Women’s Super League 2022-23 previews No 12: West Ham

Exactly what West Ham will look like under their new manager, Paul Konchesky, and with wholesale changes to the squad is difficult to say. That Konchesky was assistant to Olli Harder last term means there will be some level of consistency. Two of their recruits, the Scotland international Lisa Evans and her former Arsenal teammate Halle Houssein, were both on loan with the Hammers last year and so are also familiar with the set up. However, there have been 10 more signings and 10 departures as Konchesky has looked to make his mark and shape the side.

West Ham climbed from ninth, with 15 points, in the 2020-21 season to sixth, with 27 points, last term but they are a long way off challenging the top pack of Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal and a way off teams such as Tottenham and Manchester United whose are chasing those three.

The departure of the captain Gilly Flaherty, who joined from Chelsea when West Ham were taken under the wing of the club and launched into the WSL, is symbolic of the new lifecycle of the team.

Viviane Asseyi’s recruitment from Bayern Munich is hugely exciting, as is the arrival of the Japan full-back Risa Shimizu, but the loss of the midfielder Yui Hasegawa to Manchester City is a big blow.

The Hammers have played twice in pre-season, beating Championship side Charlton 2-1 before hosting promoted Liverpool, losing 5-0. It is hard to draw many conclusions from friendlies and it will take time for the new players to bed in, but in the 12-team WSL there is little room for error.

Konchesky may seem an unusual choice but the former Liverpool, West Ham and Leicester player stepped up after Harder departed and has embarked on a heavy summer of recruitment. The straight-to-the-point manager, asked