Liam Gilbert will take charge of his 100th game as Manager of Oxford United Women this Sunday, as the U’s face AFC Bournemouth Women away in the League Cup.
We caught up with Liam, who reminisced on his journey when he took over the team 99 games ago.
“It seems like a blur. I was left to pick up the pieces when we got relegated from the Championship and its been an unbelievable experience and I’ve relished and been grateful to have the opportunity” he said.
“It’s been nice to rebuild the club in the way we’ve seen best, and I’ve been really grateful to work with some fantastic players and coaches, We’ve had some phenomenal support over the years and its nice to see where the club is, the support that we have now, the way we are competing and to see the crowds we are getting on a Sunday.”
What has been Liam’s favourite moments during his time at the helm?
“There have been some big games during my time. One that stands out the most is when we played Cardiff after lockdown in the FA Cup. We had one week to train and because of how the covid rules broke we knew that Cardiff had had five or six weeks to prepare. The dedication and commitment from the staff and players to do everything that needed to be done to win that game was unbelievable.
“When we beat Chichester at Court Place Farm in our first year, they were flying high and were the first team we ever played losing 3-2. We then beat them here and finished a month when we had won six games and kept six clean sheets and it felt we had massively turned a corner as a club.
“There’s a number of games you could pick out last year as some of them were superb to be a part of. The game before Christmas against Ipswich, there was a massive turnout at Court Place Farm and the way the game went was amazing. Those are just a few, I know I could definitely name a few others!”
Oxford United Women have started the season incredibly well, winning four and drawing one, conceding just one goal. The U’s now sit top of the Southern Premier Division and Liam is extremely proud of his squad and coaching staff.
“They’re unbelievably special and it’s a group where our destiny is in our own hands. However we approach the rest of the season moving forward I think we are in a very good position; we have some very good players and people, some great depth and competition and we still have a few players to come back from injury after our start to the season. It’s been brilliant to work with this group but its been built on for years and years with the type of people and characters we have.
“It’s the same with the staff, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some fantastic staff and the group we have now is brilliant. Especially when we have some of the supporting roles coming in like Shorty and Nev to oversee what we are doing as a technical team is exceptional. We are in such a good position as a club because of it all and the support we are receiving from the club as a whole. The hiring of Gemma Simms a few weeks ago is big for the direction we want to go in.”
Liam may have been in charge of 100 games, but due to seasons being delayed by COVID-19, and because of the smaller leagues in the Women’s pyramid, Liam has been at the club for four years. How have you seen the Women’s game develop during your reign.
“Massively. I think the level we are playing at now is what the Championship was when I first came here and took over the development side. The way the game has improved, the attendance, the ability, the depth of player. The summer will obviously be a massive help and that’s something that we need to make sure we continue in any way we can both within the country and nationwide.”
The Yellows went unbeaten at home last season and look to be continuing that trend this year; they haven’t lost in the league at home for 22 games.
“It’s great to come here because it’s a home. We know the Kassam is the club’s home, but we play and train here at Court Place Farm. We’re here two nights a week and train on the pitch we play on. The staff here are lovely and they’re brilliant to us and they’re so welcoming and accepting with everything. The atmosphere you can generate on a matchday is brilliant because people can get so close to the pitch, it’s such a friendly place to play and watch football” said Liam.
324 goals have been scored in the 99 games that Gilbert has taken charge of.
“I didn’t know that was the number, but I’ll take it for sure!” laughed a slightly shocked yet quietly proud Liam.
“We like to be open, and we like to be free flowing. I believe that we recruit very good technical players with a very good tactical understanding. The way that that has linked up sometimes has meant we score some unbelievable goals both here and away. It’s been amazing to see so much stuff come out of the training ground and into games, and that something I cant say I’ve had with all the groups I’ve worked with” he added.
Now, Liam looks ahead to his 100th game in charge at Bournemouth this weekend. The Oxford Manager will be looking for a response after a frustrating 1-1 draw in the league against Billericay last time out.
“Yes, it will be lovely to get 100 games in but at the end of the day each game is the most important and that’s how we build on everything we do. 100% we want a reaction, and I could see in the squad after the game that they had fight in their eyes; they didn’t sulk and they weren’t upset, they were just annoyed. That’s the best thing for me because I know we’ll have a reaction at training, and we’ll go into Sunday with the right mentality. They’re a very good team and we cant take them for granted especially if we want to advance in the cup.”
A massive congratulations to Liam for this achievement. We’ll have a full preview of the game very shortly.