Addressing reporters after falling to a 0-3 defeat against Chelsea at Ashton Gate, Bristol City’s Lauren Smith insisted that there are positives to take from the first half of the season. The Robins sit at the bottom of the Barclays Women’s Super League table, but Smith insists her side ‘are looking exciting.’
‘We are looking exciting, and we’ve always said whether it’s Championship or WSL, we want to play exciting football,’ explained Smith.
‘I think it’s far more competitive with the teams in the bottom 8 – and that means yes we might be bottom, but we’re so close a win takes us to mid table.’
‘Yes, that means we mightn’t have the ball all the time but when we do something with it, I want the fans to be able to go ‘yeah that was great, that moment!’’
‘I’m sure they’ll be talking about Ffion [Morgan]’s chance where Hannah Hampton smothered it, it’s one of the things that they’ll go away remembering – or Naomi [Layzell]’s blocks in the back line.’
Embed from Getty ImagesAsked for her thoughts on why Bristol City continue to record sizeable attendances despite lingering at the bottom of the table, Smith explained ‘I think it’s a bit of everything. It’s top-flight football, they get to see their heroes – they’re all screaming for Sam Kerr down there and that’s okay, they are heroes! They’re in a Bristol City shirt so I’m happy!’
‘It makes us really proud that that’s what’s happening and the more times we play, more [fans] come behind us. What’s happening is incredible across the league, across women’s football.’
‘What we’re seeing particularly in Bristol is better crowds than all of our competitors in and around the bottom of the league so that is something we’re really, really proud of.’
‘I love it at the end of games, even when we’re 3-0 down, we press and get a chance – the crowd noise, they’re behind us!’ ‘I think that’s the thing that’s really special and that we really appreciate.’
