for Arsenal for a long time.
“I hoped we could step it up in the second half, and we didn’t fully manage that. But we were up against a world-class team, so we take what we can and move forward.”
“We can control some things and others we cannot, of course, we need to do our bit.
"We tried today and couldn’t do it, but we have a few more chances, so we’ll go for them,” Smerud said.
Despite the result, the support at the VBS Community Stadium remained strong, something the Palace boss was keen to highlight.
He said: “The point of football is bringing people together and creating a good experience, and I’m really glad everyone showed up today.
“Women’s football is really growing, and we’re seeing that here at Palace too, we value that support a lot, even though we couldn’t give them what they wanted today.”
With an international break ahead, Smerud sees the next few weeks as a chance to reset and prepare for the final stretch of the season.
He said: “The biggest challenge has been injuries, we haven’t been able to train with the intensity and match-life scenarios I had hoped for.
"But I’m looking forward to getting everyone back and preparing properly for the last part of the season.”
Looking ahead to their next fixture against Chelsea, Smerud believes his side can build on their defensive resilience.
He said: “Off the ball, our structure and shape were good, and we can definitely build on that.
“Against Real Madrid at the Emirates, Arsenal created a lot more than they did today, so that’s credit to our players.
“But in possession, we struggled to find the spaces we needed. That takes time and cooperation, and we’ll keep working on it.”
After the April international break, Palace Women will return with a huge away clash at Chelsea, with ticketing details set to be announced.
Tickets are still available for Palace's last two home games of the season against West Ham and Leicester, and you can be a part of the action here!