De Pauw targets top six finish as Aston Villa prepare for season opener against Chelsea

ROBERT DE PAUW jokes of enjoying being portion of “a bald Dutch coaches union” moving astatine the highest levels of football.

After a pre-season that saw Aston Villa bushed Manchester City, fans of his broadside whitethorn person precocious hopes for their squad successful the WSL this term.

Tonight Villa embark connected a caller travel nether their Netherlands-born manager 4 months aft the departure of erstwhile brag Carla Ward.

One that volition spot them effort to reproduce the signifier that led to their apical 4 situation earlier claiming 5th spot a twelvemonth ago.

Like Chelsea chief Sonia Bompastor, De Pauw volition beryllium overseeing his archetypal WSL crippled since taking complaint of Villa successful June.

And the manager who led FC Twente to a top-flight rubric triumph successful the Netherlands' top-flight 2 years ago, is contented to beryllium portion of an influential contingent of Dutch coaches making their people here.

The Villa main said: "I made a gag already successful an interrogation with Sky that I was a subordinate of the Bald Dutch Coaches Union, due to the fact that determination are truthful galore here.

"We person Arjan Veurink (England Women’s assistant) who was my brag astatine the KNVB (the Royal Dutch Football Association.

"Sarina (Wiegman) I cognize besides from that period.

"Arne Slot looks similar me. I lone said hullo to him once, but it's funny.

"I saw immoderate interviews of him, and it's similar the aforesaid processes that I person now, getting settled in, getting utilized to the environment, missing your family.

"Erik 10 Hag is besides here, truthful yeah, we're rather a ample radical now."

Before finishing seventh successful the league past term, Aston Villa ended the play earlier successful 5th place.

It was highest ever decorativeness successful the WSL since their promotion to the apical tier successful 2020.

Their pre-season this summertime produced immoderate affirmative outcomes with the squad unbeaten successful 5 friendlies.

A September 1 travel to Charlton resulted successful a 2-2 gully with the promotion chasing Women’s Championship side.

A crippled that saw immoderate experimentation with Villa’s attack.

Katie Robinson, Kirsty Hanson, Ebony Salmon started alongside Adriana Leon, earlier the second-half instauration of Kenza Dali, Jordan Nobbs and skipper Rachel Daly.

Other results included 1-0 wins against Liverpool and Spanish broadside Real Betis successful August with forwards Leon and Salmon netting the winners successful those games.

And a 3-1 warm-up decision of Everton this period was followed claimed a 2-1 affable triumph against Manchester City with Lucy Staniforth netting pursuing a Paula Tomas assist.

Along with Robinson, who joined Villa arsenic a escaped cause successful July, Spain left-back Tomas is among 8 caller summertime signings with De Pauw strengthening his attacking, midfield and goalkeeper options.

Their caller arrivals see Gabi Nunes, who similar Tomas, joined the nine from Spanish broadside Levante.

The Brazil forward, who helped her nationalist broadside to triumph metallic astatine the Paris Olympics, netted 11 goals successful 28 top-flight appearances successful Spain past season.

On however overmuch the Villans present lucifer a Robert de Pauw team, the Villa brag said: "We had a truly bully crippled against Everton.

"The things we're trying to instrumentality were determination truthful clearly. It was a large alleviation for me.

"They're knowing what we're trying to do, and it's coming across.

"And of course, it volition not beryllium perfect, but determination were truly the things that I would similar to see."

Following their promising resutls De Pauw is targeting a top-six decorativeness successful his archetypal word astatine the helm.

He said: "Top six is what we person projected.

"If you look astatine the past play we were seventh and we privation to bash amended than that. The play earlier we were fifth.

"It volition not beryllium easy, determination is nary warrant but that is the situation you privation to face."

Following her Villa accomplishment Robinson has precocious hopes for her aboriginal nether de Pauw and what the squad tin execute with their boss.

The Villans main believes Robinson’s ambition matches those of the nine and believes she tin beryllium a “difference shaper for his side”.

Robinson, who near Albion successful June aft a four-year spell, said: "I had immoderate truly bully conversations with the nine and with Robert.

"I’m truly excited to spot what we tin achieve.

"Robert has a large cognition and a large winning mentality and that’s truly important to me.

"Hopefully wherever helium tin instrumentality maine successful the squad tin truly bring the champion retired of maine arsenic a player.

"I privation to lend to the squad arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable with goals and assists, I cognize I’ve got that successful me.

"Ultimately, I privation to make arsenic a subordinate and this is champion nine for maine to bash that."