The wait is over my friends, the Ladies finally have a new manager to replace Shelley Kerr. No, none of my predictions were right, but there's no need to dwell on that is there? Instead, let's extend a warm welcome to Pedro Losa.
After losing mastermind manager Laura Harvey to Seattle Reign FC of the NWSL, the Arsenal grabbed a manager back. Losa has spent the past two seasons with the Western New York Flash as an assistant coach under Aaran Lines. During his time with the Flash, Losa helped the squad to the inaugural championship game, winning the NWSL shield as regular season champs along the way.
Losa also played a key role in bringing Spanish nationals Vicky Losada and Sonia Bermudez to the NWSL this past season. Losada was one of the top assist makers in the league with six, and both players have been key in the Spanish national team's recent success in 2015 World Cup qualifying, where they currently sit atop their qualifying group.
The Spaniard also has experience as a head coach, spending five years with Rayo Vallecano Femenino in Spain and winning three straight league titles from 09-11, and reaching the round of 16 in the 10-11 edition of the UEFA Women's Champions League. Funnily enough, the team that eliminated Rayo from the tournament that year was the one and only Arsenal Ladies. I suppose they liked what they saw.
The initial reaction to Losa's hiring? A step in the right direction. Losa brings a lot of experience to the table and really can be a player's manager. He had two games in charge of the Flash last season, Lines missed time due to the birth of his son, and showed a possession style gameplan that could work very well with the pieces the Arsenal Ladies have. Aside from that, I think the players should be motivated to play for Losa and get this team back on the up and up.
The Gunners won't have to wait long for Losa to take the reigns as manager, he'll be joining the club on September 15th, just in time for the September 20th clash with Bristol Academy. In the meantime, our queen Kelly Smith will be in charge for the team's three upcoming games against Birmingham City, Chelsea, and Notts County.