There are two sides of Sonia Bompastor. When she arrived in Chelsea for the first time, she was the cool, calm presence on the touchline in her opening months. Now we see the other side.
Looking at her on Stamford Bridge in the comeback victory of the Champions League on the comeback of the Champions League on Manchester City, it was sometimes the opposite of calmness.
A roar of frustration to the bank when Chelsea did not build up in the first half of behind, followed by a judgment of the officials when Cuthbert's penalty report was rejected. Dan, intense blows and encouragement in the stopping time to maintain the intensity of the team at the dying moments.
“If you go in March, April and May, you start to feel that my voice is different,” Bompastor told Sky Sports.
“At the start of the season I tried to find the good manners to bring confidence in my team, for them to realize that it is possible to achieve many things in this club.
“But now it's time for us to turn words into actions on the field. And these are the moments that are really decisive in the season.”
We sit down with Bompastor on the club's training field the day after a classic Chelsea version. Back against the wall, with doubt that starts to crawl into a first leg deficit with two goals, the blues found that other equipment to cross the line.
It was the exact definition of 'the Chelsea way' culture that bompastor's predecessor Emma Hayes is in the club. Damaged by the first defeat of the season in that first stage, the players in the dressing room went deeper into each other and found a way to win.
Not only on Thursday evening, but also in the Super League match for women in the Etihad Stadium five days earlier – to keep that healthy breathing space on top.
The four -time dream lives again. For the second year in a row, Chelsea has four trophies to play for and we are in the last week of March. Simply put, there is an appearance about this team that even in setback is an inevitability that they will have the last word.
“If you have to be confronted with a team that only lost one game since the start of the season, I think you will be in the game and have a little doubt,” says Bompastor.
“As an opposition, if you want to win and beat us, you have to be at your best level. And I think that's something that is great for us.
“I always tell my players: make sure we hurt the opposition in every game, make sure we play in a way we want to hurt them mentally and physically.
“Maybe it's not the right word to say them, but mentally we just want to be killers when we go into the game.”
The way Chelsea 'killed' the Champions League of Man City was by pure determination – but also figures. While their opponents only had five substitutes, the rotated stars of Chelsea provided that extra equipment to turn the draw upside down.
Cuthbert and Wieke Kaptein's deep runs from midfield bambooes The Halffit Yui Hasegawa in the middle of the park.
In the first half, the Gerracie Prior, Stadsdderdderdderdderdderddderddderddigdige was demolished twice by Lauren James – once after just two minutes, then in the construction of Chelsea's crucial third to go through.
After the game, City-Interim boss Nick Cushing wondered how his team could compete when Cuthbert, Match winner Mayra Ramirez and Keira Walsh played only 20 minutes before Chelsea in the weekend and then started with fresh legs in the quarter finals second stage.
The depth has been crucial for Chelsea who produces that elite mentality to always be a threat and never give up.
However, it has its disadvantage.
Bompastor spent Friday morning talking to Chelsea -midfielder Sophie Ingle who, like Sam Kerr, was not involved the entire season because of an ACL injury.
The blues made 49 changes in their team in the WSL this season, eight more than any other side, so imagine those two were part of the photo!
“It was really a good conversation,” says Bompastor about her chat with Ingle. “She just said:” It's hard if you have so many players and that talented team to keep everyone happy. ” And I said, “Yes, that's the truth.”
“Everyone is so happy to continue and be qualified for the semi -final of the Champions League.
“But at the end of the day, as a person, as an individual, you also think about the fact that you didn't play the game. And this is what you want to achieve. You want to play in the biggest games.
'I just told my players: This block [of games]You have different statuses. Sometimes you start the game. Sometimes you are not in the team. Sometimes you are a Finisher.
“And whatever status you have, you are here to help the team. And sometimes I know, in terms of emotion, it is difficult. But most importantly, it is about the club, the team and what we achieve together at the end of the season.”
Bompastor will rotate her platoon again prior to another major test: a home game against a rejuvenated West Ham in the WSL, live on Sky Sports.
With a lead of eight points and only five games left, the blues know that three victories will be enough to be champions again. It can even be two, if Arsenal and Man Utd fall in the coming weeks.
It doesn't matter when Chelsea completes the track, there are still enough reasons to continue their winning mentality, namely because of the available records.
Win on Sunday and they will set a new club record for the most consecutive home wins (19). They are also 12 points away from the total of the record points for a single WSL season, while there is also the target to be the first team to be beaten a whole top campaign.
“For some people they are probably details, but for me they are really important,” said Bompastor, who wants to become only the second manager who wins the title in her debut -WSL campaign.
“We want to be part of history. Part of history is ensuring that we win titles, we reach our ambitions, but we also break records.”
Comments