LFC WomenAmber Whiteley: We're focused on turning performances into results

The Reds take on the Seagulls at Broadfield Stadium in the Barclays Women’s Super League, with kick-off set for 2pm GMT.

Whiteley sat down with the media to discuss a range of topics ahead of the contest - read on for a summary below…

On how the squad is looking ahead of the game…

[We’re] looking good for this weekend. Ceri Holland has made good progress - it’s coming on nicely. Leanne Kiernan is making good progress but is obviously a way off. Rachael Laws picked up a slight knock in training earlier this week and will be about two weeks. So, apart from Rachael and Ceri, everyone else is looking great for the weekend.

On whether the international break was a useful time…

Yeah, 100 per cent. We can get some really good work into the players that don’t go away on international duty and actually it can be quite refreshing to spend more time and work closely with the ones that stayed back. [We’ve had] some really good training sessions over the last week or so and we’ve got some really good work into them, so a really good week or so of training.

On Sunday’s fixture with Brighton…

Obviously, we go into every game that we play wanting to take something from it. We know that it’s a difficult league and it would take time to adjust but now we’re really focused on turning those performances into results. [We’re] expecting a difficult one this weekend against Brighton but one that we hope to take something from.

On whether the feeling in the squad is still positive despite recent results…

Yeah, but I think there’s so much you can take from the recent performances. You’ve got to take positives from every game and use that as fuel [and] motivation for the coming weeks. We’ve had lots of positives to take from recent games. Now it’s about trying to convert those performances into points.

On how difficult it is to prepare to face a side with an interim manager…

I think there’s an element of the unknown for this weekend. But Amy [Merricks] has worked with Hope [Powell] for quite a long time and we expect them to go back to basics. Amy is a well-experienced coach. We expect them to be well organised, well prepared for the game and it’s a difficult test for us.

On how close Shanice van de Sanden is to a start…

Shanice has made excellent progress. We’ve been able to get some really good work into her over the last week or so. It’s looking good - coming on really nicely. We’ll continue to build up her game time in the coming weeks.

On how crucial the fans can be in an important run to Christmas…

I think it makes a huge difference. We’ve played at Prenton [Park] with a packed crowd, it just gives everyone that push [and] that lift to try to get it over the line. Hopefully we can see that again in the coming games.

On how pleased the coaching staff are with how the squad has shaped up…

The squad depth is so important. We are so fortunate that we can call on hugely experienced players that can come into the starting XI or come into the game. It’s fantastic to be able to call on those types of players.