England’s rebranded second tier begins on Friday and our club-by-club guide features all the pre-season news
Last season: 2nd. Predicted finish: 2nd
After missing out on promotion on the final day of last season, finishing just two points behind London City Lionesses, Birmingham looked virtually WSL-ready on and off the pitch but were the victims of the old format’s lone promotion spot. Under Amy Merricks, they had the best defensive record in the division but too many draws ultimately cost Birmingham dearly. With a second automatic promotion spot up for grabs – and one playoff spot too – they should just about have enough, after some strong summer signings, including the return of the Greece winger Veatriki Sarri and the Haiti forward Batcheba Louis.
Last season: 6th. Predicted finish: 3rd
Charlotte Healy is the new head coach after building a strong reputation as an assistant coach at Manchester United. A promising transfer window sees the arrival in midfield of the former Wales captain Sophie Ingle and the former Barcelona captain Vicky Losada. Forward Lexi Lloyd-Smith says of Healy: “So far, she’s unreal. She communicates really well and I feel like she’s going to get the best out of the players by being like that. Last season, there was a disappointing end because at Christmas we were joint first, and I really did see the potential in the squad to go all the way, but the ambition now is to get that promotion, [there] is unfinished business.”
