Carla Ward spoke to the media on Thursday morning ahead of Aston Villa's Barclays WSL game against Bristol City.
Ahead of the team's return to Poundland Bescot Stadium, the manager addressed a number of topics from Bodymoor Heath.
Here's what she had to say...
On Laura Blindkilde Brown...
“Naturally, we’re disappointed with the [Laura Blindkilde] Browny situation. She had a clause in [her contract]… [Manchester] City hit that clause. We sat down with Laura and she has an opportunity to go in there and play straightaway. For her as an individual, it was something she simply couldn’t turn down. Laura’s a fantastic talent, there’s a reason she’s played more minutes than anyone in our midfield. I think City have got a bargain. Personally, I’m, absolutely gutted she’s no longer here.”
On the January window...
“There are a lot of moving parts in windows. You have to control what you can control, and we’re at the end of the window. I can only control what I can control and I’ve got a group of players that need my focus.”
On confidence for the rest of the season...
“I’ve got a group of players that I’m ready to work with for the rest of the season. They’re ready to fight and we have to stick together. That’s one thing we will do and we will do our best to get as many points on the board as possible.”
On Miri Taylor...
Miri is someone we looked at in the summer. She’s got a great physique, she’s someone who can break up play and she can play in a number of positions. She’s a very welcome addition at this point.”
On the importance of Saturday...
“The mood in the group is good. They’re a tight-knit group so not too much will faze them. It’s my job to keep them in that mood. It’s must-win. I’ve said that a few times this season but when I say that we usually step up. Bristol City are fighting. Every game for them is a cup final, they need to find points. It’s not going to be easy. It wasn’t easy when we went there.”