Show Mental Resilience, Says Goodwin
- Missy Goodwin sits down with LCFC TV ahead of LCFC Women’s next encounter
- The Foxes take on Reading in their penultimate fixture of the WSL season
- City’s strong home support can help the team get over the line, she believes
- Tickets remain available to purchase for Sunday’s showdown on Filbert Way HERE
City welcome Reading to King Power Stadium this Sunday (2pm BST kick-off) for what could be a season-defining fixture, following a succession of defeats against the division’s top teams which have left City four points above the relegation zone.
Heading into a new month and the final home game of the campaign, Goodwin, who spoke to LCFC TV ahead of the weekend’s encounter with the Royals, revealed the key messages communicated by manager Lydia Bedford to help achieve their target of remaining in the WSL.
“I think coming off the back of a tough run of games, we’ve picked up our confidence,” the winger began, discussing the current feeling among the group. “Obviously, it was very tough mentally going through that stage of the season, but I think as a group we’ve managed to get through it and we’re really looking forward to the game at the weekend.
“We’ve just been getting our in-possession play up to scratch (in training). We haven’t really had a lot of the ball over the last few games so just getting the basics right and making sure that when we go to play Reading, we’re good with the ball.”
While Leicester lost 4-0 to Manchester City last time out, relegation rivals Birmingham City boosted their own survival hopes with three points against Brighton & Hove Albion, cutting the gap between the pair to four points. Birmingham have three games remaining, while Leicester have two.
For the Foxes, all attention is on picking up a positive result against the Royals, a side 19-year-old Goodwin is looking to get one over on after what happened in Berkshire back in January.
The ex-Aston Villa youngster continued: “I think obviously, with the situation that we’re in, we’re taking each game as it comes. With Birmingham picking up points against Brighton, it was hard to take but as long as we focus on ourselves and go into this game with confidence and stick to the game plan, then I think we’ll be in a good place.
“It was a sloppy goal to concede against Reading (in January) and after they scored, they just backed up and defended, which did make it hard for us. But I think if we stay in the game and put away the chances that we create, then I think it will be a good game and hopefully we can put right what happened last time.”
Aware of what is at stake, the winger, who has started each of the last two WSL matches, was keen not to downplay the significance of Sunday’s game and also referenced the role the supporters can play in helping the team produce a positive result.
“It’s potentially one of the biggest games of the season,” the England Under-19 international admitted. “This could put the league to bed so we’re really excited and the fans will be a big asset. They’ve been amazing.
“Even when we are away, they are always showing their faces, they are a great group of fans and especially at King Power Stadium, the games we’ve had there, it’s given us a really great advantage.
“For me, it’s really exciting. It’s been a very hard run of games so obviously I’ve just been coming in to do what I can to help the team. I think over the few games we have made improvements, so it’s been really good for myself and for the team especially to make improvements.”