Mikey Harris: Brighton are in ‘a really good place’ ahead of Liverpool clash

Brighton gear up to host Liverpool at Broadfield Stadium in the Barclays Women’s Super League this Sunday, in what is sure to be a pivotal clash for a struggling Seagulls side. Interim manager Mikey Harris reflected upon what has been his first complete week in the office since the unexpected exit of Melissa Phillips.

‘It’s been nice, we’ve had some time to get some work done on the training pitch. Also, to utilise the fantastic staff that we’ve got throughout the MDT. So we’ve had a lot of analysis sessions this week, teamwork, unit work, individual work.’

‘Just trying to build on some of the real positives that we’ve seen in the first three games, just trying to layer on that understanding and that layer of knowledge about how we want to play. Giving the players some real clarity around that has been really positive.’

Brighton have played just two fixtures under Mikey Harris thus far, most recently finding a 4-1 victory over Wolves in last Sunday’s Adobe Women’s FA Cup clash. Harris digested what he has been most impressed by, praising the squad for their ability to adapt to a fast managerial transition.

‘I’ve been really impressed with the players. The biggest thing I’ve been impressed with is their ability to take on a different style, a different philosophy, which contains a lot of detail. To do that so quickly and deliver enlarged spells on that is a tough ask, and they’ve done that really really well.’

Despite what was a stable commencement to proceedings in their 2023/24 league campaign, Brighton have found themselves in very precarious territory over recent weeks. The Seagulls currently occupy eleventh position on the league table, and a victory on Sunday feels imperative as the season reaches maximum temperature.

Despite what may be a fixture of high stakes for the Seagulls, Harris will not be deterred from the objective style of football that Brighton are aiming to craft.

‘I think we are in a really good place going in to Sunday, we’re really excited for the game. We’re hoping that we can put in a performance that the fans can be proud of and that will be exciting. That’s the thing for us – we want to entertain, we want to play exciting football, we want to get people off their seats. Hopefully we can do that on Sunday.’

Although Brighton find themselves second from the drop zone on the league ladder, just two points separate the South Coast side from 7th-placed Leicester City. When asked whether his side will pay any extra attention to the pressure that may be mounting, Harris was clear that their focus will not stray from the task at hand.

‘I think we’ve just got to focus on ourselves. The league, and the position in the league – that can change. We know that can change really quickly with a couple of positive results, but it’s important that we don’t look too far ahead. That we really focus on doing the work now, staying in the present moment, it’s really important. If we can get a positive result on Sunday, then we’ll look at what the league looks like after that.’

Brighton will host Liverpool this Sunday at 12pm, as the Seagulls look to bounce back from a struggling run of form in the Barclays Women’s Super League.