London City Lionesses midseason report card: Promoted side make positive start to life in the WSL | OneFootball

SheKicks is compiling a midseason report card for each WSL team during the winter break, and next up is the London City Lionesses.

How have London City Lionesses started the WSL season?

The London City Lionesses have made a positive start to what is their first season in the Women’s Super League.

Michele Kang’s ambitious club made 17 signings following their promotion from the second-tier.

They endured a difficult start to the season, conceding 13 goals during heavy defeats to Arsenal and both Manchester clubs during their opening four games of the season.

However, they sit in the top half of the table thanks to wins over Everton, Liverpool, West Ham, Tottenham and Aston Villa.

A top-half finish would be an incredible outcome for the Lionesses, though they are likely to face competition from the likes of Brighton and Aston Villa.

A positive start was not enough for Jocelyn Precheur, who was sacked by London City earlier this month.

Eder Maestre has been linked with the vacancy, but no replacement has yet been named.

Jocelyn Precheur was sacked by London City

London City Lionesses’ WSL results

Which of London City Lionesses’ signings has impressed the most?

When a team signs 17 players in one window, it is a given that not all of them will be a success.

However, perhaps the standout signing has been Jana Fernandez, who joined from Barcelona.

Fernandez reluctantly left Barcelona, but has been exceptional at right-back for the Lionesses.

She is closely followed by centre-back Wassa Sangare, who is on loan from French giants Lyon.

Elena Linari has also impressed since her move from Roma, while Freya Godfrey has continued to excel after her loan move turned permanent in the summer.

Godfrey, who has four goal contributions in the WSL, received her debut England call-up in November.

Jana Fernández has impressed since her move from Barcelona

Why was Jocelyn Precheur sacked?

The decision to sack Precheur was a surprising one from London City Lionesses.

However, it was clear the club’s management felt he was the wrong person to push the Lionesses to the next step in their development.

Explaining the decision in a statement, London City posted: “Appointed at a pivotal moment in the club’s development, Jocelyn has played a central role in shaping the recent history of London City Lionesses.

“Under his leadership, the club achieved a historic promotion to the Barclays Women’s Super League, becoming the first independent club to reach the top tier of English women’s football [in the professional era] and finishes the first half of the season in sixth position.

“Following careful consideration, the club believes that now is the right time to begin a new cycle and pursue a different strategic direction for the next phase of its development.”

London City Lionesses’ WSL midseason report grade: B+

The London City Lionesses receive a B+ for their WSL midseason report.

This grade would have been an A- if it weren’t for defeats to Brighton and Leicester before the winter break. However, it is the second-highest grade so far, behind Manchester City.

It has been an excellent start for London City, even though the club’s management felt they had to part ways with Precheur.

The top-five currently looks out of reach, so a sixth-place finish would represent a huge success for London City.

WSL midseason report grades so far