Co-manager Emma Hunter says Aberdeen Women will rise to the challenge as they still aim to finish in the top half of SWPL 1.
For the first time this season, SWPL 1 – like the men’s top-flight – will split into the top and bottom six after all teams have played each other home and away once.
After the split – the first post-split fixture is scheduled for March 26 – the teams in their respective halves play each other home and away again, to complete a 32-game season.
The Dons won their first game of the season on October 30 when they beat Glasgow Women 2-0 at Pittodrie, but the result still leaves them second-bottom in the table.
Aberdeen finished in fifth – only behind the league’s three professional teams and a part-time/full-time hybrid Hibernian side – last term.
Despite their current position in the league, Hunter says the Dons still aim to finish in the top-half, but the co-manager admits it will be a tough climb.
The Aberdeen co-manager said: “It’s not been a great start to the season, so we know that we’ve made life really difficult for ourselves if we want to achieve our aim.
“But you can see that each team in this league can take points off one another and we’ve still got an entire round of fixtures to go, so we’re still aiming to finish in the top six.
“We know in this league that when you win a couple of games, you start to build up some momentum. And we had that last season, so it’s still well within our reach.
“We need to push the team to try and get there. We want to be playing against the best players and teams in the league because that makes us stronger, so it’s still our aim.
“We’re not going to shy away from how difficult it might be – we’ve been disappointed by how it’s gone so far – but it’s in our control to change it.”
Next three top-flight fixtures vitally important
The Dons return to top-flight action after their first win of the season on November 20 when they travel to Motherwell, and Hunter says they must go there and win.
She says the same about their following two fixtures. After the clash with the Women of Steel, the Dons go to Dundee United, before hosting Spartans on December 4.
Hunter said: “We need to get the three points with a good performance in those games. We need to start demanding more from ourselves so we can compete at a high level.
“As much as the Pittodrie game was so important, it’s now about our reaction to that. The fixtures coming up before Christmas are ones that are vitally important.
“We need to make sure we get those points, so can start to get back into contention in the league.
“Our job over this break has been to get the players ready for that.
“Where we’re at now in the season is a test for the players, but they should see it as a challenge and something to rise to – not to shy away from.”
Friendly against Saints good preparation
In preparation for their run of crunch games, Aberdeen travel to SWPL 2 side St Johnstone on Sunday for a friendly match.
Hunter reckons it will be a good opportunity to rotate the squad and for players to have a chance to play without the pressure of having to pick up a result.
She said: “It’s an important opportunity for the full squad to get some game time and we can look at players and make some changes if people show up to these friendlies.
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— Aberdeen FC Women (@AberdeenWomen) November 3, 2022
“We talk about when we play in SWPL 1 that it’s at such a high standard, you rarely get those moments where you can relax and enjoy your football.
“The pressure is there all the time, so I think everyone – from the coaching staff to the players – enjoy the friendlies because there’s not that same pressure.”
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