West Ham are embarking on a new journey with Italian manager Rita Guarino – but what are her plans for the club?
The 54-year-old was appointed last month following the sacking of Rehanne Skinner and it is her first managerial job outside of Italy.
Signing an 18-month deal, Guarino promises a change in environment as West Ham look to improve on their one victory in 11 Women’s Super League matches.
They currently sit second-bottom in the table but Guarino, who previously led Juventus to four successive Serie A titles, is excited by the challenge.
“The important history of this club convinced me. The values fit with my ideas of football. It also seemed like a big challenge,” she said.
“I told [the players] that we need to work and we need to create an environment where we all want to go in the same direction.
“We have a goal, and that is very important as an organisation or a team because it is so important to be aligned in our ideas.
“I also told them that step-by-step, we will try to improve our game and our style of play.”
Guarino’s start to life at West Ham could not be any harder with a trip to defending champions Chelsea on Sunday (12:00 GMT).
But the Italian insists she is “not focused” on the opposition and is not expecting her team to change overnight.
“We have spoken about some principles but the time with the team has been very short so we haven’t been able to coach everything,” added Guarino.
“In this game, I want to see and learn about how they implement the work we have done this week.
“In every minute of the training sessions I can see players that want to improve and fight for this shirt. We are trying every second to do our best.”
Guarino’s teams have been known for their aggression off the ball and well-organised approach.
She has often played with a traditional 4-4-2 formation and knows what it takes to win major trophies, having done so consistently with Juventus.
But while others are expecting a new style, Guarino insists she does not have a specific philosophy and will seek to get the best out of the players’ strengths.
“I really don’t think about my style of play. The style that my teams show on the pitch are based on their characteristics, skills and potential,” said Guarino.
“I’m very focused on the style we can show with the players that I have available to me. I think here there is more intensity in the game.
“The play is a lot faster than in Italy. That is the main difference. In the WSL you also have squads with very high-profile, quality players.”
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women’s Super League and beyond on the Women’s Football Weekly feed
