Birmingham City’s Ellie Mason says that the club will be taking their Barclays Women’s Championship title bid week-by-week.
The Blues finished as runners-up last season while the club have had a strong summer in the transfer market. Birmingham City will start the new season as one of the promotion favourites alongside the likes of Southampton and Charlton Athletic.
When speaking exclusively to FAWSL Full-Time, Birmingham City full-back Mason said that the club will take their title bid one game at a time and not get ahead of themselves.
“It’s a case of taking it week-by-week,” Mason said. “When we come into training, we want to make sure everything is done at 100%. We are driving each other with those standards.
“We come into the room, we look at a team and focus on that team for that game and we take it week-by-week. There’s no point of rushing or thinking ahead when anything can happen.
“We know how difficult the season is going to be and how strong the Championship is with more of the teams being professional or going full-time. Every year, it gets stronger and stronger as a league so it is a case that we focus on each game as it comes. As long as we are all training 100%, backing each other and putting the hard hours in, we will be fine.”
After taking charge of the Blues in November 2021, head coach Darren Carter promised to change perceptions of the club’s women’s team and bring back the good times. He is well on the way to achieving that goal and Mason has complete trust in her coach.
She said “He is great, he gets everyone’s personalities on and off the pitch and I’ve had some really good conversations with him. You also have to trust your manager and everyone here does trust him.
“Sometimes as a new player, it can be hard building that relationship but you just come into the building and it is a really good atmosphere here, the connections are there and everyone is so welcoming. It is just a case of having a sit-down and having a catch up every few weeks and going from there.
“He’s a great coach, got a wealth of knowledge and he has done a lot for the club. Last season, they did so well and all of the players really do respect him. He’s a great guy.”
Mason joined Birmingham City on a free transfer in the summer after leaving former club Lewes. She is seen as a utility player after occupying a whole range of roles in her career to date. Mason says that left wing-back is her preferred position and her squad number (three) could be an indication of her primary role at Birmingham City this year.
“Carts knows that I can play in quite a few positions, I am quite versatile,” Mason said. “He knows that wherever he plays me, I will always give 110%. He trusts me and I trust him so that’s the biggest part of it. All of the girls know I am quite versatile as well.
“It is good to be able to play in different positions because if I need to help the team out where I can, then I will. I like to think that I have a lot of experience in those positions as well so wherever I play, I will give my best.
“Last year was funny because I played in a few different positions but left wing-back is probably my favoured position.”
Mason and Birmingham City kick-off the new Barclays Women’s Championship season at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday evening.
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