Smith’s United front

New coach getting results

In the two months since Kat Smith took over the reins at Western United it has gone from being an outside chance of playing finals football to championship contenders.

The experienced coach said all the pieces were there, it was just a matter of having them fit together efficiently on the field.

Smith took over from Mark Torcaso, who left in December so he could focus on his new role as coach of the Philippines national women’s team.

Western United is in its second year in the competition. In its first season it was practically unstoppable and narrowly missed being the minor premiers before losing the grand final to Sydney FC.

But its 2023/24 season got off to a bumpier start – with just two wins in the first five games.

When Smith walked on to the training field for the first time Western United was eighth on the ladder – two spots outside finals contention.

In two months Western United has moved up to equal second. Last weekend it celebrated its first back-to-back wins of the season after defeating competition leaders Melbourne City 3-1.

Smith, who has coached Western Sydney Wanderers and was part of Western United’s Women’s Development Squad, was a familiar face to many of the squad. She said the existing relationships she had made it easier to come in midway through the season.

“I won’t say it was easy, it was definitely hard, but it made it easier,” Smith said.

“Without pumping up my own tyres, if you are not reaping the rewards of your hard work and seeing the results shown on the scoreboard or taking three points each week – change is welcomed.

“It was an interesting transition where there was a lot of familiarity with myself and the key players and I had a lot of backing from the club and outgoing coach Mark, to help them through the transition.”

Smith said the recent results reflected how they were going, but that second place doesn’t guarantee Western United a spot in the finals just yet.

Three points separate the teams placed second to sixth. Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory are each a point behind the top six, with Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets one win away from the group.

“It’s a privilege to be in a position where we’ve got control of things in terms of the ladder but any given weekend you can be anywhere from second to seventh,” Smith said. “Every week counts for everything.”

Smith said the key was to stick to their principles and processes.

One of the biggest challenges Smith said she faced as a coach was helping players manage their work-life balance – with many of the squad juggling part-time jobs or study with their football career.

Smith said until the league had more financial backing it wouldn’t be able to support players on 12-month contracts, like those offered to the men.

Western United face Central Coast Mariners on Saturday with a 2.15pm kick-off.