Spurs must go ‘above and beyond’ levels of well-drilled Birmingham City says Ho

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Martin Ho says that his team must look to go above and beyond the high performance levels of opponents Birmingham City in the Subway Women’s League Cup this afternoon.

The Lilywhites are set to face a tricky test at the BetWright Stadium in Leyton with their latest opponents catching the eye in Barclays WSL2 this term.

When speaking in the pre-match press conference, Spurs boss Ho said that he is expecting a tough battle between two footballing sides.

“Amy [Merricks] is a wonderful coach and she has a wonderful group of players at Birmingham,” Ho said. “They’re obviously headed up by Hope Powell. They’re a very proficient team and they’ll push for promotion in WSL2.

“We are expecting a really tough game, a really efficient game. Both teams like to have the ball, both teams want to press aggressively, so it should all set-up for it being an entertaining game.”

The game sees two of the brightest young British coaches go head-to-head in Ho and Amy Merricks. The Spurs boss paid tribute to his opposite number and said that his side must better a well-organised Brimingham City outfit that will be full of energy.

He said “She’s had wonderful people around her and a wonderful grounding as a coach. She will probably say that herself having Hope [Powell] around her and some of the other staff that she’s worked with. 

“She’s demonstrated her capabilities as a coach within the Birmingham set-up; she’s been competitive and has a very well-organised team. She has very clear principles and you can see that in the way that the players behave on the pitch. That speaks volumes of her as a coach and as a person. She’s well-respected in the game and I have a lot of time for her as an individual. 

“I know that this game will be tough. She will have those players really well-drilled and really well-organised for this game and their energy will be high. We have to make sure that we go above and beyond that if we are going to be competitive.

“She has a bright future in the game and this is only just the start in club football. When you see the pedigree that she has; she’s been in the international set-up, also with England, so she’s a top coach and no doubt she’s got a bright future.”

There has only ever been three different winners of the Subway Women’s League Cup but Ho is confident in Spurs’ ability to compete for silverware in the not-so-distant future.

He said “When you look at the FA Cup final that Spurs reached [in 2024], it shows that the club can definitely compete at that level. More importantly, in cup competitions, you need the draw to go your way where the run to the latter stages is more favourable. 

“No matter who you play in this league or in these competitions, every game is difficult. We have to put ourselves in a position where firstly, we qualify from this group and then embrace anything that comes our way [in the knockouts].

“Regardless of the format and who has been in finals [in the past], what we can control is our own destiny and our own performances. If we can do that and continue to build on what we are doing, I believe that we are not far away from being in those competition finals in the near future.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s Subway Women’s League Cup fixture against Birmingham City kicks-off at 2pm. Tickets will be available to purchase at the BetWright Stadium this afternoon.