Earps keeps faith in United’s mission to join Europe’s elite
Underdog status will suit against Arsenal Bundesliga experience can bolster defence
Mary Earps believes Manchester United can become one of the best teams in the game “within the next five or six years” providing they embrace their status as underdogs first in the Women’s Super League.
United welcome Arsenal for their first home top-flight fixture tonight where they will look to earn their first points of the campaign following their 1-0 loss at Manchester City in the season’s opening weekend.
“Arsenal are a strong side in their own right in terms of the players they’ve brought in and the players they’ve developed over the years,” said Earps, the goalkeeper who made her United debut in front of a record WSL crowd of 31,213. “There’s a reason they won the league last year. I think they very much deserve to have their Champions League status back.
“Obviously, we’re definitely the underdogs in that game – like we will be in many games this season. But I think we’ve shown that with the style of football we’re trying to play, we’re not just going to be defensive and try and win games that way. There’s a future we’re trying to build.”
Along with former FFC Frankfurt midfielder Jackie Groenen, Earps is one of two recruits to join Casey Stoney’s outfit from the Bundesliga after United’s first-team goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain announced she was pregnant. Having featured for seven English sides – including Birmingham, Bristol Academy and Reading – she admits United’s long-term ambitions were a “driving factor” in coming home.
“I see United potentially being one of the best clubs in the world within the next five to six years,” said Earps. “I’m not saying that because it sounds good, I’m saying it because I genuinely believe that. I hope I can be a big part of that. I want to be winning trophies, I want to be playing at the top, I want to be winning leagues, winning cups and winning the Champions League. That’s what I’m here to do and I think United are capable and that’s what sealed the move for me.”
While she did not feature in Wolfsburg’s Champions League campaign last season, Earps’s exposure against top-ranked Bundesliga sides will provide a crucial defensive springboard if United are to target a top-four finish this season. Against Arsenal, the 26-year-old’s credentials are likely to be tested by former Bayern Munich midfielder Jill Roord, who has enjoyed a lightning start since joining Joe Montemurro’s outfit with four goals in her first two games for the club.
“I actually ended up playing more than I thought I would [at Wolfsburg],” said Earps, who was included in Phil Neville’s World Cup squad. “I had games with the under-23’s to keep me topping up. The level of training was incredible but I wanted to make sure I kept topping up with minutes.
“Almuth Schult [the Wolfsburg keeper] also got injured so I ended up playing a few league games throughout the season as well. One of them was against FFC Turbine Potsdam, the other was Bayern Munich and they’re two of the top three teams [in the Bundesliga] so getting to play against the two best opposition was a great return for me in terms of going out there.”
While she concedes it is too early to entertain thoughts about Champions League qualification, Earps knows that emulating the type of consistency United enjoyed in the Women’s Championship last season – when they won all but two of their games – is the immediate task.
“There are going to be times when we fall short, naturally,” she said. “But it’s all about the long term plan. Of course, we have short-term goals for this season but the exciting stuff is a few years’ down the line.” She added: “No game is going to be one that we look to just get a result out of, we’re looking to win every one. We’re super competitive. Arsenal will be a great test for us.”