The WSL's best performing new managers - ranked
- Five new managers joined the Women's Super League this summer
- Robert de Pauw is yet to clinch a win since taking over Aston Villa
- Chelsea's Sonia Bompastor has won all of her league fixtures
Five managers took on new posts in the Women's Super League (WSL) over the summer and they've certainly made an impression.
While some have understandably risen to the challenge, others are still trying to find their feet. As we enter the seventh week of the 2024/25 campaign, 90min have ranked the performances of all the newcomers so far...
5. Robert de Pauw (Aston Villa)
Aston Villa have failed to gain inspiration from what was a positive performance against Chelsea on matchday one of the WSL, having only taken two points from six games in the league since.
Robert de Pauw signed for Aston Villa over the summer, following the confirmed departure of former head coach, Carla Ward. The Dutch manager began his Villa tenure after a two years in charge of Bayer Leverkusen in the Frauen-Bundesliga.
High squad turnover over the summer transfer window may be the cause of some of Villa’s woes, however a lack of tangible scoring chances have seen the side really struggle over recent games.
De Pauw’s impact has been far from immediate, and Aston Villa fans will be frantically searching for a quick turnaround in form from their team going forward.
4. Amandine Miquel (Leicester City)
Amandine Miquel joined Leicester City over the summer after five seasons with Stade de Reims.
The Foxes had a strong transfer window at the same time of her recruitment, welcoming seven new inclusions to the side. Despite having only taken five points from a possible eighteen, the Foxes have put on some positive showings under the new management of Miquel.
Leicester would have felt hard done by against Arsenal at King Power Stadium, as the Gunners ran away with a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half finish from Frida Maanum.
They generated some solid chances on the occasion, and many would have said that they deserved at least a point for their efforts.
A hard-fought draw with Liverpool showcased Leicester’s grit and defensive discipline, as the club show signs of a decent future with Miquel in charge.
3. Laura Kaminski (Crystal Palace)
Laura Kaminski may not have faced the challenge of arriving at a new club this summer, but she did come up against the mountainous test of promotion into a new league.
The Crystal Palace manager has steered the Eagles ship with great courage, as the newly-promoted side occupy ninth place in the league standings after gameweek 6.
Chelsea offered the Eagles a warm reality check on the league’s opening weekend, thrashing Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Stadium. However, since that disappointment, Palace have brought a strong pulse to their first ever WSL campaign.
Defeating Leicester City 2-0 at the King Power Stadium was a historic triumph for the club, before backing up the result with an impressive 1-1 draw against Liverpool the following fortnight.
The Eagles were defeated 3-0 by the hands of Man City last Sunday, but some strong moments saw Kaminski’s side assert dominance over the league giants at Selhurst Park.
The head coach implements a strong defensive discipline into her Palace side, whilst also giving players the creative freedom needed to flourish at the highest level.
Although it may be far too early to tell, under the management of Kaminski, this Palace side continue to show signs of a team likely to avoid the newcomers drop come season’s close.
2. Dario Vidosic (Brighton & Hove Albion)
New Brighton manager Dario Vidosic claimed the October WSL manager of the month award-and for all the right reasons.
Vidosic departed Melbourne City over the summer, in order to take on greater challenges in the WSL. The Australian head coach has brought his possession-based style to England’s south-coast, and remains adamant on preserving his stylistic identity no matter the opponent.
After a troubled campaign for Brighton in the 2023/24 season, Vidosic has injected new lease of life into the Seagulls. The club currently sit in third in the league standings- two points ahead of Man Utd, and four above Arsenal.
Despite being tested against the best, Vidosic maintained a cool-head to regain the momentum in Brighton’s 1-1 draw with Man Utd at the American Express Stadium. The side’s narrow 1-0 loss to Man City was no heavy defeat, as many positive signs could be taken from the result.
Vidosic remains true to his style of football, trusting youth talent whilst balancing his stars in order to lead Brighton to new heights.
1. Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea)
There is no looking past Sonia Bompastor when it comes to the WSL’s most dominant manager. The French giant had huge shoes to fill when signing on to be the successor of Emma Hayes over the summer, and it is safe to say that she has risen to the challenge.
Chelsea have remained undefeated since Bompastor’s arrival, winning all seven competitive fixtures under her new management. The Blues were without their quartet of goalscoring stars against Everton last Sunday, with Mayra Ramirez, Lauren James, Catarina Macario, and the obvious Sam Kerr all absent from the clash. Chelsea still managed to win 5-0, with five different players writing their name on the scoresheet.
The club are nothing short of inevitable at the minute, with Bompastor only gathering more confidence as her time with the team draws on.
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