A WORD FROM THE BOSS...

Hello, City fans,

We have another exciting game in store with the return of Champions League action with: a Round of 16 first leg tie against Fiorentina. Welcome to Fiorentina and their manager Antonio Cincotta, their players and staff.

Needless to say, the players are really up for the game. We always enjoy periods a lot of games and we have a good opportunity to progress in this competition - we're in a good run form and I've been really impressed with the football we're playing.

We're playing well and scoring a lot of goals but we're always looking to better ourselves and there are still areas we feel we can improve on. There is progress week by week, which is down to growing familiarity - players getting used to the system and understanding me, me understanding them and them understanding each other.

We always show our best performances when we're playing in quick succession and it's good having three games in a week. You move onto the next one quickly, chalking the games off in all competitions and it builds momentum.

It was important to rekindle our form after the international break with a big three points at Birmingham on Sunday. In the first half, we were really impatient in the final third but the goal calmed the nerves a bit, allowing us to try and dominate, and the second half performance was really good.

Now, we have a big game on Wednesday, then another against Everton on Sunday and then we travel to Italy for the second leg. It can be hard to balance the squad, as we approach the latter stages of competitions so it's about managing players in the right way, looking at the bigger picture.

There are a lot of really good teams at this stage of the Champions League and Fiorentina are a difficult team to play against. European competition is a different format and most games are never really done after the first game.

We have to understand that even if we're in a good position, we still have to get the job done. We won't be looking further than the next game - you can't in this competition because you can make the mistake of not performing on the day... and in cup competitions, you don't get second chances.

It has to be a game-by-game situation. It will be a tough game but we’re in good confidence and if we stick to the processes, we can be successful.

Enjoy the game.

Gareth Taylor

TEAMMATES:
GEORGIA STANWAY

Personable, funny and mischievous, Georgia Stanway is as much-loved off the pitch as she is on it.

However, in our Teammates feature - presented by QNET - our feisty forward admits her banter and impish ways (with sidekick Keira Walsh) can sometimes prove too much for some...

“I’d say I was closest to Keira Walsh in the squad. We’re the trouble-makers – always the ones to cause problems. We try to liven things up a little!

“Janine Beckie is often the one to get the brunt of it. Sometimes, it goes down well and sometimes, we have to say sorry! Caroline Weir gets a lot of it too.

“We like to wind people up and see what happens. It’s all fun and games. We enjoy it. We’re always the ones giving the stick.

“We were always hiding people’s clothes! One time, Nadia Nadim and Claire Emslie came into training quite smart and they had these heeled boots and Keira and Abbie McManus wore them into the gym! All the lads were in as well, laughing at them. It’s just random stuff. It was funny at the time!

“When she goes home, back to her family, they give me stick for making her more childish!

“My roommate is Ellie Roebuck. I’ve been with her from the start.

“We get on really well. We lived together so it made sense to room together.

“She’s good. On Matchday -1, she likes to chill and go back to the room and get an early night, watching Netflix, whereas I go down for snacks at 9pm, chat and come up to the room to be in bed for 10.

“She’ll give me stick for this but she was always leaving pots everywhere (in the house), forgetting to take pots to wash up.

“I was always tidying up after her. I was the mum of the house!

“In the summer, we always used to do barbecues in the garden. They’re good memories, looking back now. Hopefully, we’ll get the opportunity to do it again soon.

“It’s amazing to see how well all three of us are getting on in our careers. It’s good because I’ve got Keira to look up to and although Ellie plays a different position, she’s worked so hard to get to where she is.

“It’s massive for me to see that and it pushes me on because I want to stick with them and fulfil my journey with them.

“It’s good that we have each other – that you always have somebody to fall back on.

“We’re all young so we’re in the same boat – we know what disappointment feels like, we know what not getting selected feels like. It’s good to be able to have those conversations. It’s relatable.”

How about your debut?

"Yes, I remember it! It was against Liverpool, which had a nice personal touch for me because there were two 'Dutchies' playing for them - Mandy van den Berg and Shanice van de Sanden.

"We'd met before the game and they'd said they were so happy I was there. They said they'd hoped I'd come on because I was starting on the bench.

"I came on for the last 30 minutes and I had quite an impact that game. We scored the equaliser - we had been 1-0 down - and we were looking for the winning goal.

"I had a shot on target, which the goalkeeper saved. That was a shame because I would liked to have scored on my debut!"

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Can you remember your first goal?

"It was in a Continental Cup game against Aston Villa. We won 8-0!

"It was not the greatest goal... It was a tap-in from a corner. It definitely wouldn't be winning any Puskas Awards!"

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You had a really strong connection with the fans. To this day, they still look out for your results and your progress. I'm sure they will be disappointed not to have the chance to welcome you back in person...

"Of course, I remember the Official Supporters Club and their songs!

"Credit to them for the chants. They were amazing. My chant was 'Tess Middag, Middag...' to 'Que Sera, Sera!'

"We're missing out on hearing those songs, which is a shame because I would have liked to have seen the fans. I hope they are doing well."

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Who were your best friends in the City squad?

"I'm still in close contact with Daphne Corboz. We founded a little 'book club' with Jane Ross and Jen Beattie.

"I got on well with Pauline Bremer too and Karen Bardsley, and I don't know how many times we went for coffee with Jill Scott, Steph Houghton and Izzy Christiansen! After training, we would head to the Northern Quarter and find a coffee shop.

"There were some amazing people in the squad. I remember the first player I spoke to was Toni Duggan. I'd gone to England, thinking: 'I've done English in school, I've watched English movies...I should be okay with the language - but when I spoke to her, I was thinking: 'Is this English?!'

"I wasn't prepared for the accents! I remember going into a bathroom at the airport and asking a member of staff if I could use the tap to fill up my water bottle and she said: 'Y'alright, love!' I didn't know if that was a 'yes' or a 'no!'"

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And off the pitch, you had some fun with our Media Team too, taking on different challenges, like the Russian Doll Challenge, the Sound of Music quiz, the ABBA lyrics quiz and even an Escape Room...

"Yes! Thank you to the Media Team for creating some fun activities!

"It was really fun, especially the Escape Room. We escaped with about one minute and a half left so it was a narrow escape!

"I remember Nikita Parris being super-fast in the Russian Doll Challenge... but then, she was super fast at everything!"

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Aside from the accent, what was your favourite thing about Manchester?

"Everyone is so down-to-earth. I loved seeing the bee everywhere, and all the graffiti in the Northern Quarter where I lived.

"There was also a little network of Dutch students so that was a nice for me to have a group I could speak to and celebrate holidays with, like King's Day."

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Although your time at City was sadly hampered by injury, it's very special that you still have such positive memories and thoughts about the Club...

"It's down to the people that make the Club and the city. To me, it really felt like a close-knit community and the people were so nice.

"Of course, from a football point of view, I would have liked to have shown the fans a bit more of what I could do and prove myself... but not many players get the opportunity to play for such a big club.

"My injury did affect what I could do on the pitch but from a human perspective, I'm happy with the connections I made there. I still have very warm feelings about Manchester as a whole and City as a Club."

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What was the most important thing you learned at City - both on and off the pitch?

"I learned a lot. It was such a change. I grew a lot as a person. It was my first foreign experience - the first time I had been away from home. I didn't really have to learn a new language but I did have to learn the accents - Mancunian, Scouse, Scottish, Irish...

"In terms of football, I learned a lot about the tactical side and I was really impressed with the way the team worked together on the pitch. Everyone knew exactly what their role was - Nick Cushing was a tactical mastermind!

"I learned a lot of new concepts and I've taken them with me throughout my career, like having an attacking mindset, using high pressure, always wanting the ball... It's a philosophy that's close to my heart."

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And we have to talk about the amazing success of the Netherlands National Team over the last few years!

"It's been incredible to see. We won the European Championship in 2017 and then we got second spot at the World Cup in 2019... And if the Olympics go through this year, who knows what will happen in Tokyo?

"I hope I can play a little part in it but purely as a lover of Dutch football, it's amazing to see the growth.

"Hopefully, it will continue like this, even if our coach is going to England!"