Smerud: We have nothing to lose – so let's go for it
Manager Leif Smerud was clear in his message as Crystal Palace Women prepare to host West Ham United in a crucial Barclays Women’s Super League fixture this Sunday: the stakes are high, but the belief remains. (KO 12:30 BST, Sunday, 27th March)
Tickets for Sunday's must-win game against West Ham are still available, and you can get them here!
Speaking to the media just days after a tough night away at Chelsea, the Palace manager was typically calm and composed – with an eye already turning to the next challenge.
It was a feisty game against the champions, with Smerud first addressing the injury situation.
“We’ll have to check during the day and see – there were some knocks and some wounds, and things we need to look into, but I’ve got no updates yet,” he said.
For the first 20 minutes, Palace had gone toe-to-toe with Sonia Bompastor's league leaders, before a controversial penalty on the 21st minute turned the tide.
“I think in these games, you need to have the margins with you if you're going to have any chance. I think we didn’t have that, and we didn’t manage to get the game to a place where it could really open up, like we did last time [in the FA Cup].
"It was alive for a long time, and in football that’s all you need sometimes. But once they got the two goals, we knew it was going to be difficult. Then we got the red card – and it was done.
“But what I take from it is this – when you’re bottom of the table, away to the top team, and you go down to ten players, you can die. And we didn’t die. We were fighting, and that’s all I can ask of them," he said.
With just three games of the season left, every game is vital – and none more so than Sunday’s clash with West Ham in Sutton.
Smerud acknowledged the pressure but refused to let it define his message.
He said: “Of course, everyone can read – even if we’re not that good with numbers, all of us – we can read the scores,
“It’s a must-win game? Maybe. But it’s definitely a must-perform. We dealt well with the pressure last time we were in that situation and I love those games.
"I look forward to it, and I think the players do as well. We have nothing to lose – so let’s go for it.”
Sunday’s opponents come into the game in solid form under manager Rehanne Skinner, having taken points off of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City in their last four games.
“They’re a good team, well balanced. They’ve had a really impressive run of games recently.
"So it’s for sure going to be a challenge. But I don’t think we can’t beat them – so we’ll focus on that,” Smerud said.
Preparation is key – and the transition from Chelsea to West Ham in just a few days is a test Smerud that sees as an opportunity.
He said: “I think it’s also a nice challenge, we played a team with incredible pace and tempo on Wednesday – and we can benefit from that heading into the next game.
"We have to recover properly, of course, and we’ve got some days to do that.
“It’s always challenging when you have less rest time than your opponent, but we have enough to make it a fight on Sunday again. There’s no excuse for us.”
The psychological aspect of the run-in is something Smerud is both acutely aware of and fascinated by.
He said: “I think for some of the players, the situation has felt real for a long time, and that’s natural.
"It’s not about pretending it’s not real – it’s about dealing with the reality of it.
“There are things we can’t affect – but there are things we can. And when you focus on what you can control, it usually turns out better than if you don’t.”
He added: “We’ll look at West Ham properly on Saturday and be ready to go. These kinds of games, where it really matters – I find them really interesting from a psychological perspective.
"I really enjoy them. So let’s see if we can help the players enjoy them too.”
Match Details
- Crystal Palace Women vs West Ham
- Sunday, 27th April
- 12:30 BST
- Women's Super League
- VBS Community Stadium