Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United came into the 2020 FA Women’s Super League with the ambition to perform better than the previous season. However, both clubs decided to sack their managers on Thursday after just seven matchdays.
Manager Matt Beard joined the Hammers in June 2018 ahead of the club’s first professional season in the FA WSL. The 42-year-old led West Ham United to the FA Women’s Cup Final in 2019 and to an eight-place league finish that same year.
What looked like the spark of a raging fire diminished after West Ham drew to Tottenham on opening weekend, followed by a four-game losing streak. A 2-1 away win against Birmingham City on Nov. 8 lifted the Hammers’ spirits temporarily until they fell to Brighton 1-0 on Sunday. West Ham secured first place in their FA WSL Cup group on Wednesday after a 4-0 win over FA WSL 2 side Charlton Athletic, but the feat was not enough to convince club directives to change their mind. Beard leaves West Ham in ninth place with four points after seven games. Goalkeeping coach Billy Stewart and first-team head coach Paul McHugh will take charge while the club searches for a replacement.
On the other hand, Tottenham relieved its managerial duo of Karen Hills and Juan Amoros also on Thursday. Hills had overseen Tottenham since 2007, while Amoros was added to the mix in 2011 to work alongside her. The two signed a two-year deal in September, but a seven-game winless streak to start off the season forced club owners to replace them. It appears that their replacement will be England assistant coach Rehanne Skinner, according to BBC Sport. If so, Skinner will pick up the team that currently sits second-to-last in the table with just three points.
