“We need to win the league this season,” said Gareth Taylor, bluntly, before what promises to be a season of transition at the Academy Stadium.
As if losing Ellen White, Jill Scott and Karen Bardsley to retirement, Lucy Bronze – and almost certainly Keira Walsh, too – to Barcelona, Georgia Stanway to Bayern Munich and Caroline Weir to Real Madrid were not taxing enough, City’s manager saw his side eliminated from the Champions League when they fell to a 1-0 defeat in their qualifier at Real Madrid in August.
With Barcelona set to add his key midfielder Walsh to their squad after agreeing a record fee for England’s anchor, Taylor has quite a challenge on his hands as he continues to preside over a significant squad overhaul.
One familiar face staying put is the former England captain Steph Houghton, and City could do with their influential 34-year-old centre-half showing that the achilles injury that sidelined her for much of last season is firmly in the past.