Earlier Manchester City FA Cup clash, Olli Harder invokes ‘West Ham spirit’

Earlier Manchester City FA Cup clash, Olli Harder invokes ‘West Ham spirit’

Synopsis

Olli Harder believes that similarities will offer his West Ham players some invaluable reassurance as they met renascent Manchester City for third time this season.

Earlier Manchester City FA Cup clash, Olli Harder invokes ‘West Ham spirit’
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Olli Harder believes that similarities will offer his West Ham players some invaluable reassurance as they met renascent Manchester City for third time this season.

Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final will be at Dagenham & Redbridge’s Chigwell Construction Stadium, where Harder’s side play their home games.

Harder said, “If you’ve climbed a mountain before, the idea of doing it again becomes easier psychologically,”

“We’ve beaten City before, we know where we can hurt them and they know that as well.”

In Women’s Super League, only a fortnight ago West Ham lost at 2-0 to Gareth Taylor’s team. At the same scoreline Harder choreographed victory in Manchester last October. One New Zealender said, “City are talented but there’s a lot to be optimistic about,

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“We’re hoping to write a fantastic story about an underdog reaching the FA Cup final. It’s about seizing counterattacking opportunities and being more clinical than two weeks ago. If we can do that, defend for our lives and show the West Ham spirit anything’s possible.”

After defeat by England his side’s 5-0 in Belfast on Tuesday Shiels posited the thesis that “women are more emotional than men … so they don’t take a goal going in very well”. After that he on Wednesday he apologized amid a furore, and, on Thursday, Northern Ireland’s players had issued a collective statement saying “we stand by our manager”. Harder and Taylor were braced for questions on the issue.

Harder said, “I’m sure there’s context behind those comments,”

“Whose seventh-placed side sit three places and 11 points behind City in the WSL?”

“Research shows there are more clusters of goals in women’s football but I’ve no idea why.

“I think men hide their emotions a lot better than women but all humans are emotional. Any time there’s a disappointment there’s going to be an emotional context. I don’t think it’s necessarily a case of women having more emotions than men.”

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City’s manager than said Taylor proved similarly nuanced. “I know Kenny, he was working at Tranmere when I was a player there and he’s a good guy,”

“I think he was probably just talking a little emotionally himself. His quite-early apology was important and the right thing to do.

“But the situation he was talking about happens in football, regardless of gender. It’s an emotional game, players make mistakes, do good things, lack confidence. It doesn’t matter whether you’re male or female, it’s a passionate game.”

 

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