Gavin Levey says Aberdeen Women are determined to seize their chance to move out of the SWPL 1’s bottom two by beating Hamilton Accies on Sunday.
The Dons host Accies in their first league game of 2023, following their fourth round Scottish Cup win against Hutchison Vale last weekend.
Aberdeen are unbeaten over their past three games, having drawn with Spartans in Levey’s first game in interim charge, which came after a win over Dundee United in co-managers Emma Hunter and Gavin Beith’s final game at the helm.
A win at Balmoral Stadium on Sunday would see the Dons leapfrog Accies in the standings, and if other results go their way, they could also overtake Dundee United – who play Glasgow City – and move up to ninth.
Levey says Aberdeen are aware of the stakes of Sunday’s game and are using the opportunity to move up the table as motivation.
The interim coach said: “This weekend is huge for us because we can get out those relegation places for the first time this season, and that’s been a massive motivation for us throughout the week.
“As players and coaching staff, we should be judged on progress – and I think we are making progress, we’ve stabilised things a bit.
“We don’t think too much about going four games unbeaten – although it’s a nice reminder when it comes up, we just focus on each training session and game as they come around.
“The priority now is kicking on, so we are where we are (three games unbeaten) but that’s only good if we can build on it and make it count with more points on the board.”
Levey reckons players have stepped up in recent games
The progress on the pitch since the interim coaching staff came in, Levey feels, is partly down to some players regaining their confidence, while others have upped their game.
He said: “We came in with a change of voice – we knew we had to come in with a heap of energy to try to lift everyone.
“Without a doubt, there were a few players who were low in confidence at the time and we’ve come in and said ‘we need to get ourselves out of this, so let’s see what we can do’.
“The players have stepped up. I’ve said this before, but when there is a management change, everyone has to start again and earn the right – and we made that clear from the beginning.
“The players know if they’re not training well, then they put their place at the weekend in jeopardy and it’s good to have that level of competition for places.
“I’m in the process of having one-to-one conversations with players to better understand their mood and where they feel they’re at with their development.
“My job isn’t just to get points on the board – in my role and with my experience, I have to try and get the best out of the individuals in a collective team environment.”