‘We know we’ve got the momentum’ – Langley discusses Newcastle United’s ambitions | OneFootball

Newcastle United head coach Becky Langley says that the club are taking a cautious approach going into their first season in the Barclays Women’s Championship.

The Magpies have celebrated back-to-back promotions with the club having won the FA Women’s National League Division One North and FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division titles in the last two years. The club now find themselves in the Barclays Women’s Championship for the first time in 2024/2025.

When discussing Newcastle United’s approach to their debut season in the elite game, Langley said that the club are going into the campaign with some caution despite their winning momentum.

“I think we’d be naive if we were to be shouting from the rooftops we want to win promotion this season,” Langley said when speaking in a Newcastle United press conference. “I think we’ve got to be mindful of the context; it’s our first season in the Championship for a lot of players and for myself, so we’ve got to do a lot of learning and take it step-by-step.

“At the same time, I don’t approach any game not wanting to get three points and not preparing the team to the best of my ability to ensure that we do compete for those three points.

“We’re very competitive, we want to push on and we’ll be taking it game-by-game but we’ll be raring to go. It’ll be blood, sweat and tears I’m sure this season.”

Reflecting on what could be the biggest change for Newcastle United in the Barclays Women’s Championship, Langley highlighted the fact that her side are likely to be given less time on the ball.

“I think that the speed of decision-making will have to be sharper,” she said.

“I think in Tier 3, we’ve got to remember that a lot of the teams are still part-time, so we were playing against people that would have had a full-time job alongside playing football. In the Championship, everyone’s focus is on being a full-time athlete and going into the heat of the battle every week.

“It’s a very transitional league, it’s a very competitive league where people could take points off everybody. There are no easy weekends, we’ve got to stay focused and ensure that every game we approach professionally and consistently.

“I think there’s a balance there. We are new kids on the block to a certain degree, so there’s a little bit of unknown. I guess for any team coming up from the division below, you would imagine there’s a lot of learning to do. Equally, one thing that is a huge strength about us is that we know how to win. We know we’ve got the momentum from two back-to-back promotions. We know that nobody’s ever done that before.”

Newcastle United face London City Lionesses in their opening game of the season at Hayes Lane on Sunday afternoon. Langley believes that the fixture will be a competitive game between two clubs that may be expected to be at the top of the table come the end of the season.

She said “We’re really excited for the challenge ahead against London City. They’re a team that’s got a new chairwoman who’s come on board and looked to invest.

“It’s going to be a competitive game. We’re really looking forward to getting right into it and seeing how we can progress in the Championship.”

Newcastle United’s Barclays Women’s Championship fixture at London City Lionesses kicks-off at 2pm on Sunday afternoon.