‘We’ve got to fight for what we want’ – Birmingham City boss Merricks previews final day showdown | OneFootball

Birmingham City head coach Amy Merricks says that her side must fight for the opportunity to be Barclays WSL2 champions when they face Charlton Athletic at The Valley this weekend.

The Blues go into the final day in second place, a point behind league leaders Charlton Athletic.

The winners of this weekend’s clash will be promoted to the Barclays Women’s Super League while the losers may fall into the play-off. When speaking to the media ahead of the match, Birmingham City boss Merricks said that this weekend is about fighting hard for the big prize.

“We are in a fantastic position with a great opportunity ahead of us,” Merricks said. “We have worked really hard all season to get in this position and we are right on track. We’ve got everything going for us in terms of the opportunity and we’ve got to do the work.

“It comes down to the fight; we’ve got to fight for what we want and the opportunity is there. It’s now about the character in the group which I know we have in abundance, I completely believe in this group.

“I absolutely believe that we are here because we have the quality in this group but we have to show it. We know exactly what Charlton will pose to us on Saturday and it’s about playing to our strengths and nullifying theirs.”

Barclays WSL2 has been ultra-competitive once again this season and Merricks re-emphasised the need to go into matches consistently focused and ready to battle.

She said “It’s a tough league and we saw that last season as well. Everyone has strengthened again, it’s a tough league to get out of. 

“It’s about fight; fighting for what you want and it’s about making sure we are doing the basics consistently. We see it every week, anyone can take points off anyone.

“We have to be really focused, composed in our game and impose ourselves. We know exactly where our strengths are and it’s about fighting for what we want this weekend.”

Birmingham City suffered final day heartbreak last season as they narrowly missed out on promotion to London City Lionesses. Merricks said that the experiences of 2024/2025 are invaluable to her side.

She said “It’s completely invaluable. We reflected on it and that’s probably why we are in such a strong position because we understand this league, the run-in, the up and down nature of it. We are just incredibly focused on giving ourselves the best possible chance this weekend.

“It’s about fighting for what we want, staying very focused. We know what this type of game brings; it’s a one-off game and we have to go after it, give it everything, give ourselves every possible chance of getting over the line.”

Birmingham City’s Barclays WSL2 fixture at Charlton Athletic kicks-off at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.