New Brighton manager Dario Vidosic happy to talk up WSL title chances

Dario Vidosic said “every team should aim to be champion” at the start of a new season, in his first press conference as Brighton women’s manager.

The former Australia international joins the Seagulls after two seasons as manager of Melbourne City’s ­women’s team and, while he is realistic about where the club are and where they need to go, he wants them to aim for the top.

“I have my ideas about the way I’d like to play,” the 37-year-old said at Brighton’s training ground. “I think those ways are successful. I’ve had success in Australia implementing that style of play and I’ll look to do similar here in Brighton.

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“The mentality at the start is to win every single game that we play in, whether it’s a friendly, competitive cup games, it doesn’t matter. So, at the start, I feel every team should aim to be champion. We all start from the same place. You don’t get a 1-0 advantage depending on the badge that you’re wearing. So, it’s fair at the start of every week.”

Vidosic’s appointment was announced on 10 July , but he had to wait for a work permit before he could fly in to begin the role on the south coast. His compatriot Ange ­Postecoglou, the Tottenham manager, whom he played under during his time in the youth teams of Australia, assisted him in getting the job by providing a reference.

“I have to give a big shout out to Ange,” he said. “He helped with my references and to have that acknowledgement from someone like him, who’s flying the flag for Australian football and showing what you can do from so far away … I have to say a massive thank you to him. I will try to reach out to him. He’s a fantastic coach and what he’s doing at Tottenham and what he’s able to achieve in his first season is impressive. He was my coach in the younger national team. So, there’s a long history of player and coach, and now hopefully I can get a little bit of mentorship coach to coach. That would be awesome.”

Brighton have already recruited eight players in the summer transfer window, including Chelsea’s all-time record goalscorer Fran Kirby , with seven players departing. Gelling those players will be one of Vidosic’s first and biggest challenges.

“There’s a lot of potential within the squad,” he said. “A lot of young players with a lot of experienced players. So, now it’s just finding that right mix and getting all the new ones used to the league and with each other as a squad. It’ll be a fun time, a fun six weeks, and then we’ll prepare for round one.”

A lengthy playing career followed by two years managing in the women’s game means Vidosic understands the small differences in managing male and female players. “Look, they really like to ask the question why,” he said, of managing female players. “I find that awesome as a coach, because you’re challenged, you need to have the answers for those whys. That’s probably the one thing that I’ve found most pleasant. Something that I’ve really, really enjoyed is always being asked why and just wanting to get as much knowledge, wanting to know as much as possible. It just shows that ambition that they have to want to be the best footballer that they can be.”

Elsewhere, Aston Villa have announced that Villa Park will become the main home of their women’s team for the new season, playing all 11 home WSL games at the ground. Last season, Villa played five games at their main stadium. The announcement follows the news that Arsenal will host eight WSL games and a minimum of three Champions League games at the Emirates stadium, should they secure qualification to the WCL group stage.