Andree Jeglertz says his job now is to win more titles with Manchester City after they completed a domestic double with a Women’s FA Cup final victory over Brighton.
In his first season at the club, Jeglertz secured two trophies after years of near misses from Man City. The last time they won a league and FA Cup was in 2016, and had not won the competition overall since 2020.
There have been other League Cup wins since, but this year has firmly put the club back on top after years of domination by Chelsea.
Now the question will be can they sustain it – and that is exactly what Jeglertz is aiming to do.
Speaking to TNT Sports after a 4-0 win against Brighton at Wembley, he said: “It is one thing creating a team that can win the title once and win the FA Cup once, but there is something about creating a winning culture where now we are winners, what does that mean? How do we keep pushing and striving for more?
“That will be my job now, to make sure we are hunting for more, that we are coming with confidence, but at the same time knowing we need to work even harder next year.
Man City beat Brighton to lift the FA Cup trophy
“We need to train more, we need to work harder in every training session, we need to be better in so many things because defending a title is more difficult than winning a title… I’m looking forward to that.”
Brighton were playing in their first major final and were the underdogs heading into the game. They gave themselves plenty of hope with a dominant opening 35 minutes, but once Man City clicked, there was no turning back.
Goals from Khadija ‘Bunny Shaw and Alex Greenwood saw them into a 2-0 lead at the break, before second-half efforts from Aoba Fujino and Vivianne Miedema completed the victory.
Khadija Shaw and Jade Rose kiss the FA Cup trophy
Jeglertz added on the game itself: “We struggled a lot in the first half, but there is something with this team. We have so many individual qualities and those are the ones that have given us the opportunity to win the game.
“That’s what it’s about. We can put a lot of attention to the build-up and owning the ball, but it’s about what you are doing in the penalty area that has won the league for us.
“I think we struggled in our own build-up, we didn’t have the positions that we were supposed to do. I was a little bit upset at half-time because that’s the only thing we can ask. We can make mistakes, but if we don’t do what we agreed on beforehand, we struggle.
“We did much better in the second half, with Alex’s position, with Kerolin’s position, Aoba coming in. A big difference in starting positions.”
Shaw on new contract: It’s been difficult, but we got it done
Khadija Shaw and Alex Greenwood with the FA Cup trophy
Shaw was once again the centre of attention on Sunday, although put to bed any questions of her future during Monday’s title celebrations when she announced to the crowd that she had signed a new Man City deal.
The Jamaica international had been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, but penned a new long-term contract, capping it off with another match-winning turn at Wembley.
She told TNT Sports: “It’s been a crazy few weeks. Lots of emotions. From not knowing where I’ll be, to signing a contract, to being here, to winning the FA Cup. The last time I was at Wembley, I lost, so I wanted to correct that today and we did it.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw celebrates in front of the Man City fans after winning the FA Cup
“It’s been a long couple of months, a whole lot of different emotions, but I’ve always said I wanted to be here. If I’m being honest, it’s been very difficult, but towards the end we got it done and I’m happy about that.”
Jeglertz added of his striker “A big credit to her that she thinks our programme will make her better and she can win titles, but also for the club being able to make it happen.
“It’s been a long process and they have been working so hard to get it on paper. It was a great thing they made it before this game, but also before everybody left [for the summer].”
Jeglertz wants more – can Man City sustain it?
Vivianne Miedema is congratulated by her teammates after scoring in the FA Cup final
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Charlotte Marsh at Wembley:
“The short answer is yes, of course they can. Man City have been the dominant force in domestic football this season, revitalised under Jeglertz who has proven himself to be an elite coach.
“Did Man City play their best football on Sunday? No, but they proved they can win in challenging circumstances and on the biggest stage, which is key to being champions.
“Central to that was Shaw. Once she began to see the ball more and linked up play with her teammates, they were unstoppable and unlike Brighton, grabbed the advantages when they came.
“But credit too to the likes of Jade Rose and Greenwood in defence. The Canada international in particular made some crucial blocks in the opening 35 minutes that helped Man City to victory.
“There will be more evolution in the summer, as any good team does. They will want to add more bodies, not only replacing the likes of Laura Coombs and Laila Ouahabi, but providing more competition across the board.
“They will also be back in Europe and, crucially, not have to play any qualifiers as they go straight into the league phase. That will add a new roster of fixtures and a new challenge for Jeglertz to navigate.
“But if he can keep key players fit and in form, there’s no reason why Man City cannot continue to compete on multiple fronts. It will not be easy, but when was success ever easy?”
