Robert Vilahamn is not one for short answers.
How, for example, does he reflect on the first couple of months of his second season as Tottenham Women’s manager? Cue a typically considered response.
“They told me when I signed for this club that it would be an organic trip,” the Swede tells Standard Sport on the eve of Saturday’s North London Derby. “A few years of taking steps to close the gap. But sometimes you have to take a step down in order to take two steps up. I think that’s where we are. If this season isn’t going to be amazing, next season brings two steps up.”
FA Cup finalists and sixth in the WSL last season, the new campaign has brought a real mixed bag. Spurs are seventh, having conceded more goals than anyone else but with only Manchester City and Chelsea having scored more.
Now Arsenal, the noisy North London neighbours, prepare to arrive on Saturday. They have been in some disarray this season after the exit of manager Jonas Eidevall, but interim boss Renée Slegers has steadied the ship, overseeing four wins and a draw on her watch.
“Last season’s best performances were at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A lot of tickets have been sold for this game. That’s when you feel home advantage,” says Vilahamn.
“Arsenal have been in the game longer than us and won a lot. We are the underdogs, can accept that now, but in the long-run in this derby we want to be expected to win home games.”
“They have an enormously big and good squad. They have had some ups and down this season, so it’s a good chance to play against them. We are aware they are the favourites. They are on a different budget.”
Vilahamn says with pride: “In one year we have created a team that score many goals. But it is very hard to win games when you concede three, four, five goals a game.
“We invested a lot of time last season in Grace Clinton and Celin Bizet — two key players who knew how we were going to play. Then we lost those two. It meant redoing the key players in the team.
Everybody on the training ground is desperate to beat Arsenal
“Sometimes we lose a few goals in a short time and then we can’t compete. We absolutely need to be better at defending.”
Tottenham’s seven points this season have come from matches against West Ham, Aston Villa and newly promoted Crystal Palace. Against Manchester United (lost 3-0), Chelsea (lost 5-2) and City (lost 4-0), Spurs have fared less well. Ahead of hosting Arsenal, it makes Vilahamn think.
“The learning I take from this league is there’s a very big gap between the mid-table teams and the top three,” he explains.
“There are players on the benches for those three clubs that we tried to sign. They went to those clubs anyway. That’s what I mean by a gap. We don’t need to lie — it’s a big gap.
“To close that gap, it is going to take time because even if we develop, those teams develop as well. You can feel it. Everybody on the training ground is desperate to beat Arsenal.”
