Emma Hayes was coy on her future after guiding Chelsea Women to a fourth successive WSL title, while Sam Kerr says winning league titles gets better each year.
The Blues were two points ahead of Manchester United Women heading into the final game of the season, and easily dispatched Reading Women 3-0 to secure a domestic double, having also won the Women’s FA Cup two weeks ago.
When asked about her own future after another successful campaign, Hayes swerved the question, instead focusing on how she will recover from her recent successes.
“People say don’t make major life decisions when you’re knackered, and I am knackered,” the WSL title-winning manager told Sky Sports.
“But I will enjoy these celebrations tonight. I feel relieved as I take on the pressure for the club.
“How many people think about their next step when they’re absolutely knackered? I’m going to go away, chill out, be a mum, do all those things. I’ve just shown you the art of avoiding a question!”
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It was an emotion-fuelled afternoon at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. Not only were Reading relegated but duo Magda Eriksson and Pernille Harder bid farewell to Chelsea as they depart this summer.
Hayes said of the emotions at full-time: “What an unbelievable team I’ve got. I was being man-marked by the cameraman at full-time so I couldn’t let loose with a few tears.
“It’s not just about building a team, you know how much I care about the sport and the business – looking at that wall of 6,000 fans gave me so much joy.”
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Reading were also relegated on Saturday, with Kelly Chambers a close friend of Hayes.
The Chelsea boss added: “I’m upset too as she [Chambers] is heavily pregnant, she doesn’t need that stress. I’m really proud of her as she’s been in the business for 20 years. If I was a top club in this country, I’d be going after Kelly Chambers as she has so much knowledge.
“Sometimes she doesn’t get the recognition for the work she has done, building a football club on the lowest budget possible. I’m sad for her. It takes so much out of you. I’m looking forward to letting my hair down.
“I was crying for Kelly. I was crying for Magda. I was crying as I’ve got to have weeks off. I do enjoy it and feel the emotion. Keeping my motivation high hasn’t been difficult.”
Kerr: WSL titles get better each year
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Sam Kerr scored twice in the win at Reading, taking her total to 12 for the season. She has won a WSL title in each of her seasons at the club, and says being knocked out of the Champions League did help Chelsea’s end of season form.
She told Sky Sports: “I think they get better each year. They get harder definitely, so it makes it sweeter when it’s tight at the top. It’s my fourth but some people’s first so we’ll celebrate like it’s our first.
“We’re the greatest team in England. It’s not about me, it’s about the team and I’m happy so what can I say.
“We’ve shown over the last few years that in the last few games of the season, we’re a different team. Once you get knocked out of the Champions League, it’s easier to be fresh and prepare for games.
“After we did get knocked out, as disappointed as we were, we had two days off then it was back to business and we had more time.
“There was a little bit of pressure [for the title], but last year was the same thing. We knew that we had to win every game and if we did, we took care of ourselves and we like it that way.
“We play better under pressure and the next step for us is to play like that in the Champions League. This is amazing, but it would’ve been great to have two more trophies.”
Eriksson: My favourite title
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Eriksson departs Chelsea with two more winners medals under her belt after winning the FA Cup and WSL in her final two weeks at the club.
But she earmarked the latest success as her favourite, and said she tried not to focus on her final game during the week.
“It’s my favourite [title] one,” she told Sky Sports. “They way we’ve done it this year, I don’t think anyone has used every single player with the amount of games we have – everyone has played their part and has been important.
“That’s the way we do it at Chelsea and I’m so proud of that. We’ve also had setbacks with injuries, but people have stepped up.
“We also lost our manager for a short time and we had to step up – that says a lot about this team. I’m really happy to be saying goodbye after such a season. The fans are amazing as well.
“I’ve been living in denial because I didn’t want to focus on it before the game, it would be too emotional. We had a job to do here today, that was the main thing.
“As soon as I got subbed off, the emotions came. I feel overwhelmed.
“We take so much pride from the environment that we create as a team. It’s not just about winning, it’s about being nice to each other, being a family with players stepping up and developing.
“It’s something I’m all for, I stand behind it so much. The way we win is so important where everyone is equally as important.”
Chambers: A tough day for Reading
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Reading manager Chambers – who was honoured ahead of kick-off to mark her 20 years at the club – gave a tearful post-match interview, commenting on how difficult the final day was for her and her side.
She told Sky Sports: “It’s a tough day. In terms of the season, the league doesn’t lie. You need to be good enough across the season, but at the moment, a club like us can’t compete with the investment that other clubs are putting in.
“But I’m very proud. We’ve been in the league for eight years, and every year we’ve had the lowest budget, but we’ve managed to compete and find ways to make sure we stay in the league. It’s a very hard day overall.
“The first conversation will be with the club to make sure what is next, where do they want to go and how they want to take the women’s side forward.
“Then it’s building a team for next year and step into the Championship ready to compete and try to bounce straight back up.”
The Reading manager also paid tribute to friend Hayes, adding: “She was the first one to come up to me and say sorry!
“What she has done at Chelsea has been amazing – to win four titles on the bounce – and I know she’s hungry for the Champions League, I know she wants that desperately. To be able to do it year on year, it’s tough but you can see the support around her to be able to do that.
“Her knowledge of the game and what she’s done for the game to grow it at the same time is unbelievable.
“She does deserve it, not only with a small family, but her health issues this season, to go through all of that and to keep a team on track to win the league and other cups this season is phenomenal.”
Telford: Hayes has galvanised this team
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Carly Telford joined the Sky Sports punditry team, and congratulated Hayes on how she has managed to keep evolving her winning team.
“This season, it hasn’t always been about those players. Sam Kerr hasn’t scored as many goals, Pernille and Fran have been injured and everyone has stepped up.
“That doesn’t come from any old manager – that’s from experience, from Emma Hayes, who has been there and got many of the t-shirts.
“She has galvanised this team into something special. Four titles in a row is unbelievable.
“The pressure to evolve, the chasing pack gets closer, the league gets tighter – every team wants to knock Chelsea off their pedestal every single season.
“For Chelsea to come through the way they have, especially after the Barcelona loss, and kick on the way they have with the goals they’ve scored, the amount they haven’t conceded, they’ve got their heads down and gone on another mad run.
“You can see the relief on everyone’s faces to win it. You tick off the games, pick up the three points and move on. But now you can say ‘it’s done now’ and have a holiday.”
