I had the pleasure of speaking with Karl Osborne, Head Coach of Brentford Women’s First Team. It was a busy Friday evening, and I caught Karl as he was in a taxi on his way to the opening game of the Premier League season, Brentford v Arsenal. That however was not a deterrent for Karl’s passion to speak on his team. Without wasting time with small talk, I dived straight into it.

Toni: You’ve been the coach at Brentford Women’s for three years now, how have you found it?

Karl: It’s been really good, I’ve enjoyed the journey. We’ve improved season by season, so it’s been really good fun so far.

Toni: In terms of how the pre-season has gone, how is the team shaping up?

Karl: The team is shaping up well. Pre-season is always a funny one because you can end up over focusing on results and under focusing on performances, but we’ve wanted to work out where the girls were performance wise, and there’s been some good performances. But we haven’t matched the results with that and now that the seasons starting in a week, it’s about making sure the results match up to our performances and put in good performances to be in the top tier of the league.

Toni: Are there any players that you are particularly keen on watching through the season?

Karl: Yeah we’ve added some real quality in some of our players.

Cara has been fantastic since she’s come in and some of our old players have shown great potential.

Amber (Langston-Lloyd) has been brilliant this preseason, she’s gone from strength to strength

Mollie Holmes has also been phenomenal.

Some really exciting players, and I’m looking forward to seeing them to make the step up.

Toni: How do you feel about the fixtures ahead of you? Are there any games you’re particularly nervous about?

Karl: There’s no games that are making me nervous in all fairness. I think as long as the girls do what they need to do and perform at the level I know they can, then I think we’ll be very competitive this year. It’s making sure that we’re at our best every week to make sure we get the results.

Toni: How do you feel about the team's attitude and spirit going into the season ahead?

Karl: The girls have worked hard, the goal is to be the fittest team in the league, so they’ve worked extremely hard through pre-season and they’re getting close now. We’re just focused on adding that sharpness to them and making sure that they’re match ready and they nearly are now. And in terms of the attitude of the girls, it’s fantastic. They all want to work hard, they all want to learn, and they are a pleasure to work with. I’m looking forward to season ahead and the challenges ahead of us.

Toni: What are your thoughts on the demands of women’s football?

Karl: The way the women’s game is improving year upon year, and the coverage now is fantastic. So it’s really nice to see, and it’s about helping these girls play at the highest level they can and hopefully go and achieve some of the dreams that they can at some point.

Toni: Who is your favourite female footballer?

Karl: Favourite female footballer? There’s so many good ones out there, it’s hard to choose. There’s some really good ones out there, I need to think. I’ll say all of my players. That’s the safest answer anyway.

Toni: What are your hopes for your players?

Karl: To help them improve and be the best version of themselves. If they can do that and go on to achieve in the game, then I’ll be over the moon with that.

It’s evident Karl has great hopes for the team, and its impossible to hear him speak of them and not believe in the team. His passion is very infectious and his support for the ladies is undeniable! So as the season begins, it’s good luck to The Bees!!! Here’s to a great season ahead!

The Brentford WFC First Team league season is now underway and the WFC B Team league season will start this weekend. Details on all fixtures can be seen here. A review of the first part of pre-season can be seen here and more updates on Brentford WFC will follow in the coming weeks.