De Pauw addresses assistant coach’s exit and team’s competitive drive

Aston Villa manager Robert de Pauw spoke to the media ahead of Sunday’s Women’s Super League game against Manchester United, scheduled for kick-off at 18:45 GMT. Here are the key statements from his news conference: Regarding player fitness, Georgia Mullett has returned to training, but Rachel Corsie and Jill Baijings are still sidelined. Paula Tomas is eligible to play after completing a three-game suspension, though her participation on Sunday is uncertain following an illness earlier this week. De Pauw stated that Villa’s first-half performance against Liverpool was the worst he has observed since joining the club. He mentioned that the team is “frustrated” because “we want to win”. Concerning assistant coach Leanne Hall’s departure from the club, De Pauw wished her well and said: “She took the decision to step back and to focus more on herself for a moment”. When asked what he has learned from playing away against Chelsea, Manchester City, and now Manchester United, the Villa boss responded: “We are competitive, that we can put some fear in the opponent”. He added: “That’s the next step we got to take – to take something from the game and not only rattle the cage, but bring the cage home”. A first victory of the season at United would be “a big boost for us and would drive confidence”, De Pauw remarked. The Dutchman acknowledged that football is a “performance driven company” and stated that “they cut off the head of the manager”.