Motherwell Ladies gaffer Donald Jennow thinks team can make step up to top league

New Motherwell Ladies FC gaffer Donald Jennow is greatly looking forward to his newly promoted club's step up to the top league next season.
Motherwell Ladies FC manager Donald JennowMotherwell Ladies FC manager Donald Jennow
Motherwell Ladies FC manager Donald Jennow

Jennow (30), who recently took over from Eddie Wolecki Black who has joined Celtic Ladies, led the Women of Steel to an emphatic 9-0 home win over Central Girls at Braidhurst on Sunday.

But he knows that the SWPL 2 champions will face a step up in class in the next campaign against stellar sides like Glasgow City, Hibs and Celtic.

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“The first task for me will be to get us safe from relegation,” Donald told the Motherwell Times.

“But that is not the extent of my ambition.

“I’m not going up to be cannon fodder.

“We will be competitive and go up with a level of confidence.

“The final stages of our league campaign this term are still important as we don’t want to lose that momentum.

“I think the bulk of the squad we have at the moment is good enough to play at SWPL 1 level.

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“The challenge in the women’s game is to get people signed up as there is always movement in player registration.

“I need to persuade all my players that this is the right club to be at.

“And I will also be looking to add a few players.”

More immediately, Donald is looking ahead to an SSE Scottish Women’s Cup quarter-final clash with St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park this Sunday.

“We will be favourites as we’ve won the league that St Johnstone also play in,” Donald added.

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“But it is a one off game and the favourites tag is one we take with a pinch of salt.”

While not wanting to single out individuals, Donald said that the experienced trio of Emma Black, Kerry Montgomery and Suzanne Mulvey are all key components of the team he officially took over on August 29 having worked as Wolecki Black’s assistant since last November.

“I’m thrilled to get the manager’s job,” Jennow added. “It is a real vote of confidence and the players have been excellent with me since I started. I consider myself to be organised and hard working and I expect my teams to be the same.”

Donald, who also works as a management consultant in his hectic working life, was assistant manager with Wolecki Black at Glasgow City for almost five years, followed by an almost two-year spell working in men’s football at League One side Airdrieonians.

“Eddie has been a huge influence on my career,” he said.

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“We got to the quarter-finals of the Champions League at Glasgow City in 2014.

“We were put out by Paris Saint Germain and my highlight in the women’s game so far was playing at the Parc de Princes in front of 13,500 people, the week before Lionel Messi played there with Barcelona.”