0 February 17, 2021 14:36 by Maya Israel
Rachel Roberts
At the start of the month, AFC Wimbledon were on the hunt for a new manager, after Glyn Hodges left the club by mutual consent. Managerial replacements are by no stretch a rarity in football, but this particular one caused quite a stir. Wimbledon, currently 19
th in League One – the third tier of the EFL, approached Emma Hayes, manager of Chelsea Women, who are reigning champions and currently top of the Women’s Super League.
While some supposed she would be advancing her career, becoming the first female head coach of a men’s side, Hayes swiftly shut down any rumours, reportedly calling the reports an insult to women’s football, adding that Wimbledon would “absolutely not” be able to afford her.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Chelsea Football Club boast what is probably the most terrifying front line of any team in the Women’s Super League. Bethany England blasted the Blues to the 19/20 league title, earning Player of the Year honors in the process. In January 2020, they picked up Sam Kerr, who at 27 holds all-time scoring records on multiple continents. And to
them they added Pernille Harder, ranked by the Guardian this year as the number one player in the sport.
Sometimes a superstar assemblage plays as less than the sum of its parts. Not so Chelsea, who are top of the league and scoring for fun between them, the aforementioned trio have 23 goals and 12 assists in 15 games. Breaking into this team, in other words, is difficult. Not as difficult as defending against this team, but it’s still not an assignment any sane woman would relish.