Megan Finnigan insists she will play anywhere in a bid to help Everton Ladies rise up the Women’s Super League table.
The versatile England Under-21s international has predominantly played as part of a back three for much of the current campaign but, with the Blue Girls switching to four at the back for the visit of Arsenal on Sunday, Finnigan was deployed alongside Angharad James as part of a screen in front of the defence.
No matter where she is selected, however, the centre of excellence graduate intends to do whatever is required in order for the Toffees to start picking up points.
“As long as I am on the pitch, I don’t really mind where I play,” she said. “I just want to do a job for the team.
“I enjoyed playing in midfield. I quite like the physical side of it and being a little bit more involved. That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed playing at the back – I have. But at this stage of my career, I don’t mind where I play.
“I know I wasn’t in there for my creative ability! I know what type of player I am and that’s more defensively-minded. I do like to be on the ball but last Sunday wasn’t that type of game. We knew Arsenal would have most of the possession.
“I am the type of player who likes to keep it simple, win it back and give it to the likes of Chloe Kelly and Inessa Kaagman and let them do their magic. I’ll help the team defend.
“Playing four at the back makes us that little bit tighter and with Haz and I playing as the two sitting midfielders, we had that defensive core. Looking ahead, we need to prioritise that defensive shape to make sure we are conceding fewer goals.
“We put in a lot of good work defensively against Arsenal, with last minute tackles and blocks, and Kirstie Levell made some really good saves. We were frustrating them in the first half but conceding just before half time was a blow. In the second, we were a little more open as we tried to get back into it.
“But we can take a lot of positives from much of the first half because we defended well for large periods.”
Everton will face another examination of their defensive resolve against a Reading side that boasts the creative talents of decorated England legend Fara Williams – once of the Blue Girls – and Gemma Davison, plus the predatory threat of another former Toffee in Brooke Chaplen.
But having beaten the Royals 3-2 at Southport earlier in the season, Finnigan expects the Blue Girls to go to Adams Park with plenty of belief.
“It will be another test defensively for us on Sunday," she said. "Reading know how to score goals themselves and, with the system they play, it is a challenge to defend against. They commit numbers forward in central areas and play good football.
“But we have to take confidence from beating them in the Continental Cup earlier this season. Reading are a good side but they can be beaten. We have to go into the game with the belief that we can do that.”
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