Aggie Beever-Jones backs Bompastor to bring ‘spice’ to title race and Chelsea’s push for WSL crown
AGGIE BEEVER-JONES reckons Sonia Bompastor will add “some spice” to the WSL title fight as she eyes a winning start in England’s top tier.
Tonight is the start of a new era for the Blues, with their France-born head coach, 44, going into her first Women’s Super League contest.
A rejuvenated Aston Villa, with new gaffer Robert de Pauw, are first to pit their wits against a team chasing a sixth successive title.
A side that now boasts some of the most formidable forwards in Europe, including Beever-Jones, Mayra Ramirez and star striker Sam Kerr.
Beever-Jones said: “That’s one of the great things about Chelsea.
“Our squad is big and every single player is good enough to start a game and live up to the Chelsea standard.
“I’ve always seen the competition as a good thing and I’m always learning and watching other people.
“From Mayra, to Sam, to me, to Mia (Fishel) to Cat (Macario) – we’re all very different players.
“We all kind of have our own uniqueness to us which makes us different.
“You can pick up a few things from other players and you want to impress.
“Hopefully I’m doing that and making Sonia happy.”
Last term saw Kerr sidelined at the halfway stage of the season after sustaining an ACL injury at a Blues training camp in January.
The absence of the Australia star prompted the club’s January swoop for Colombia striker Ramirez.
And Beever-Jones says she’s ready to cheer Kerr to the rafters should she find the back of the net for the hundredth time for the Blues when fit.
Beever-Jones added: “We had a goal competition at the start of last season and then unfortunately Sam’s injury happened.
“But after every game I played in she’d come up to me to say ‘congrats’
“She’s one of my biggest supporters and when she (comes back and) scores her 100th goal, I’ll probably be running up to her and screaming for her, given how hard she’s worked.
“I’ll be delighted as will all the other girls in the team.
“For me, the competition within the team is good. You’ve got to play better, but I’m excited for it.”
Having been a Champions League winner as a Lyon player and manager, Bompastor is determined to guide Chelsea to European glory for the first time in their existence.
And Beever-Jones believes her boss can add “a little spice” to the title-holders’ battle for more silverware.
The striker, who scored 11 goals in 17 WSL games last term, added: “Chelsea has been so successful for so many years and Sonia is adding her own uniqueness to our style of play.
“It’s just adding her little bit of spice to the Chelsea way.
“And when the season starts and we’re in the four competitions again it will be challenging to see how the tactics play out.
“But we’re in such safe hands and we’ve got a great team of players.
When asked what fans watching can expect from her side, Chelsea chief Bompastor said: “They will see a team that is really competitive.
“One that’s enjoying playing together at the highest level.
“The most important thing is getting results.
“We want to win, to start the league strongly and to be efficient as a team scoring goals whilst being defensively very strong.
“I hope we’ll be able to show a good football style, but for me that’s not the priority.
“The result is what’s really important. But if we can have both, I will be very happy.”
Chelsea’s WSL season-opening game against Aston Villa can be watched live from 7:00pm tonight on BBC 2