Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor has signed a one-year contract extension with the club after leading the Citizens to a fourth-place finish in the 2022/23 WSL season.
The former City striker has been at the helm since May 2020 and claimed two pieces of silverware across his first two seasons in the FA Cup and Conti Cup respectively.
Yet despite asserting City’s ambition to win the league ahead of last season, Taylor’s third year in charge saw him forced to navigate an awkward transition period following a significant squad overhaul, including the loss of Ellen White, Jill Scott and Karen Bardsley to retirement, Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh to Barcelona and Georgia Stanway and Caroline Weir to Real Madrid.
Nevertheless, despite a turbulent start to the season in which City fell to successive league defeats, including a thrilling 4-3 loss to Aston Villa on the opening day, and were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid in their European qualifier, Taylor’s City finished the season fourth in the table that saw them within touching distance of the European places.
And the City hierarchy have handed Taylor another year on his current contract in what feels like a final chance for the 50-year-old to deliver on his promise for a first league title since 2016.
Speaking on the news, Taylor told the club’s website : “I’m very happy to have signed a new deal with the club. It feels great to have gotten it over the line. We have been in a transitional period over the past 12 months, and the women’s game has changed so much during my three years in charge.
“We were fortunate to win trophies in each of my first two seasons, and although we haven’t been successful on that front this past year, the pride I’ve taken has come in different forms.
“I’ve really felt that it has been so enjoyable in terms of where the team are, where I think that they can go and what they can achieve for this football club. I know that there is pressure on us to succeed, but I enjoy that.”
Taylor’s nous in adapting young players’ talent is a key aspect of his management that the City hierarchy highlighted in their contract extension announcement. Key players such as Lionesses Chloe Kelly, Lauren Hemp and Esme Morgan and last season’s WSL Golden Boot runner-up Khadija Shaw are all under 27 years old, and are expected to continue their improvement under Taylor.
Managing director Gavin Makel added: “Together we are building an exciting team full of talented players, both young and experienced, all with a shared vision of beautiful football and on-pitch success.”
After successive losses to kickstart the league season, City went on a remarkable 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions and continued to add fuel into an exhilarating four-way title race.
City continued to pile pressure on their European rivals but losses to Liverpool and Manchester United in two of their final three matches ultimately saw them finish outside the European places on goal difference to Arsenal.
And without Champions League football, delivering silverware will be imperative for Taylor's future at the club.
