Olli Harder focused on the progress that his West Ham United team have made over the course of his time in charge after a narrow 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday evening.
The Hammers were right in the game at Kingsmeadow, even after Beth England had put the Barclays FA Women’s Super League champions 1-0 up six minutes into the second half.
But a deflected effort from Erin Cuthbert sealed the win for Emma Hayes’ side just eight minutes from time.
Harder was quick to praise the effort of his players, as well as the quality of the opposition that his team were up against.
“I thought the effort was there to be seen yet again,” Harder told BBC Sport. “We did our best to try and negate Chelsea’s quality which is obvious to see.
“It was our fourth game in ten days after a massive break because of a COVID-19 outbreak, but I'm pleased that we had and we were in the game for 82 minutes against a good Chelsea team.
“When you’ve got the opportunity to make a substitution like that and bring on a player of Beth England’s quality, then more power to you.
"I think Emma Hayes made a sensible sub and it changed the game for me in regard to the way that they attacked thereafter."
The most important thing is that we’re competing in games against the top teams, we’re winning games against teams that are in and around our level of quality, and we’ve accumulated more points than we did throughout the entirety of last season
Olli Harder
The defeat brought an end to an unbeaten league run of five matches, which has included wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Everton in recent times.
It shows the progress that this West Ham United team has made under Harder. They sit 7th in the FA WSL table, only four points behind Tottenham in 4th place.
This was only West Ham United’s third defeat of the campaign, with the other two coming against Arsenal, and Brighton on the opening day – in which the Hammers played the majority of the match with ten players.
“The progress that this team has made compared to a year ago is fairly obvious,” Harder explained. “The most important thing is that we’re competing in games against the top teams, we’re winning games against teams that are in and around our level of quality, and we’ve accumulated more points than we did throughout the entirety of last season.
“We’re making small steps as a club to be able to compete and take points on occasion against the big teams. We’re disappointed tonight with the result, but we will get there.”
Harder and his team will now turn their attention to a trip to Sheffield United in the Vitality Women's FA Cup on Sunday 30 January 2022.