Manchester City’s Alex Greenwood left ‘shocked’ by Gareth Taylor exit ahead of cup final duel with Chelsea
ALEX GREENWOOD admits to being shocked by the sudden sacking of Gareth Taylor as Manchester City women’s boss.
However the City skipper expects her team-mates will come together under interim gaffer Nick Cushing.
Taylor, 52, was axed from his role just five days before City’s League Cup final clash with Chelsea this Saturday.
His departure saw him become the fourth manager to have their reign at a WSL team ended this term.
The Manchester giants’ decision to end Taylor’s tenure follows the team losing pace in the WSL title hunt.
At present Chelsea look to be on course for a eighth top-flight title with their 12-point lead at the summit and the team yet to lose a game.
After four losses and two draws in 16 league games, City are currently fourth and facing a fight to qualify for Europe next term.
With the team facing Chelsea four times this month including in the Champions League, club chiefs decided change was needed.
Earlier today when reporters asked for her thoughts on Taylor’s departure, Greenwood said it was “a lot to process” and said it was “purely results-based”.
The City captain, who won an FA Cup and League Cup during his four-and-half-year reign, added: “I was shocked by the news, of course.
“I wasn’t expecting that news but it’s business and this is football.
“The focus quickly shifted to what’s next, what is important to the team and that’s the final on Saturday.”
“My role as captain is to bring the team together and make sure the focus remains the same, which is on the final on Saturday and the run of games we’ve got coming up.”
On whether she has spoken to Taylor since Monday, Greenwood said: “He brought me to this football club, he made me captain
“We had some great moments together, so I will speak to Gareth when the time’s right.
“But for now, I think, out of respect, I’ll leave him to digest this.”
City will play their remaining games under the stewardship of Cushing, who is managing the side for the rest of this season.
The head coach, who last November was sacked as New York City FC boss, led the Cityzens to the WSL title in 2016 during his first stint as women’s team boss.
This Saturday the team will be without the services of their captain who is working her way back to fitness from a medial collateral injury.
Greenwood said: “Nick had a great meeting with the team, a really positive one, about winning and what is achievable, what we need to focus on.”
Man City’s first game following Taylor’s departure comes four days after construction got underway on a £10million training complex for their women’s team.
The 17,000 square-foot building, due to open next season, will contain a dressing room, a high-performance gym and a hydrotherapy area to aid players’ recovery from injuries
Earlier today Greenwood joined women’s team managing director Charlotte O’Neill and football director Therese Sjogran to break ground on the new development.
The City captain added: “We’ve gone from an amazing facility which has gotten us to this point.
“It’s time for us to move on from that now and expand as a team by giving us our own space to work from.
“Right from the start we’ve been involved quite a lot so we could discuss what’s going to be in there and what’s necessary.
“From what I know the facilities are going to be the best, which is nothing short of what I expect.”