
Tottenham Hotspur Stand-in captain Molly Bartrip insists that the ladies Super League team can turn their season, despite their recent series of defeats.
Spurs has lost their last six games in all matches, including their last five in the competition, which score only once in the process, while preparing themselves to travel to Leicester City on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
“It's hard if things don't go your way,” Center-Back Bartrip told Sky Sports.
“You have to look at each other, look at the team and how we can continue. We know that this weekend is a big game.
“We want to get away with three points. All we can do is concentrate on ourselves.”
The extermination of the shape has led to an increased pressure on Spurs-head coach Robert Vilahamn and his pass-heavy tactics.
However, it was the same system that Tottenham Hotspur got to a top half of the finish last season and the FA Cup final and Bartrip admits that style is now in their DNA.
“We will never really change our identity. We want to play football,” she added.
“If I'm honest, the teams in the competition get better and you have to think of other ways to break down teams.
“We have not been the best at that and we have admitted too many goals. In the Leicester game we know their qualities, but we have to concentrate on ourselves and win the victory.”
Tottenham is ninth in the table, two points and one place above Sunday's opponents. Despite the relative distance from the relegation place – Crystal Palace, his eight points on Drift – Bartrip admits that it feels like Sunday's game is a must -win nature.
“One hundred percent. It's also for us,” she said. “We want to get goals, we want to get clean sheets. Within the group we certainly need a victory for the international break.”
It is clear that Spurs feel that they have five games to save their season. She was able to finish a series of positive results in the top six for the second year in a row, something that Bartrip would like to achieve.
She said: “It's crazy in football how you can go from one extreme to the other. If we can get as many points as possible of these five games, people will suddenly say that it is almost a successful season. But that comes to us.”
Bartrip has had to step in the past few weeks after an injury to Beth England from Vice-captain.
The 28-year-old is proud to wear the bracelet, but also misses her skipper, a player she has known for more than a decade after playing together at youth level for England.
“It feels like an honor to be Beth vice-captain. I have so much respect for her as a football player and a person,” she said.
“Her statistics don't lie. Of course she is now gone and it is a big loss.
“I am not really changing who I am. I just have to try to lead as well as possible, but I will never become a different person. I just want to make sure that everyone around me is happy.”
One thing is clear, happiness around the club will improve enormously when they start winning again.
Bartrip is determined to ensure that this starts earlier instead of later.
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