Women’s Super League 2022-23 previews No 10: Reading

Reading have been stagnating in mid-table and last season went in the opposite direction to where they would have been aiming, with an eighth-place finish, one position lower than in 2020-21 and three worse than in the campaign before that. The manager, Kelly Chambers, has shaken up her side, signing six players. They include the goalkeeper Jacqueline Burns, who competed at her first major tournament at the Euros with Northern Ireland and joins from Häcken, the forward Charlie Wellings from Celtic and the defender Brooke Hendrix from Melbourne Victory. The newcomers could turn the tide..

But some key players will be missing. Brooke Chaplen, a mainstay at the club since 2017, retired at the end of last season and the powerhouse and captain Natasha Harding left in July to sign for Aston Villa on a one-year deal. Losing Harding, who has more than 100 Wales caps, is a huge blow. She too joined in 2017 and has since made 83 WSL appearances and scored four goals. Chambers said: “She’s been an integral part of the team and been a huge part of our growth as a club.” Harding’s departure will leave a huge hole but tactics may be a way to secure more points.

Reading used five formations in the league last season and will be able to fit their signings into their versatile setup. But one formation was key for most of their points. When Chambers played 4-4-2, as she did in 12 of their 22 league matches, they won six, drew two and lost three. The only other win came using 3-4-3 in their shock 1-0 victory over Chelsea. Deploy 4-4-2 more often and Reading could sail up the WSL.

Chambers has been in charge since the 2014-15 season. She had an immediate impact after rejoining the club she played for, leading them to promotion to the WSL.