Fran Kirby is in the form of her life. In an exclusive interview, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes gives a fascinating insight into her development; Watch Reading vs Chelsea exclusively live on Sky Sports Premier League on Saturday from 11am; kick-off 11.30am.
Saturday 11 December 2021 15:32, UK
"As far as I'm concerned, Fran Kirby is a Ballon d'Or contender. So to not be in that conversation is mental for me. She's that good."
It's high praise from Kirby's manager Emma Hayes, no doubt still on a high from that dominant 3-0 FA Cup final win over Arsenal on Sunday at Wembley.
In Hayes' eyes, it was Kirby's best-ever performance in a Chelsea shirt. There are plenty to choose from.
Whether or not individual accolades like the Ballon d'Or should take up too much of the airwaves is up for debate, but the 2021 ceremony was undoubtedly a proud day for Chelsea's Women's side.
They had five players in the top 11 women's players at the 2021 Ballon d'Or - Kirby (10th), Sam Kerr (3rd), Pernille Harder (7th), Jessie Fleming (9th) and Magdalena Eriksson (11th) - having won the WSL, League Cup and finishing runners-up in the Champions League last season.
If the shortlist had been produced today, Kirby may well have been alongside her team-mate Kerr in the reckoning for the top prize.
Kirby, 28, is in the form of her life. Since the start of last season, she has started 22 matches in the WSL and been directly involved in 38 goals in those matches - 22 goals, 16 assists. Even in putting up those attacking numbers, Kirby's all-round game outside of the box has improved.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports ahead of their clash against Kirby's old side Reading on Saturday at 11.30am, live on Sky Sports Premier League, Hayes explains how Kirby has developed since she arrived at Chelsea from the Royals in 2015.
"She's become more deadly. I think earlier on in Fran's career maybe she didn't take the shot as much as we wanted her to. Now she's got the killer instinct, and that's what makes her one of the world's best.
"She does all parts of her game really well; her defending has come on magnificently in the last couple of years, the way she presses and defends for the team, she has improved immensely."
Few players can do both. Alongside her goals, Kirby sat joint-top of the assists table in 2020/21, and it's the same this season, with five assists and six goals in just eight games.
Watching every assist registered by Kirby this season and last, there aren't many simple passes.
She has an almost telepathic understanding with Australian Kerr - the duo have combined for 18 WSL goals, the most of any two players in the competition's history, despite only playing together in 26 games in the competition.
Hayes feels her creativity is still underrated.
"It's not just her goals, it's her assists, it's her pass assists, she's a selfless player for the team. She's got an unbelievable eye, she really does. She doesn't get the credit for that.
"She recognises spaces well, she recognises where the play needs to be, she's very matter of fact and is very demanding, but she's a winner, and I relate to that.
"She has an eye for a pass that not many players have. She can see Sam Kerr moving off the back shoulder of the defender even with her back to play; her peripheral vision is exceptional. I can't stifle that, but what I might do is point out where the weaknesses are in the opposition, so that she can exploit that."
Hayes described Chelsea as like "machines" following that FA Cup final win, so how does the manager afford a player like Kirby the freedom to try impossible passes while keeping this Chelsea side - on a club record-equalling winning run of seven in the WSL - unbreakable as a unit?
"Everyone has a role in the team, and we have a game plan from game-to-game, so she still has to fulfil her roles within the game plan."
Discussing her one-to-one management style with Kirby, Hayes added: "It's mutual honesty; she will tell me what her needs are, whether it's within training, within the game or how to improve the team.
"I give her a space to feel confident, to do those things, and my job is just to help her, where she needs me, and that's just letting her be.
"She's so talented, and everyone is starting to see that at a wider level, but for me, it's always been evident.
"Fran wants team recognition and the team to do well, whether that's us or England. For her to have a big year domestically with us and with England will elevate her to that status [as a Ballon d'Or contender]. I think the team needs to keep progressing, and the same with England."
As a team, Chelsea do keep progressing. They've been perfect since that opening-day defeat by Arsenal, winning seven from seven - they have only had one longer winning run in the WSL, winning nine in a row across two seasons between August 2015 and May 2016.
Hayes, in the job now for almost a decade, has helped build a winning culture at Chelsea that is sustainable and exciting.
"I think the team has shown consistency for a long period of time, I don't think that's just this part of the season. We've been a consistently top team for a long time, and that's the secret to it. Our standards and expectations of ourselves daily are greater internally than they are externally. It's par for the course for us, this isn't unusual.
"They've risen each year here, but not just for me, they've risen for everyone in the environment - for players that have been here, for new players that come here and for the staff.
"Collectively our values are around winning, and we build everything with that in mind."
Going into the weekend's action, Chelsea sit just a point behind Arsenal in the WSL, the two sides on their own island. But does Sunday's victory give Chelsea a psychological edge going into a vital two matchweeks before the winter break?
"There's no edge, and you know why? A scorned opponent is a threatening opponent. And no two games of football are the same. We played really well on the day, and that's just that.
"I think the next time we play it will be equally competitive, and it will play out in a much different way. I don't think it gives us an edge, it just gave us another trophy!"
Arsenal themselves felt the sheer force of Barcelona on Thursday night, beaten 4-0 in the Champions League having lost 4-1 in the first fixture in October. Barca, who beat Chelsea 4-0 last season's Champions League final, have won every game this season, scoring an incredible 91 goals in 17 games.
Hayes is in no doubt; despite the WSL being the most competitive league in Europe, Barcelona have the best team, and their success is down to a La Masia-style familiarity with each other. In fact, La Masia youth academy opened its doors to female residents for the first time in the summer.
"The vast majority of Barcelona players have been playing together since they were eight years of age. That's really hard to beat. They're the best team in Europe and are demonstrating that week in, week out.
"Yes, we're the most competitive league, but Barcelona are the best team in Europe at the moment.
"For anyone to topple Barcelona you have to make zero mistakes in your game, and take your opportunities when they come, because they will dominate, almost every single game of football they'll play this season. I'm not sure many teams do it like Barcelona do, it's generational, this team."
So to Saturday, and a tricky clash at a Reading side who have won three out of their last four in the WSL.
Hayes shares a commonality with manager Kelly Chambers, who just picked up Manager of the Month for November. Hayes, Chambers (six-and-a-half years) and Brighton's Hope Powell (four-and-a-half years) are the only three managers in the WSL to have been at their clubs for 18 months.
The other nine managers in the WSL have been at their clubs on average seven months. Is the high turnaround in managers indicative of higher standards across the WSL? Hayes' explanation is simple.
"It's hard to comment on individual situations as I'm sure they're different from club to club, but with the amount of investment going into each club, the expectations increase."
Expectations are always rising at Chelsea, and Hayes, with the help of superstar Kirby, keeps meeting them.
Watch Reading vs Chelsea exclusively live on Sky Sports Premier League on Saturday from 11am; kick-off 11.30am.
