Tractor Girls Talk - Our BIG season preview, predictions and Southampton trip

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0:38Ross Halls:Hello everybody, it's me Roscoe and welcome to the latest installment of the Kings Langa Track the Girls Talk podcast, a show where we cover all things Itchwickstown women and we're here to bring you our big season preview. The big cook-off is not far away now and I'm joined by Tom can as we look ahead to the debut campaign in WSL2 for the Tractor Girls. Tom, hope you're doing well. Are you excited for the season ahead? Yeah, very excited. Feels like an absolute age since Ipswich beat Cheltenham and got promoted on that day in Felixstor. So really, really ready for it to return. Starting a little bit later this year.

1:22I know that last season, Ipswich had started, probably played about two or three games by this point. I got a notification the other day that it was a year from Norwich City beating them 4-0. So, yeah, very ready for it to return, as I'm sure everybody else is.

1:40Ross Halls:Yeah, because obviously the season ended in April last season when, as you mentioned, the promotion celebrations, and now we're in September, and we just want to see H2TL Women action. Of course, they kick off their season away at Southampton as I elbow my radiator. Hope you didn't hear much of that, ladies and gentlemen. But yeah, Tom, we're going to bring the listeners and the viewers our season preview, doing some predictions, got different categories. We do this for the men's side of the podcast and I thought we've got to do one for the Track the Girls Talk podcast ahead of the first game.

2:14Ross Halls:And we've got different categories. We've got the best signing of the summer, the leading goal scorer and how many, surprise package, MVP, American Sports, if you like that, it's basically most valuable world player. Where will Town finish? And we've also got a few hot takes me and Tom are going to chuck at you as well. So we're going to look ahead to Southampton, do a bit of a lowdown on the Saints. Obviously Town's former rivals back in the day in the third tier. So it's an interesting sort of way for Town to kick off their season, taking our team they know a bit about. But yeah, Tom, let's start then and get involved, everybody, in the comments and message us.

2:52Ross Halls:Let us know your predictions for the certain topics and stuff like that. But first one has got to be the best signing of the summer because Joe Sheehan has been very busy. There was obviously a lot of players that left, but he has recruited. How many is it? Is it seven or nine? Seven. Seven, yeah. Seven, yeah. Seven. I really should have made none of that. I know there was like a flurry in one week. There was like five or so in a crazy amount of time. But who are you picking as the best signing of the summer, my friend? Well, obviously, with the seven signings, there was an awful lot to choose from.

3:32But I've gone for left-back Bethan Rowe. I think that she adds an awful lot of experience to the squad. You know, over 100 appearances for Charlton at this level. obviously from Norwich as well but she strengthens that fullback left back role no end can play both sides as well which is really important she's only 25 so pretty much in her prime years as well and to have that much experience at championship level is going to be really important she will be the most I think the most experienced player in that back line time. So, you know, Boz and Leah Mitchell, Summer Hughes, all of them will be looking for guidance from her.

4:26And it's a position that they did need to strengthen. Obviously lost a couple of players over the summer. Maisie Barker obviously left and you left with Summer Hughes as the only left back in the squad. I think she's come in and will really improve that position, experienced and knows how to handle tricky right wingers, hopefully. So, yeah, I've gone with Beth and Roe. There was a lot to choose from, but yeah, I think she'll make that left back position her own for the season.

5:04Ross Halls:Yeah, I think it's a great signing from Joe. Obviously, a player that knows his neck of the woods as well. She's Norfolk born, so a bit of a homecoming, as we mentioned on the podcast. No, she's from Norwich. but it's her coming back to UC Anglia and I'm sure she's going to be looking forward to playing for Itchwich. I'm going to quickly just run through the signings just in case people are listening who don't know the full signings. I'm sure you do, but as you're listening to this podcast, I'm sure a lot of you are TretteGales fans. But yeah, summer signings. So you've got Sophie Bajan, who is a CDM.

5:37Ross Halls:Then you've got Rhianna Dean, who is a forward. Page Peak, who is a defender. I want to get onto her very shortly. Then you've got Grace Neville, who is a right-back defender. Ruby Doe, of course, a returning Ruby Doe, who spent time on loan twice or dual registrations from West Ham and Arsenal in previous seasons. Bethan Rowe, as Tom has just mentioned. And Jenna Deere, who has signed from Sunderland. I haven't missed anybody, have I, Tom? I don't think you've missed anybody. No, I think you've got everyone. I think that's everybody. I really should have made a list of all the signings. but yeah I think Beth and Rowe is a good choice Tom I'm hoping all of our answers are going to be different because I've gone differently and I've gone for the first signing of the summer and this one's probably an easy choice maybe a bit lazy for me but Page Peak I think that is just when that dropped I was so excited because I watched her play you know come through the youth ranks part of that team who sort of got promoted to the third tier originally and she was really a standout player then even at 16 you know she was incredible um scoring free kicks and everything like that and scoring from direct corners um and yeah she obviously went to Southampton because Tam was struggling to get out of the third tier um and she went there and she spent you know two seasons at Southampton really done well there and now she's another homecoming and uh reunite to Joe and the team and I just think that's a position we need to strengthen um and I think she will be good competition for Megan wearing and you know boz and everybody else in that defensive unit so um yeah she's gonna be a new set piece player i'm sure as well um someone's looking forward to seeing her free kicks and corners again um and also she's a threat in the box as well she um scored a few headers during her time so that set pieces even though she scored takes set pieces it is you know if they you know swaps it around with other players because we've got a lot of set piece players haven't we Tom really but yeah Page Peak she's my pick for the best summer signing got a bit of a tantrum there but Page Peak's mine let us know everybody your best summer signing off the window there's a few good candidates I think everyone's liking that Ruby Doe's returns on a permanent which is good because obviously she's been a standout and obviously Joe has gone with experience as well which is very good indeed let's do then Tom the leading scorer and how many there could be a potential obvious candidate but who are you going with um i've gone with probably the the most obvious one sophie peskett i think um you know she was top scorer in the um southern premier division last season i think she was also the top scorer the season before as well um i've gone with her to to be town's top scorer this season Not sure she'll be WSL2 top scorer.

8:30It would be brilliant if she is, but I do think that she'll be Town's top scorer. She just, I mean, we've watched her play. She gets into positions. She's not afraid to take shots on if she can get them away. Takes on her markers and really gets into good positions where she feels like she can get those shots away. She's always the one that's on the end of defensive mistakes as well. quite often you know if balls are flying over defenders heads she'll be the one that's running on and sprinting on and finishing beyond the goalkeeper one-on-one so I've gone with her to continue that do you want me to say how many I reckon she'll get or do that okay well she scored 23 goals last season I don't think she'll get that many as many as that this season because obviously no disrespect but obviously last season we had chelton and we had mk dons and um you know she she bolstered her numbers with those games but i do think that she'll get double figures

9:31Ross Halls:and i've gone with 16 goals 16 one of her squad number uh that would be nice 17 for number 17 um yeah i have i've been debating this um i did actually have a little thing could there be a random one? Maybe a player that you just won't think of? Because the candidates are Peskitt, Natasha Thomas obviously but is there somebody just going under the radar? Like Paige Peake, as I said, when she was previous here, she scored a lot of goals. But I'm not going to go with her. And I am going to go with Peskitt as well. I'm going to go for 10 goals. She'll just hit the double figures but I think the goals will be shared about this season.

10:13Ross Halls:I think that there'll be players that will get involved. Obviously, Tash will score some goals, I can imagine. But once again, with her position now, even though she's our record goal scorer and everything, how we play, Tash is the one who's the workhorse, who holds up the ball and then lays it off to players. Not back in the day when she first was at the club, she was just always scoring the goals because that was just get the ball with Tash and she'll score. Now it's like get the ball to Peskett and she'll score. Tash is there to assist and be the workhorse in the team. So, yeah, I think the goals will be spread about.

10:49Ross Halls:But, yeah, I do think Pesk is going to score 10 goals. I think Lucio Braun will score a few, hopefully, as well. It's going to be a step up. Because the thing as well, Tom, it's going to be a step up for a lot of these players. None of them have played, most of them anyway. The last season's crop have not played in the second tier of English football before, English women's football. So it's going to be interesting to see how they adapt, especially in those opening games, which I'll see. But no, Pesk, I think she's proven she should have been playing the second tier a long time ago. And I'm sure she's going to be thriving.

11:23Ross Halls:So 16-10 for Sophie Peskett to be leading goal scorer for the town women's team this season. Surprise package then, Tom. So a player that may not get spoke about much, maybe a player that will go under the radar. What do you reckon? Who do you reckon? Who is your surprise package? um i struggled with this because i think there could be quite a few um and i've actually written down two um because they both play the exact same position and i've gone with ruby seabee and shauna guy i think both of them are going to be really important for ipswich this season obviously last season i think both of them were hindered by injuries um but shauna got started last season really, really well.

12:09You could see what she was capable of. She took her markers on. She wasn't afraid at running at players. You know, she wasn't afraid of getting shots away either. I think if she stays fit, I think she'll be really important. She's, you know, we'll come on to this in a minute, but she's also taking that number 11 shirt, which is quite a prominent number for a winger. So I think that she'll be really important. And likewise, Ruby Seabee, I think she had a little bit of an injury at the end of last season. She scored her first goal on the last day of the season. I think both of them will be really important, I think, for Town.

12:50If they're going to score as many as everyone hopes that they will, they're going to need to put in those shifts on that left wing, get balls into the area for Natasha Thomas and Rhianna Dean to attack, have goes themselves at goal. So, yeah, I think it'll be one of those two. If I had to pick one, I'd go with Shauna Guyat. But, yeah.

13:17Ross Halls:I was not expecting that, Tom. No offence to those players. But, yeah, like Shauna Guyat, unfortunately, because that injury last season, she'd become a bit of a forgotten player. Not because of her fault, it's just she got injured and obviously other players were stepping up and doing well. But obviously, Joe has been wanting the strength for that attacking line. And yeah, Sean O 'Guard will be a player that will be like a new signing. And she's obviously played in the second tier before Crystal Palace sort of helped them win the championship when it was back then, called then, the season prior to last.

13:49Ross Halls:So yeah, I'm sure she's looking forward to being back in the second tier. But yeah, good two picks there, Tom. Mine is a player that you've already mentioned. And I'm going for Befin Rowe. So I think just, as you mentioned, is the best summer sign. I think she's just a solid addition. Got experience at this level. We needed to strengthen that left back. And I think she's just going to be just mis-consistent this year. I think she's just going to have a good game every week. And I think she'll, you know, pop up with some goals as well out of nowhere and get a few assists. So I think she's just a solid recruit from Jo.

14:26Ross Halls:And yeah, I know that's a bit strange saying that's a surprise package, but sometimes left-backs are not that sexy, are they? I know Leif Davis for the men's team are really good, but sometimes left-backs don't get praised as much as they should, and I just think she'll be a player that will stand out most weeks. So my surprise package will be Beth and Roe. Any other players? I want to quickly have a look. It could be anybody, really. I do think that Sophie Bajent, I think she'll be quite important as well, especially while Charlotte Fleming comes back from injury. Her and Ruby Doe I think will be very important in that central midfield, you know, rotational.

15:14I think that's also quite a good sign and she'll be, you know, eager to impress at this level and never played here. at WSL2 and first professional contract as well so she'll be very raring to go

15:32Ross Halls:Yeah and she can score a few goals as well, I know that was obviously in the County Cup of Essex when she scored the hat-trick in the final but yeah I think she'll, once again that's why I think this team has got their goals everywhere so yeah, some interesting surprise packages to come MVP then Tom there's a few candidates I'm sure who are you going for? Well, the obvious one would be Peskitt. She's been player of the year for the last few but I have gone for Lucy O 'Brien. I think you watch her play at Southern Premier Division level she's just so much better than everybody certainly every other opposition player that she's come up against.

16:17She just runs through them as if they're not there. She scores a lot of goals. She gets an awful lot of assists. I think last season was probably, you know, she said a number of times her best season for those sorts of stats. Hopefully she'll continue them this season. But yeah, she just causes a whole load of issues for opposition players. And I think if Ipswich are going to, you know, succeed this season, I think she's going to be a really important player. She's going to get a lot of assists. She'll chip in with quite a few goals as well. So I've gone with Lucy O 'Brien.

17:00Ross Halls:Good show. Very good show. I was sort of torn between a few players like Kyra Robertson. I think she's been a solid player since her breakthrough a few seasons ago. Last year, she was solid. Doesn't miss many games at all. and I think she's going to be the same this year. I think she's going to be on the team sheet every week. But my pick is maybe an old player who, yeah, as I said, you're sort of destined to be scoring the goals all the time, but she hasn't been doing it in the last few seasons because Peskett's been the one scoring a lot of goals, but she still scores, and that is Natasha Thomas.

17:38Ross Halls:I think she is the most valuable player because she just works so hard for the team and she's gone through this journey with this team as well, like rollercoaster from fourth tier basically as a hobby to then sort of part-time training a couple of times a week and now it's like full-time and I think this is going to be a big season for her to sort of prove that she can play in the second tier because she had chances to come to Lewis, I think, a couple of years ago when she was scoring for fun in the fourth tier but she decided, no, I want to stay at Richardstown and uses my project. And now she's going to be playing in the second tier with that journey.

18:16Ross Halls:Obviously, she's now become an international with Jamaica, which is incredible. And I just think this year she's going to be just another key player in Jo's team. I think she'll battle with Rhianna Dean for that sort of strike position. But I think she'll start against Southampton and she'll score some important goals as well. So that's my pick, Natasha Thomas for MVP. But, you know, balls to captain, I'm sure she'll lead by example. who else is there we can talk about Natalia Negri in goal I think she'll be really important obviously you know she didn't let an awful lot in last season at all a lot of clean sheets so she'll be really important as well everyone I think everyone's going to really be important for Ipswich this season so you can pick about 20 MVPs yeah this is name Jack everybody I'm just going to go through the list.

19:12Ross Halls:Summer Hughes, Charlotte Fleming, Liam Mitchell, Megan Waring. Yeah. Who else have I missed? Have I missed anybody? Laura Hartley, the backup goalkeeper. Nina Bialo. Grace Neville, one of the new signings. Yeah. Yeah. But I think everyone will have their, you know, time in the team. And yeah, Joe will, sure will. You know, he's got good options now, which is good to see. All right then, Tom. Big question now. actually no before we do that you got any hot takes for the season anything that you know anything random you think will happen um what do you reckon um i do um i reckon bar maybe two teams i reckon town will score against every single opponent that they face this season um you know obviously that doesn't mean that they'll score they'll you know no opposition team will keep a clean sheet against them.

20:09I do think that this includes all cup competitions as well. Obviously, you've got two WSL sides in the Subway Cup. I think that they will score at least one goal against every opposition that they face except for maybe two teams.

20:28Ross Halls:You've got to tell us. Stop this. I don't know what those two teams are, but they'll certainly score against at least 10 out of the 11 teams that they'll face in the league, I think, at least either in home or away games. I'm annoyed, Tom, because we obviously didn't chat off record about our picks. I feel it's nice to do a surprise because, funny enough, that is one of my hot takes. It's actually a bit differently. It's actually just scoring every game. I just think this team has got goals in them and I think they'll just score in every game. So I've upped yours to their goals for every game.

21:10Ross Halls:And yeah, there could be games where they may lose, but they'll still score in. You know, maybe there'll be consolations, which we don't want to see, but I think this team's got goals in it. So they're scoring every league game, maybe cup competitions, maybe they, you know, maybe they'll lose one game and they'll lose like one nil or something, but every league game, I think they were scoring. So that is my hot take. One of my hot takes. So, yeah, me and Tom are gone. Same wavelength there. But in a way, I wish I asked you before record. So what's your quick hot take just so we're not copying each other?

21:43Ross Halls:But no, I like that. Good minds, finger like. That's what I like to see. Now, big question now, though, Tom, to end our predictions. Where will Town finish then? Their debut season in the WSL 2, in the second tier of women's football. It's going to be interesting. I know there's a comment actually on one of our YouTube channels saying Itchwich Town actually had played in the second tier before, but a very long time ago. But it was also part of a different brand of Itchwich Town. But in the current guise of Itchwich, this is the first ever season in the second tier of women's football. It's going to be a tough season.

22:22Ross Halls:there's a lot of players making their debut in this competition but obviously Joe Sheen has been recruiting well, got some experience but as you sit here right now Tom what are you going for? What position is obviously 1-12 where are they going to finish?

22:44I think they're going to finish 5th, I've gone sort of middle down the middle, I think top 3 which is obviously you know, well, top two is definitely promotion. Third is potential promotion. I think that's a little bit out of reach. I think there's, you know, a few other sides that are, you know, more prepped for it. And Birmingham obviously just missed out last season. Shelton finished third last season. They'll be up for it. Crystal Palace were in the WSL last season. But I do think that Ipswich will, you know, put up a good fight against most teams. obviously as we both said don't think they're not going to score in many tripping over my words but they'll score in every game mostly and I just think that they'll have a really really good solid first season they won't be in any danger of relegation at all so I've gone sort of safe going right down the middle with fifth place.

23:50Ross Halls:Okay, then. Yeah, I'm just having a quick look because on paper, the start is not too bad. You know, we've got Southampton, Nottingham Forest, who, of course, just got promoted. Cholton, who are, you know, an established team. Then Portsmouth, who struggled last year. And then Sheffield United, who obviously are staying in the division because of Blackburn's situation. So really, if you think about it, that opening five games, for me, they need to get points. They need to get at least maybe two wins out of there. and if they get draws, it's happy days. But if they start badly, that's when I'm like, oh, no, that's not good.

24:23Ross Halls:Because then I've got Birmingham. Then I've got Newcastle, Bristol City, Crystal Palace, Durham, Sunderland. So it's a sort of tough run after that. And obviously, you've got the cup competitions. But my prediction is, Tom, back-to-back promotion, baby. Why not? No, I'm joking. I'm joking. I'm joking. But no, the momentum. Keep the momentum like the men's team. Do you know? Potentially. But no. Kept a lot of their players. Why not? Yeah, but I don't know. No, I think that's... No offence, Joe, if you're listening, but I can't see that happening. But, you know, if you do it, then I owe you a few points.

25:01Ross Halls:But I think they will compete this year. And as I said, they need to start well, get some points on the board. There won't be danger at all for relegation. I'm not even worried about that. And I'm going to go down the middle a little bit. But I'm going to go sixth, Tom. just in the middle, going safe. I think they'll flirt a little bit, though, with that maybe final playoff spot. Because as I said, there's two teams that get automatic promoted and then there's that playoff, third place or playoff against, you know. Because will they play? They'll play the team who finishes third bottom of the WSL one.

25:37So the top two go up automatically. And because the WSL is expanding, it'll be the bottom team of WSL who plays third team in WSL 2 for that final WSL spot.

25:52Ross Halls:That's why Tom's here, he gives me the stats and facts. So, yeah, let me have a little flirt with that, but then, I don't know, they'll just disappointingly fall out of that. Because, yeah, the end of the season is tough, actually, on paper as well. It's like you've got Palace, Birmingham and Sunderland, and you think some of them are going to be fighting for that position. So start the season well, and then we'll see what happens. But sixth and fifth, I think they're respectable predictions. Let us know, buddy, your thoughts, where you think town will finish in their debut season in a WSL 2. Now, Tom, let's segue on to the first game.

26:32Ross Halls:Southampton away at St Mary's on Saturday, 2pm kickoff. Obviously, it's the international break for the men, So an opportunity for fans, if they want to get their football fixed, they can go down to Southampton and support the girls. Southampton now, you can sort of say, are an established team in this division. As I said, they were third-tier rivals for a few seasons. But now they've been in the second tier for the last two campaigns, sixth and eighth respectively. They've got a new manager in Solomon Parker, formerly of Blackburn. so yeah a new manager sort of bedding in trying to sign different players and playing playing style and stuff like that how are you feeling for this game I think when we recorded the podcast we thought when this is probably the I don't know I don't know the exact words but it's probably one of the best sort of games we could have started with because it's a team we sort of know about and they'll be tricky but it's a good opportunity to maybe get a win on the board yeah definitely I don't think as I imagine Joe will say throughout the season there won't be an easy game this year as I think every football manager has said in the history of football it won't Ipswich won't turn up and expect to just roll them over obviously but it is a team that they know obviously we have a couple of players that played there last season with Page Peak and Rihanna Dean signed them very early on in the window as well so that they can embed in.

28:04I know that Page Beek has obviously played with a lot of the players before, but took them from Southampton. Obviously, Lauren Phillips, the assistant manager, has also come from Southampton, so there's a little bit more bite in this game. Peek and Dean might want to show Southampton what they're missing out on a little bit, which would be really useful to have. Obviously, the last game that they faced, I think, was in 2022, and Ipswich won in the FA Cup. So, I mean, they're head-to-head most recently. Ipswich have won. So, it will be difficult, but I think that they'll put up a really good fight.