Tottenham have won three of their 14 WSL matches under Rehanne Skinner this season; they are currently in 10th place in the table, two points ahead of Leicester, who they play on Wednesday evening; watch free match highlights from the game from midnight on Sky Sports' digital platforms
Tuesday 14 March 2023 10:17, UK
Tottenham Women have sacked Rehanne Skinner after a run of nine successive defeats in the WSL, with assistant coach Vicky Jepson to take interim charge.
Spurs have not won any of their WSL games since beating Brighton 8-0 in October - which proved to be Hope Powell's last match in charge of the Seagulls - and also bowed out of both cup competitions in that time.
Tottenham lost to Liverpool in the league on Sunday, leaving then 10th in the WSL table - two points ahead of Leicester, who they face on Wednesday. It is set to be a crunch relegation match for both sides.
Spurs have won just three of their 14 WSL matches under Skinner this season, despite signing Drew Spence, Bethany England and Mana Iwabuchi in the last two transfer windows.
England's arrival from Chelsea in January marked a British-record fee for a women's player at £250,000.
Managing director Andy Rogers said: "Since joining us in 2020, Rehanne has played an integral role in our development in the women's game, both on and off the field.
"She has carried out her duties with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail, and we should like to thank her for everything she has done for us over the course of her tenure."
Skinner initially joined Tottenham in November 2020, taking over from Karen Hills and Juan Amoros, having previously been England Women's assistant head coach under Phil Neville.
In her first season, Spurs finished eighth in the WSL, before an impressive fifth-place finish and reaching the semi-finals of the Conti Cup last season.
Tottenham's players also took to Twitter to thank Skinner and wish her the best for the future.
Ashleigh Neville said: "Thank you Boss. Thank you for everything you've done for me on the pitch, but also personally off the pitch with the support you've given me and my family. We will be forever grateful. It's been a pleasure working with you.…
"I've seen myself grow immensely as a player over the past few years and that's all down to your incredible ability and your passion to only be the best. Wishing you all the best on your next journey, go smash it."
Shelina Zadorsky added: "Rehanne has given absolutely everything to this club. I cannot thank her enough for believing in me & this team. She has pushed me to new levels as a player & person. I will forever be grateful for our time together. Wishing you nothing but the best, Rehanne. Thank you for EVERYTHING, Gaffer."
Sky Sports' Charlotte Marsh:
Speaking to Skinner before the start of the season, she certainly struck a note of realism.
No one expected Tottenham to finish fifth in the 2021/22 season. But a team spirit fostered by Skinner, her staff and players - plus a good run of form - helped them push towards the top of the table.
She told Sky Sports in the summer: "We're only another season down the line, we're heading into our fourth season in the league so in comparison to a lot of others, it's very early days.
"When you look at highly successful teams within the league, it's taken them eight or nine years to get to that point. It does take time, as much as I want it to happen overnight, that's the reality.
"Every transfer window, you have to build, you have to strengthen and you have to learn from the things that are going to help you be successful."
Unfortunately, Skinner's pre-season plans have not quite come to fruition as she now departs Tottenham, leaving them in a perilous position.
Some may look towards the squad, but Skinner was backed by the club in terms of incomings as they looked to build on last season's success.
They improved their strength and depth, with seven new faces in the summer, plus the blockbuster signings of England and Iwabuchi just a few months ago. A lack of goals had been a criticism of Spurs, but that had arguably been rectified by the January arrivals.
So with the squad seemingly being shaped to the needs of the team, just what is behind Tottenham's dramatic drop-off in form?
Long-term - and even shorter term - absences have hit the Spurs squad. Ria Percival, Ellie Brazil and Kyah Simon all suffered ACL injuries, while other players have been in and out for a variety of reasons. It has arguably been hard for Tottenham to find consistency in their XI.
Then there is the notion that Skinner had simply taken the squad as far as she could. For all of her achievements in the last two and a half years, something was clearly not clicking on the pitch. Sometimes a fresh start is needed.
Hopefully, it will prove to be the right move for both parties - Tottenham and their clearly talented squad can focus on moving up the table while Skinner can move on to a new challenge.
Arsenal Women manager Jonas Eidevall put it succinctly when he recently said: "You can have female Prime Ministers, but you can't have a female coach coaching in the Premier League for some reason? Why?"
Some 34 years after Channel 4's television series The Manageress, which followed the fortunes of a woman taking charge of a fictional professional men's football team, we are yet to see a female head coach step into the dugout in any of the top flights of the British men's leagues.
Yet when you consider that only a third of managers in the Women's Super League are female, and six of the 12 managers in the league below in the Championship, the most pertinent point that should be raised first and foremost: where are all the female head coaches in women's football?
