‘This is what we are absolutely about’ – Birmingham City will relish Spurs test says Merricks | OneFootball

Birmingham City head coach Amy Merricks says that her side will rise to the challenge when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Subway Women’s League Cup this afternoon.

The Blues take on top tier Spurs at the BetWright Stadium in Leyton in their latest group stage match.

When speaking in the pre-match press conference, Birmingham City boss Merricks highlighted the difficulty of the challenge but said that her side will relish the opportunity to cause an upset.

“It’ll be tough,” Merricks said. “We respect them, we know where they are at and I think the improvement under Martin [Ho] has been very good. It’s really good to see him go in there and have such a positive impact on the team.

“For us, I love these games and the team relish these games. This is what we are absolutely about; we want to defy the odds, we want to do very well in every competition. The fact that they’re WSL opposition, we don’t fear that.

“We know what we need to do; we need to make the game very difficult for them to play their way which we will do. On the back of that, when we have the ball, we have to be intentful with our actions and brave. We have a clear strategy that plays to our strengths, so I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be tough but we lean into that.”

Spurs fielded a strong side as they defeated Aston Villa on penalties in their first group game. The North Londoners are eager to do well in this season’s competition but Merricks was keen to emphasise the fact that this afternoon’s fixture can be won by either side.

She said “The game is 11 v 11 with one football on the pitch, that doesn’t change. We respect them and where they are but equally, we really want to demonstrate where we are and showcase ourselves with this opportunity and I’m really excited about that. The game is 11 v 11 and we want to go toe-to-toe.

“We will do whatever we need to do to make it really difficult for them but I’m expecting us to go front-foot forwards and really showcase ourselves in the best light. If we stress about them, what’s the point? The game is 11 v 11 with one football, so let’s dominate the game with and without the ball.”

The long-term goal for Birmingham City is Barclays Women’s Super League football. Merricks doesn’t just want to use this afternoon’s fixture as a measurement of progress, she wants Blues to compete to progress in the Subway Women’s League Cup.

She said “It’s a really good opportunity to see where we are at this point but I look at things a bit differently. WSL2 sides getting to finals [is difficult] but why bother in any competition if you’re not going to aim to do as well as you can which is trying to win every game. We want to do well in every competition and we are not just writing this game off.

“We are really proud of the club, we are trying to get that back where it should belong and that means trying to do well in every competition, being able to compete against WSL sides. Our ambition is very clear on where we want to be.

“We have a lot of players in this team that have played in the WSL or NWSL, senior international football, so I really feel like we can bring something to this game.”

Birmingham City’s Subway Women’s League Cup fixture at Tottenham Hotspur kicks-off at 2pm this afternoon.