Brian Sorensen believes Everton Women are in a "good place" as their new season is set to get underway on Sunday.
The side will head to West Ham United to kick-off their campaign after a summer of upheaval at Finch Farm in which 10 signings have been added to a squad that has also seen significant departures, including those of Danielle Turner, Simone Magill and Poppy Pattinson.
Sorensen is now set to lead the new-look team into league action for the first time after being appointed in April following success at Fortuna Hjorring. Five months later he has overhauled the playing squad, sought to instil his identity and culture in training and believes Everton are ready on and off the pitch.
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The timing of his appointment allowed him to watch the squad as a "fly on the wall" for several weeks at the end of what was a difficult season for Everton and he said he could see "everybody was just looking forward to getting a break and refreshing".
Speaking at Finch Farm on Friday morning, Sorensen reflected on the months since and said: "I'm really looking forward to getting started. It's been a long pre-season but I'm excited, happy. I think we are in a good place so I can't wait to get going... Now we just have to look forward for this season. I think everybody is motivated. We still have the core of the group together, that was important to me, but we also need numbers in our squad and that is what we tried to add. All around, I am happy. We need to, as a group, win some games and get that confidence back in the team. That is what was missing last year."
Sorensen believes in the importance of a strong dressing room culture and is pleased with the progress made so far, adding: "The togetherness is there, they look united."
Sorensen moved again in the transfer market this week to bring in Brazil international Gio Queiroz Costa on loan from Arsenal. The forward is the latest - and final - addition of the summer for Everton and follows Jess Park, Katja Snoeijs, Clare Wheeler, Emily Ramsey, Aggie Beever-Jones, Elise Stenevik, Karen and Sara Holmgaard, and Katrine Veje.
Of the summer business, Sorensen said: "We are really happy. Gio was the last piece of the puzzle that made it perfect in terms of the numbers we have and also the diversity we have in our attack, so I am super happy with everything that happened and I think we have a really competitive team it's a balanced team in age and experience but we also have different positions so we are well rounded. It is the right balance so overall I am really happy with what we have."
Looking ahead to the new season, the Danish boss is aiming for stability and a clear identity in how his side plays. And he thinks his team, which had an additional week to prepare following the postponement of last week's original season opening, is close to those goals: "I think we will see it on Sunday. I think we are there in the larger picture of it, it's the details we have to be better at. I think you can see a clear identity in how we want to attack and how we want to defend... For us now it is just about the relationship with the players, the small details in the style of play that we have. But I am pretty sure you will be able to see what we are trying to do on Sunday."
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