Spartans to take last campaign’s form into upcoming 'toughest-ever season'

Spartans’ Robyn McCafferty insists that her side can take confidence from their current 10-game unbeaten run as they prepare for the ‘toughest season yet’.

In a post-split league last season, the Edinburgh side underwent an unbelievable run of form to end their campaign. McCafferty’s side managed to pick up 28 points from a possible 30 as they went on to finish seventh in the SWPL1. Players were seemingly firing on all cylinders as Spartans netted 15 times in their final four games. This helped players to receive much-deserved recognition such as Rebecca Galbraith who lifted the SWPL Player of the Month award for May. With confidence still high around the camp, McCafferty believes that their preseason form has only given the squad more encouragement as the new season approaches.

“Post-split, we picked up some really good form and got some really good results,” she told the Edinburgh Evening News. “We can take a lot of confidence from that; it was a really good end to the season for us. We ended it on a high, so it certainly helps us going into the new season.

“It gives us that bit of confidence and that’s what you are trying to build up through preseason. We are trying to build that confidence, especially when you have new players coming into the team with new systems and things like that. The Boroughmuir friendly was always a good way to end it and we are looking to take that confidence into Rangers on Sunday.”

Robyn McCafferty signed a new deal at the club earlier this summer. Credit: Spartans Women

Throughout the off-season, many clubs around Spartans have decided to make radical changes to their squads, with multiple teams bringing in numerous players and coaching staff throughout the summer. Rangers and Hibs have both changed their managers over recent months while Hearts and Celtic have seen a significant number of players leave and join their clubs.

Unlike their SWPL1 counterparts, Spartans have elected to only bring in Tegan Browning so far while Lauren Berman is expected to be officially announced later this week. This has allowed the club to keep the core of their team happy and confident ready for the new season. Many of last season’s stars such as McCafferty signed new deals over the summer which helped to secure their long-term futures at the club. While the number of changes that their rivals have undergone adds an unpredictability aspect to the league, the defender is confident that her squad can take on the challenge as they approach the ‘toughest SWPL1 season yet’.

“The games came thick and fast last season but that’s when it helps to have the squad size that we do,” she added. “We have a really good squad, and we know that we can make those changes and perform well. This season is going to be the toughest season ever. You may say that every year, but you look at the quality of the players coming into the league on top of the quality of the players it already has. It is going to be the toughest season yet, but we are looking forward to it.”