‘We need to make sure our performances are better’ – Aston Villa’s interim boss Sørensen on immediate aims

Aston Villa’s interim head coach Brian Sørensen says that the immediate focus is on improving performances.

Sørensen was appointed into an interim position earlier this week following former boss Natalia Arroyo’s sacking. Arroyo was dismissed off the back of a winless start to the new Barclays Women’s Super League season.

When speaking to the media ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa’s interim boss Sørensen admitted that he was sad to see Arroyo leave Villa Park.

“It was sad, it’s never fun to see a good colleague lose her job,” Sørensen said. “I didn’t sleep much that night. I got told the next morning.

“At the end of the day, it’s the business that we work in and it’s how it is. I’m fully-focused on making sure that the team are galvanised and we are together, that’s my job now.

“It’s really sad on her behalf, I really liked her, and also for staff and players who really cherished her.”

Discussing his interim position, Sørensen said that he doesn’t know how long he will be required in the role.

He said “I don’t know how long I’m the interim [head coach], but at the end of the day, the club have a vision and this is the focus, this is my task. 

“I’m trying to align everything, making sure that performances are good, but also, alignment in everything that we do. Our identity can hopefully be seen from the outside.”

Reflecting on Aston Villa’s failings in the opening weeks of the season, Sørensen said that performances could have been better and that improvement is now the main aim.

He said “We want our performances to be better than they have been. It’s not a one person issue, it’s a collective. I’m a part of that, the players are a part of that, the rest of the staff are a part of that. I’m a different person and I’ll do things in a slightly different way, but at the end of the day, it’s a collective and we need to make sure our performances are better.”

Aston Villa’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Crystal Palace kicks-off at 2pm on Sunday afternoon.

About The Author

Daniel Pentland

I am the editor and owner of the WSL Full-Time brand which I launched in 2018.

I am an accredited journalist with the FWA, SJA and AIPS. I have reported from various levels of men’s and women’s elite football since 2016.