More good news from Tottenham Hotspur Women! The Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) announced their Manager of the Year candidates, and Spurs head coach Martin Ho has made the three-person shortlist!
Ho is nominated for the award alongside WSL Champions Manchester City head coach Andrée Jeglertz and Arsenal manager Renée
Slegers.
Ho has absolutely transformed Spurs Women in his one season at the club after formerly managing Norwegian side Brann and serving as an assistant coach at Manchester United Women. Under Ho’s leadership Spurs went from near relegation last season to fifth in the WSL (behind the usual Big Four), effectively cementing their status as “Best of the Rest.” That’s just the beginning, according to Ho, who has made no secret of his ambition to gatecrash the Big Four and make a push for not only Champions League qualification, but also WSL titles.
Jeglertz’ nomination is no surprise as City has usurped Chelsea’s streak of six consecutive WSL titles (and eight in the last nine years). City hadn’t won the WSL since 2016. Honestly I’m a little surprised that the WSL didn’t nominate Brighton manager Dario Vidosic; Brighton have hit their stride in the past couple of months, including beating Arsenal in the FA Cup quarterfinals, beating Manchester City at home, and drawing Arsenal and United in consecutive weeks, enough for sixth in the table. But whatever, sure, give it to the Arsenal head coach, whatever.
There’s more good news — Spurs Women midfielder Olivia Holdt has also been nominated for WSL Player of the Season.
We’ve joked on here about how Holdt is not only Spurs’ most impactful player but the best player in world woso. That’s overstating it a bit, but Holdt has been a shining star for Spurs this season, scoring seven goals and notching three assists out of attacking midfield, making her at present Spurs’ joint top goal scorer alongside the outgoing Beth England.
But this is very much a “just happy to be nominated” nomination, as it’s pretty hard to imagine the goal going to anyone but Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, who has a league-high 19 goals this season for City and who has been a dominant force in the WSL this season.
WSL end of season awards are based in part on fan voting, and you can vote for Ho and Holdt at the WSL website. Congratulations to Martin and Olivia!
