Tractor Girls Talk: Four new signings and a big point!

0:00You ain't heard about Moto Casino? Moto has real Vegas slots. Any game you can find on the floor in Vegas, you can play it on Moto. I like my slots hot. Moto's free to play, like food stamps, in line at the grocery store, at a funeral, in traffic, keep your eyes on the road. Hop on Moto Casino. Moto Casino got jackpots that are bigger than my belly. Moto, America's hottest free to play social casino. Download the Moto Casino app today. Moto Casino is a social casino. But we're prohibited. No purchase necessary. Visit Moto.us for more details. Moto Casino. America's social casino.

0:38Ross Halls:hello everybody it's me roscoe and welcome to let's installment on the kings of anglia track the girls tour podcast the show where we cover all things itch which town women and once again i'm joined by my right hand man in tom can me and you my friend we're uh freezing our butts off down at Colchester of the town. Got a big, big point against Bristol City. How are you doing, my friend? A lot to cover because there's been new signings, a new technical director appointed. Yeah, let's get right into it. How are you? Yeah, I'm very well, thank you. Warmed up now from Sunday. It was, as you say, freezing cold.

1:18I think everyone in that stadium could feel how cold it was. And I did feel really bad for all the substitutes sitting there in their shorts waiting to come on I'm sure they were really happy to go and warm up for a bit just to get warm but sitting there in my coat and hood up so that the wind wouldn't hit me in the ears it was very cold but a good performance to help soften that blow and yeah good to get back at it, it's been a long time for me, I wasn't at the FA Cup game which we'll talk about because of work commitment. So, yeah, it was good to finally be back reporting on the women's team.

2:04Definitely, my friend.

2:05Ross Halls:And, yeah, you know when it's really cold, when the sub-goalkeeper warms up as well, when there's nothing going on with the first choice. Laura Hartley, bless her, I know she's straight away like, yeah, I'm warming up as well. Because not that often a sub-goalkeeper warms up because deep down they know they're not going to come on. but yeah that is the problem down at Colchester it is bloody cold even in the summer and yeah in Felixstowe I was there obviously last week it was obviously a 2-1 defeat against Sheffield United to exit the competition weirdly it was warmer there even though you're closer to the bloody sea but it was lovely, nice little homecoming down at Felixstowe we'll get into that very shortly and just talk about the games both of them of course, one of them a very good positive result, the other as I mentioned an FA Cup exit.

2:51Ross Halls:But there's been signings. There's been other things happening. Of course, last time we recorded some was the sad news that Joe Sheehan departed his role as Italy's town women's manager. He's recently accepted a new role at the club in the academy and stuff like that. Of course, David Wright is currently interim manager. The new era has started. He's, of course, took charge of those two games, as we've mentioned. And it's been a busy period because there's four new players in the door because there's a new man sort of leading that recruitment. And that is Sean Burt, who has been appointed the technical director.

3:26Ross Halls:Is it Burt? No, Bort. Bort, sorry. Sorry, Sean. Burt? Burt. Burt. Burt. Even the simple names I struggle with. People know this already. But yeah, he's a Scot. He's going to be overseeing all football matters, including recruitment, helping to continue the club's growth in line with both the short and long-term goals. He just basically began his position at the start of the year. He was at Hearts, where he held the role as Head of Women's Recruitment role there for two years, initially joining as Women's First Team Assistant Manager. He's also had roles in Scotland, where Burnian arranges as well as Glasgow University.

4:07Ross Halls:And yeah, it's an interesting appointment, Tom, because it's a new thing for the club to have. Because normally, yeah, it was Joe who was sort of in charge of everything, really. He was signing plays, looking at players and everything like that. Now it's nice to have someone top of the table in a way, able to do the recruitment side while you let the manager get on the field. It matters, basically. Yeah, someone that can oversee things and just lift that little bit of extra pressure off the manager's shoulders and bring in players who... I'm sure, obviously, there'll be discussions as to which players they want.

4:47But, you know, having someone there that has sort of been there and knows all about it and has a previous record of bringing in players from different areas. And I'm sure we'll come on to it in a minute, but he's already had quite a big influence on, I'd imagine, the players that have come in and, you know, where they've previously played and where he's come from. So I think you can already see the sort of benefits of having someone in that position. And as you say, it just allows David Wright to really focus on, you know, connecting with the players and, you know, managing them into what is going to be a really tough second half of the season.

5:26Ross Halls:Yes, indeed. And yeah, obviously the second half season has started now and that's a massive point. I'm just going to mention it because it was that 1-1 draw of Bristol City. But let's talk about the four new signings through the door as it stands. I'm hoping they don't announce one as we record. Although, actually, live reporting on a transfer is always exciting. But hopefully when this drops, they don't announce a signing because they announced one yesterday. It's obviously Wednesday now, but Tuesday announced one more. So we've got four in the door so far. Let's start with the first of them, and that is Colette Kavanagh, who is signed from a Spanish top flight side, Tom, because I was not expecting that from abroad.

6:05Ross Halls:I know she's got links to Scotland. She is Scottish, so she's got links, obviously, with Sean. but she's signed from Di Bativo di la Coronia. I've completely butchered that, but we're going with it, Tom. We're going with it. But yeah, she's a 27-year-old midfielder. She's won trophies. Her Celtic Rangers are burning. She's got very good, you know, calibre of a player. Played Champions League as well. I'm taking all your thunder here. Sorry, Tom. But yeah, she made a debut on the weekend. But yeah, a player that Sean knows very well. yeah yeah i'm sure he's very aware of her having you know know that she plays uh or played a lot in um in the scottish premier league and won uh an awful lot of silverware there with um three different clubs um so she must be a you know a highly um highly thought of player um up in scotland and um obviously you know to get someone from i'm gonna say it correctly hopefully Deportivo de la Coruña

7:13is exciting it's not often that a player even in men's football for Ipswich Town a player comes and joins from a foreign side less so maybe nowadays but certainly three or four years ago you wouldn't see that so it's great that the women's team are now broadening their little search and going into Spanish first division and as we'll discuss in a minute, the Italian top division as well. And yeah, had a little few minutes on Sunday against Bristol City and I thought she looked really promising when she came on. We'll talk about her in more depth in a bit. Yeah, I think it's a really good signing and someone that knows how to win games and brings a lot of experience with her as well.

8:02Ross Halls:Yes, indeed. We know they were needing to bring some new recruits in to help this team because it is going to be a battle for survival. Every game, it's going to be a war because they need to get that point. They need to get three points. So, yeah, welcome, Colette, to the team. And then the second signing was, as you mentioned, from Italy. She's not Italian. She's not actually Scottish, but she's signed from Lazio, which is incredible. I can imagine the weather was very different there to when she was rocking up at Colchester on Sunday. and that is Lucy Ashworth Clifford. Yeah, she spent the first half of the season playing in the top flight in Italy with Lazio.

8:44Ross Halls:Prior to that, though, she was playing for Celtic where she played in the Scottish Women's Premier League. Just got her stats up here. 12 goals, 16 assists in 59 games. So she's a winger, 26 years of age, Champions League experience once again. And yeah, she'll know Sean, I think. she's actually from Warrington from what I remember her saying in the interview so David Wright, that's where he's from so that's a nice little connection there as well but yeah Tom, it's mad to say you said signing a player from Italy and Spain Yeah Yeah she comes again with a lot of experience both the players are sort of at their peak ages Lucy Ashworth Clifford is 26 and Colette Kavanagh is 27 so they've both been um you know around for a little while and have you know played a lot of games and i mean those stats that you just mentioned there are really good um for a top division side i know it's celtic um but you know still it's really good um statistics and someone that um i'm sure will add to the wing um because i know that the left-sided wing has been a little bit um you know chop and changey so far this season for ipswich town they haven't quite settled on a left winger it's sort of been um mixing between three or four players as to who who starts there so far so um who knows she might have she might come in and you know once she gets gets going a little bit and spends a bit more time on the training ground with the players she might become the the number one uh starter on that left hand side but yeah a lot of experience champions league both of them um have played in it and um yeah these are the sort of signings that you sort of need to be making when you're facing relegation.

10:35Ross Halls:Yeah, definitely. And Sean's got into his contact book, the black book, they will call it in the industry, and said, oh, they're available. Of course, they're two permanent deals, which is good to see. But there's two lone players from the WSL starting off with a forward, but he's been playing midfield recently. And that is Kit Graham, who has joined from Spurs until the end of the season. But there's an option to be made permanent, which is good. 11 goals in 88 games for them. was played and was part of their FA Cup run, which got into the final in 2024. But one sad thing about Kit, she's suffered two ACL injuries during her career so far, and she's still, I was about to say she's still young.

11:14Ross Halls:Sorry, Kit, I think she's about 30. But an experienced player, versatile. I'm not saying her career's done, but she's not obviously as young as the other ones. But someone who brings experience, and she probably wants to kickstart her career again after those injuries. Yeah, yeah. Someone that has been there and done that and played at the big stadiums and played against the biggest teams, played for one of the biggest teams in the UK in women's football as well. So it brings a lot of experience with her. And yeah, obviously it's a shame about the two ACL injuries and I'm sure that she'll be looking forward just getting back out there onto the pitch and trying to get as fit as she can and help out the side.

12:06And who knows if she is able to see out the rest of the season. And obviously there is that option to have her permanently. That could be a really, really good bit of business. Someone so experienced and someone that's played in some really big games in North London derbies and things like that.

12:29Ross Halls:Yeah, fun fact about her, actually. She scored the first ever goal for the women's team at the London Stadium. Not London Stadium, no, that's West Ham. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. So she's got that nice little record book on her career, which is good. And she's won when she was at Cholton. She was scoring for fun in the third tier and then played in WSL 2 or was a championship back then for a sort of hometown club in Cholton. So, yeah, a player with a lot of experience. I'm looking forward to seeing how she's going to play because she's been playing in midfield a lot recently. So it'll be interesting to see where David Wright will be playing her when she is ready to go.

13:06Ross Halls:And then the fourth signing, Tom, was Kenzie Weir, who's got a connection to her dad. He's an ex-Premier League defender and also Scottish international as well. David, who played for Everton and Rangers, was a legend at Rangers, won many, many trophies there. but she's of course creating her own journey her own career she's a defender she's yeah she's still young I think she's only maybe 22 something like that and yeah she's been at Everton for a while now came through their youth ranks had loan spells out before with Glasgow City and also Lewis when they were a second tier team as well but a big signing in terms of just adding that depth Tom in the defence and she'll know Megan Waring as well for the under 23s for Scotland I think was that a position we were like looking at as well like maybe they just need to strengthen a little bit more yeah maybe I mean they've got three three players there already but all it takes is one injury and you're down to to just two of them so I think it is a position that they needed to to strengthen I mean at the age of 22 she's got WSL 2 experience I mean championship at the time but you know same second tier experience with Lewis and you know maybe another one that Sean knows from her time playing in Scotland and you know for the youth team up there and I mean it's I see no no problem with this signing at all it's on alone so she can come in help out also that that back line a little bit give some players a rest as well because I mean they've all all three of them have played you know pretty much almost every minute and had to come in and I mean Maria Boswell got seriously injured this time last year so you know you do need to be a little bit more careful and yeah comes in and we'll hopefully add to that those options at the back that I'm sure that they'll have wanted.

15:16Ross Halls:I can imagine David Ware is before your time it's a little bit just about before my time but I remember the name for some reason, but I might be thinking I'm someone completely different. He played for Everton in the Premier League many times. So I know good old Stuart Watson, our colleague on the main flagship show, he's an Everton fan, so I'm sure he knows of him. But yeah, just a nice little added extra. You sometimes hear the stories of the sons becoming players, but now you hear a lot these days, the daughters now become players. When I did the story of her signing, I was like, got to add, you know, daughter of an ex-Premi League star.

15:51Ross Halls:So, but no, welcome, Kenzie. And yeah, it'll be interesting to see how she gets on. Four players through the door, Tom. Defender, midfielder, winger, forwards slash defender, midfielder. I think Kit can play anywhere, really. Four on the door. Would you like some more? Like, how many others do you think they need position-wise? You're looking at the team. Where do you think they need to strengthen? um that's a that's a tough question because they have done some good business to to sort of put in and bolster those areas um i mean they've got two very good left backs so i think that's sorted um with beth and rowan summer hughes i think both of them are absolutely fine and have been you know very positive this season so far and right back you've obviously got boz who can play out there and leah mitchell's done well this season so um that sort of position is sorted as well so maybe another center back just just in case that does happen and you know leah mitchell gets injured and boz has to move out there or just a versatile player that can sort of play anywhere along the back line um would be would be good maybe another winger as well just in case um anything happens it's a very young squad ipswich still um and you know some of the players that um are available or you know are very young and they haven't you know got that experience of playing at this level and um i think when you're in a relegation battle while having young exciting players who are hungry to win is is good you do also need that experience to sort of come in and help with the with the fight um so maybe another winger as well um but other than that i think they've done a really good job of highlighting the issues, highlighting the positions that they needed to strengthen in and getting that done fairly early.

17:52Ross Halls:Yeah, definitely, because that's a good thing as well, because they can get ready and play games. You never know, it could be departures as well. You just don't know. Some players may think, oh, she's coming in for my position. We'll find out a bit more, I'm sure. But those are in the door for will we see some more we shall see and Tom let's talk about the games then we've had two under the new era of David Wright the FA Cup two on the feet down at Felixstowe the Cup run has ended but we're going to mainly talk about the Bristol City game because we were there for us to discuss if we've seen anything different under David Wright it was a 1-1 draw against Bristol City a big improvement the last time we played the Robins because we got thrashed 7-0 at Ashton Gate earlier in the season so anything better than that was going to be better, of course.

18:43Ross Halls:But this was a really good, promising performance. A 1-1 draw. Town took the lead. Just your opening thoughts. We've got some clips we're going to play as well. You spoke to David Wright and also Natasha Thomas after the game, so we're going to get their feelings and thoughts on it as well. But yeah, your opening thoughts. Yeah, I thought it was really good, actually. I thought Ipswich were by far the better side in the first half. um they were their attacks were really good um it was sort of i mentioned this to both of them actually um in post-match interviews but um it was the sort of the first sort of glimpses at what we saw the promotion season of you know lucy o 'brien getting on the ball running at players sophie peskett was causing all sorts of mayhem for their defense uh winning free kicks and you know she She could have scored early on as well from a header before it was 1-0.

19:39And obviously she won the free kick that got down ahead. And then you got Jen Nadir, who I thought had a really good game, spraying passes around and driving with the ball. And then you had Tash up top, who obviously got the goal and looked really good as well. So I thought that was really good. I thought defensively they were brilliant. Megan Waring, I remember putting in a really good stop just before one of their players was about to fire home in the first half. And, you know, she stuck out a leg and managed to get the ball away. Beth and Roe, I thought, was brilliant. Everyone had a really good game, I thought.

20:19And obviously they didn't hold on, but they were playing a team that were third in the league, aren't used to losing or drawing. A team that beat them 7-0 not too long ago. and more than match them. So, yeah, really, really positive, actually. And it did, you know, it softened the blow of having to sit in the cold for 90 minutes.

20:47Ross Halls:Yeah, definitely. It was a really fantastic first 45 for town. And, yeah, Lucy O 'Brien was playing really well. I was really impressed by her. She played well against Jeff United, but in this one she played well as well. And, yeah, Pesk. I don't know how she didn't score her goal. I know she's not known for scoring headers, but that was a big opportunity. But thankfully, Tash was on hand to make it 1-0. And I watched the goal back. It was sort of like a weird, like, I don't know how she was able to get it because it was like behind her in a way. You know, really good delivery, as you mentioned, from Jenna Deere.

21:18Ross Halls:And I don't know how you explain it. Is it a volley? I don't know. It was a sort of weird. How do you explain it, Tom? Yeah, it was weird. she sort of managed to move her body to a ridiculous height to sort of just touch the ball rather than actually shoot it was more of just a guided touch um and you know managed to just put it past um the other side of the people from where she was going which was a really good finish um to be able to to just softly hit it and um you know control it lightly into the net rather than you know trying to do um a header um which you know probably could have gone anywhere because you have to stoop low for it and um yeah she definitely made the right decision as to what to do to get the ball into the back of the net but I thought it was a really really good finish calm um going to that good position to be able to do that as well yeah definitely that's just that experience she's got and she's that clinical poacher as well in the box um really good goal from Tash and you spoke to her after the game Tom so let's hear her thoughts on the result and then we'll get into other bits and bobs from the game.

22:28A very I thought well-deserved point today what were your reflections on the game? Yeah no a really good point for us obviously it would have been amazing if we could come away with a three point but we're all really happy that we came away with that one point it's a starting point for us now because the performance have been there it's just been that little bit at the end of the game or that little we should be scoring goals so So, no, really proud of everyone that we've got the one point and we go on to the next game. Yeah, I just spoke to David and I thought everyone had a good game, but the front four, particularly in the first half, we saw Peskitt doing a lot of runs and Lucio O 'Brien getting on the ball a lot more and obviously you scored a goal.

23:09Does it sort of take you back to what you had last season of trying to get into positions and obviously you got on the end of a really good cross from Genadier as well? Yeah, absolutely. I think for us, obviously, since Brighty's come in, what we do at training, you can see that on the pitch now. So he's always said, of course, we're going to have to be defending for periods of the game, and it's just keeping on top of that. But it's when we've got the ball, it's what we're doing with it, the counterattacks, keeping hold of the ball going forwards. And for me as a number nine as well, getting into the right areas in the box.

23:40He doesn't want me outside the post, like get in the box, get in the right areas. And I think it's just repetition and training, keep on doing that, and it's really coming out on the pitch for all of us.

23:49Ross Halls:Indeed and yes they've got a nickname for David already Roddy so there we go David Wright and yeah a very good first half and as you mentioned Tom and Tash defended really well as well because yeah Bristol City they knew they had to get back in the game which they did in the end unfortunately but any other moments I know Tash scored to make it two just before half time as well but yeah any other moments that like oh this is an opportunity because I think 1-0 even 2-0 is always a dangerous scoreline and Bristol City got one back but I thought Town were going for it Yeah especially in the first half I thought they were there were a number of times where Bristol City committed a lot of players forward and the ball managed to break loose which sprung some counter attacks obviously it was good passing up the pitch there were a number of times that a player in the midfield got hold of the ball and was able to spray a pass out wide to to either um you know left wing or right wing um so yeah it was it was really good and uh it was definitely um an update you know it was a better performance than what i i saw last time i saw um the team play they looked a lot more confident and a lot more um as though they wanted to get their own back on Bristol city for, you know, score put in seven pass and they were like, you're not doing that to us, to us today.

25:29Um, and it is a shame that they scored because for a moment it did look like, you know, they could just about hold on. Um, but I mean, it was a good header from, from their player and, um, good delivery as well. So, um, can't really do an awful lot. And obviously both, you can't really blame the defendant either. Cause I know that, Natalia Negri got injured in trying to make the save and collided with Megan Waring, who was on the line to try and stop the goal as well. So it's just one of them. But, I mean, to get a result against a third-place team that are hoping to end up in the playoffs this season is, yeah, really good.

26:08Really good. Yeah,

26:11Ross Halls:against them sort of teams, you don't expect us getting any points from them. But that was a massive point. and yeah, I think that brings a lot of confidence to the team. Definitely the defence because, you know, they've sadly conceded some poor goals this season, but in this game, really, really solid. But let's hear from David Wright on the result. I know you asked him a few questions, so let's hear from you and David. So David, first league game in charge of town women. How was it for you? Yeah, really enjoyed it. Really enjoyed the performance. Said to the girls before we went out, in terms of the work we've been doing, how I've seen them progress, and we're getting better and better.

26:52Just the things that I would like us, well, I'd like us to play the game. It's been really, really positive in the last week or so. And then it transferred onto the pitch today, which is great, because obviously when you're trying to teach new things, I think the best way for it is to have a really good performance and get something out of the game, which the girls did. And hopefully that just accelerates the belief and the direction that we want to go. Yeah. And obviously this is a team that lost 7-0 to Bristol City not long ago. To get a point at such a start of a run where you're going to be fighting for survival is really important, isn't it?

27:35Yeah, really. I can say in that, it just accelerates that belief for the girls in the process that we want to put in place. Obviously, they had to manage that because I'm sure they would have remembered the last time they played and maybe carried that. Maybe they're a bit nervous, but I don't think you've... It was brilliant by the players, so I don't think you could see it, especially the start where we had. Obviously, we could have scored within two minutes, which would have been a brilliant start. but I'm just really happy with the group and the performance level. And I thought everyone had a good game but the front four, particularly in the first half I thought were doing what we used to watch last season and driving runs and things like that that must make you really happy to see and hopefully they'll do more of that going forward.

28:30Yeah, 100%. They had a big workload that front four today for what we wanted them to do in terms of defensive and then still had the energy on transition to get up. And I thought we looked really dangerous in transition, which was really pleasing.

28:49Ross Halls:Yes, indeed. And good to hear from David for the first time on the Track The Girls Talk podcast. Obviously, very fortunate to be able to speak to David and Tash. We've got a few more clips to play in a bit, Tom. But should we talk about just standout players? I know we've sort of covered some already, but anybody that springs to mind, we'll talk about the date maintenance as well, especially Colette because she had played a bit more than Lucy bless her she only played like a couple of minutes and probably didn't have a touch on the ball but yeah anybody else that stood out for you yeah I'll start with Colette I thought you know she came on and I mean she just throws herself into any tackle going doesn't she is really impressive she looks like she's just not scared to sort of just get in there and you know do what she needs to do to win the ball fairly or not fairly but yeah a lot of crunching tackles going in from her which was exciting to see I've mentioned the front four I thought all of them had a good game I thought Beth and Roar touched on I thought she was really good again as she has been you know for most of the season it's there's a lot of players Natalia Negra thought did some good saves when they had little shots from distance which did that annoying thing where they just bobble right in front of the keeper um and she was able to touch them behind for for corners um i thought yeah had a good game and yeah i think i've pretty much mentioned everyone now that had a had a good game i think they all they all contributed to particularly in the first half to a really good team performance, which was really good to see.

30:34Ross Halls:I hate to say it's like a new manager's bounce. Sometimes when a new person comes in, it's like, yeah, just in general, any team, when a new manager comes in with new ideas and stuff, sometimes it just brings you a little bit more extra bit of confidence. I've got actually a clip here from Tash discussing the new boss and stuff because it's probably very strange for her having a new manager in charge because she's been under Joe for so long. so yeah this is Tash on David Wright and what's it been like obviously you were under Joe Sheehan for so long what's it been like these last few weeks with David Wright and a bit of a change with the coaching staff as well with Nicola leaving what's it been like yeah obviously Wright has been in already before so we knew of him and what he was about and I think for us it was just yes we heard that information of Joe wasn't going to be our manager any longer.

31:25But the day we heard of it, obviously we were like, yes, we're all a little bit upset that he's left, but we've got a job to do. We've got to get back to it, train really hard. Also, we've now got a new manager that we've got to show ourselves to and make sure that we can put ourselves forward for the starting XI, even being on the bench now, because we've got more new players coming in. The bench is solid. At weeks, it might be where you're not even in the squad. So, yeah, for us in training, we're just all working really hard and making sure that we can put our best foot forward.