Wolves Women aiming to make dreams the normality in WSL 2

Sunday is a big day for both Wolves Women and the wider West Midlands as a whole.

Just the region’s second professional women’s team take their first steps in the newly revamped WSL 2 with a trip to Newcastle United.

For boss Dan McNamara it is both the realisation of a dream and the toughest challenge he has so far faced in eight years at the helm.

As McNamara has been telling his players this week: “The motto this season is to turn the dream into the normal.”

Precisely four months to the day since Charlotte Greengrass’ goal fired his team to victory in the Northern Premier League, there has been little time for the head coach to rest.

No fewer than 11 new players have been signed, while McNamara and his staff faced some tough decisions over players without whom promotion could never have been won, yet were not going to be part of the next chapter.

Then there has been dealing with the problems which arise from transitioning from a part-time to full-time operation, as players get used to the “release” of football becoming their career and the central focus of their lives.

“When that final whistle went against Plymouth it was a moment I have strived for, for a long time,” said McNamara.

“But it was after the celebrations had finished, probably that evening, I thought: ‘Now we have to work’.”

McNamara acknowledges his side are already starting behind the curve, having become the first part-time team to be promoted out of the third tier for several years.

He has already heard one pundit describe how his team are heading to the north-east this weekend to “get a hiding”.

But this is a head coach and a team who enjoy battling against the odds.

“Everyone thinks we are going to fail. But everyone thought we were going to fail last year and the year before and the year before that.

“But were we failing in those moments, or building to something incredible like we have now?

“I have no interest in what other people think. We want to shock people. We are no just here to enjoy the journey.”