Chris Roberts didn’t have to think twice about accepting an offer to temporarily take charge of Everton Women this week after Jean-Luc Vasseur was sacked by the club.
And the new interim boss, who started the week as a first team coach, admits that results will need to come before style if the Blues are to reverse their fortunes and climb back up the Women’s Super League.
Vasseur’s exit was announced by the club at past midnight on Wednesday morning after a 95-day spell in charge which resulted in only one win in six league games.
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But as Everton prepare to face in-form Reading on Sunday, Roberts is already satisfied with the initial response from his players, even if things have been happening at a rapid pace.
Speaking to the press for the first time today, he said: “I found out late on Tuesday evening. In terms of preparation, obviously there’s a lot of change from what’s been going on in the previous weeks.
“But thankfully, our kind of ‘day one’ is Wednesday, so we weren’t in the middle of a week’s preparation going into the Reading game already.
“Preparation for the game has been as planned as I would like with no other distribution other than the obvious, that we have had a change of management.”
Everton had Champions League qualification aspirations at the start of the season, but a disappointing start sees them currently lying 10th in the WSL with only two teams propping up the division below them.
When asked about the task in front of him, Roberts conceded that a back-to-basics approach was required to kick-start their season.
He said: “The league table certainly doesn’t lie, we’re all aware of that.
“The first thing that I want to do is just to help them to get back to what they have been performing like over previous seasons and that steady forward momentum that certainly I’ve seen since I’ve been at the club.
“Confidence is something that we’ve been talking about this week. Getting that back into players and going in on the front foot and showcasing the reason why they are such fantastic football players and such a fantastic club.
“That is the way that we will climb back up the league, playing with confidence.
“My style is probably irrelevant right now because probably the most important thing is to win the game of football.
“The style that I’d like to implement - yeah I’ll get to that - but ultimately it will be less about style and more about how we can win each game.
“And if that means our style of play changes potentially week to week then that’s fine. Because right now it’s completely about results. They have to be better to get back up the league.”
In stark contrast, Reading are in great form, having won their last four league matches and sit in sixth, eight points above Everton already.
“Since we played them earlier in the season, they seem to be in a good run of form,” Roberts added.
“They’re so well organised, very aggressive, front-foot attacking team. We’re prepared for that. We know Reading really well and of course we respect the form that they’re in. It will be our job on Sunday to nullify that and win the game.”
Roberts, has been at Everton since December 2018, when joined to work alongside previous manager Willie Kirk.
The Scot will be assisted by coach Claire Ditchburn and told the media today that stepping up to the plate was an easy decision for him.
He said: “Being at this club is a real privilege. Everyday I’m happy because I’m working with an outstanding group of players and people. I’ve loved every minute of my time at the club.
“Taking over, it was an easy answer from me. I love working with the players. I know exactly what’s required to get back up the league table into a position that we want to be in.
“It was an easy conversation and an easy decision for me to step in on the interim and help the team and the club.
“Being honest, in the first training session on Wednesday I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but I can honestly say that the focus, intensity and drive that the players have shown in training has been incredible. That fills me with confidence going into this weekend.
“We have two big games before the international break and we are targeting two wins.”
Currently there are no plans to bring anymore coaching staff into the setup and Roberts does not know how long he will be performing the role for, but when asked if he wanted the job himself, he adopted a very diplomatic approach.
He said: “It’s not something I’ve considered. I’ve loved my role at the club as Assistant Manager for the last three plus years, but right now it’s about helping the team.
“I got the call late on Tuesday night and it’s been a whirlwind. We were on the pitch a few hours later. My focus is fully on the team and on the game this weekend.”
