Aberdeen Women forward Hannah Stewart believes the Dons are already reaping the rewards of having a full-time manager.
Clint Lancaster was appointed boss earlier this summer, becoming the first-ever full-time coach of the women’s team.
The Englishman will take charge of his first competitive game this Sunday when Aberdeen host Motherwell in their SWPL season opener at Balmoral Stadium.
And only a month after his arrival, Stewart believes the Dons will start the campaign with Lancaster’s impact already evident.
The forward said: “Clint has come in as our first full-time manager and he’s been driving the standards and demanding we bring up the intensity.
“Training has been great and we’ve had a good pre-season under him. The results from three very different games have been good and we’ve learned different things from each of them.
“As a collective group we’ve been trying to do what Clint has asked of us and I think it’s going to be an exciting season for us.
“He’s full-time so has a lot of time to prepare the sessions and work on the teams in the league.
“He’s come up from England, so it was probably a bit unfamiliar to him.
“But when we’re not in at training, he’s working in the background looking at the teams, so there has been a lot more analysis.
“We’ve had more of a focus on us, too, and he’s been able to implement exactly how he wants us to play.”
Stewart wants to cement place in ‘attacking’ Dons side
What can we expect to see from Lancaster’s Dons this season? Stewart believes Aberdeen will offer an attacking style of football.
Such a style has been clear throughout the Dons’ pre-season, with 15 goals scored over three friendlies, including an 11-1 win over SWPL 2 outfit St Johnstone – a game in which Stewart netted four times.
She said: “Winning the ball back is massive. Our focus has been (that) if we don’t have the ball then we work hard to get it back.
“When we do have the ball, we want to play and be positive going forward. It’s about having that freedom in the final third, but having bodies back so we can defend as well.
“It’s a really positive style of play and it’s an attacking style which suits me as a forward player.”
After scoring six times in the SWPL last season, Stewart is hoping to have an impact again this season and has targeted a place in Lancaster’s starting XI.
She said: “I want to be in the team and playing regularly. I want to be able to keep my starting position and hopefully score goals.
“Personally I want to be better than I was last season. I want to score more goals and get more assists, but just make sure that when I do start I make the most of that opportunity and try start again the next week.
“I’m feeling fit. I’ve done a lot of hard work in the off-season and have come back into training and worked hard there.
“As a group we’re all ready to go for Sunday. We’ve prepared well and we’re looking forward to the season starting.”
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