“A keystone player”: Why keeping Jade Pennock fit will be critical to Birmingham’s chances of a WSL return – scout report

2021/22 will not be a season that Birmingham City Women will look back on with fond memories, as the team struggled for form throughout the WSL campaign and were eventually relegated to the Women’s Championship for their first-ever season outside the top flight.

However, that did give them a chance to rebuild their squad, with interim head coach Darren Carter given the full-time role and having time to work on his preferred tactics. Some bold transfer moves followed, with the likes of Manchester United Women full-back Martha Harris and Liverpool Women forward Ashley Hodson joining the group, but there was also a good amount of talent already at the club for Carter to work with, and one of those who could play a big part in helping Birmingham back to the WSL is Jade Pennock, who joined last summer from Sheffield United Women and has proven to be central to Carter’s style of play.

Capable of operating on either wing, as an attacking midfielder or a striker, Pennock offers a lot to her team in the central and final thirds, and this tactical analysis will look in greater depth at her on-field qualities. The scout report will focus specifically on how her movement and ability to work alone have been crucial to Birmingham’s transitions, as well as why her ability to play in different roles around the pitch has made her a player that Birmingham simply can’t afford to be without.

Movement

With Birmingham City Women playing a quick style of football this season, it has been essential that their players have the ability to move around the pitch and constantly be aware of each other’s whereabouts, with them often making rapid decisions in order to exploit spaces before they are closed off.

Fortunately, this is a style of play that Jade Pennock thrives in, with her working with teammates around the pitch and being responsible for keeping their attacking momentum going. One of the players that she often links up with is former Leicester City Women forward Libby Smith, who has tended to lead the line on her own this season and so has needed support from those behind her, and this situation shows how Pennock is never far away.

However, what is clever about Pennock’s movement here is that she can assess situations and then make decisions about where to move to, based on what is happening with the ball. In this case, Smith is taking the ball towards the nearside line and is under pressure from Coventry United Women’s Evie Gane, so there are two options that Pennock can choose between, with the first being to run forwards and get into an area where she can shoot at goal, and the second being to hold her position and give Smith a way of getting the ball away from Gane and Jodie Bartle, who goes across to try and create a 2-v-1.