Palace Women v Charlton: Molly-Mae Sharpe on Jo Potter, the new signings and promotion
As the team prepares for their season opener away at Charlton Athletic on Sunday, Palace's Molly-Mae Sharpe spoke about the summer break, the impact of new manager Jo Potter, and the team's high expectations for the campaign ahead.
Sharpe began by reflecting on her summer break, a chance to recharge before the hard work of pre-season.
She said: "My summer was really good. It was good to have a break after the end of last season and take some time away and enjoy some special time with family and friends.
"Now, I'm just excited to get going in the new season."
Palace manager Jo Potter joined the club in June, and Sharpe was quick to praise her new boss.
She said: "Jo coming in has been brilliant for the squad. I think it has really given us a boost.
"She knows how we feel in certain moments. Adapting to her style of play has been really good. She explains things really well and gives us very clear and direct instructions."
We're hoping to make the fans proud, score some goals and get a lot of points on the board.
—Molly-Mae Sharpe
The first test of the season is a challenging away game against local rivals Charlton, but Sharpe is confident in the team's ability to secure all three points.
She said: "Obviously, going away to The Valley is going to be a tough one. We're expecting them to be physical, strong, good in attack.
"But we have high expectations, so we're hoping to take that game, get three points and really get going in the league."
Speaking about the dressing atmoshpere and the impact of Palace's summer signings, Sharpe said: "Since we came back for pre-season and the new girls have come in, they have fit in so well with the group.
"We're just very excited to get the games going and get settled into a routine with training and playing on the weekend. We're hoping to make the fans proud, score some goals and get a lot of points on the board."
When asked about her personal and team goals, Sharpe was clear.
She said: "I think personal targets are the same as the team targets. We want promotion. We're not hiding away from that.
"I think that it is really important that we all look towards that and have it as a goal that we want to achieve."
For Sharpe, a successful campaign isn't just about winning. It's also about continuous improvement, both on and off the pitch.
She said: "A successful campaign would obviously be promotion, but I think improving as a player, improving as a person every single day is also really important."
Sharpe is one of the longest-serving players at Palace, heading into her fifth season in South London.
Reflecting on what Potter has changed at the club since her arrival, Sharpe said: "Working under Jo, Remi [Allen] and Annabel [Johnson] over the last six to eight weeks has been brilliant.
"Her [Jo's] approach is that you have to perform on the training pitch - she has very high expectations for all of us.
"I think that's brilliant because it makes you perform at a higher level every single week."
Away tickets for Palace Women's season opener are still available, and you can get them by clicking here!
Tickets are also available for our first home game of the season against Southampton. The match will be held at the VBS Community Stadium, kicking off at 14:00 on Sunday, 14th September.
You can get your tickets for Southampton at home by clicking the button below!