West Ham goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold says new boss Rehanne Skinner has helped the club to rediscover their identity heading into the new Women’s Super League (WSL) season.
Former Tottenham coach Skinner took over from Paul Konchesky during the summer and will take charge of her first competitive match when the Hammers host Manchester City in Dagenham this weekend.
West Ham began last season in positive fashion and reached the semi-finals of the League Cup, but went on a dismal run post-Christmas, winning just once in their final 12 matches to finish eighth in the WSL.
“I think we lost our identity a bit as a football team,” says Arnold, who was one of the stars of Australia’s run to the World Cup semi-finals on home soil this summer.
“I don’t think we knew the style we wanted to play. We took the safe option, pump it long and hopefully it stays up there.
“This year we’ve got an identity, we know how we want to play, we want to keep the ball, how we want to move it. We have a lot more direction and that will help us when times get tough.”
While Konchesky was taking his first steps into management, having previously worked in the club’s academy and as women’s first-team assistant to Olli Harder, Skinner brings vast experience to the dugout.
The 43-year-old was part of both the Wales and England set-ups before taking over at Spurs in 2020, leading the club clear of a relegation battle and then to a fifth-placed finish the following season - their highest in the WSL.
“When we’ve played Tottenham in the past, you can always see the aggressiveness she’s instilled in them, wanting to win the ball higher up the pitch,” Arnold adds.
“To have her bringing that in and show a lot of confidence, helping us in the way we want to play. We’re not scared to make mistakes because we know she has our back and wants us to play a certain way. It’s definitely progressed through pre-season and hopefully we take it into the first game.”
