Manchester City's Women's Super League title built on belief, language and a shift in mindset

Manchester City's long-awaited return to the summit of the Women's Super League was sealed last week, but built all season long around something the squad had long been reluctant to voice.

As Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw at Brighton Hove Albion last week, confirming City's first league title in a decade, captain Alex Greenwood found herself reflecting less on silverware and more on something the squad once tiptoed around -- language, and a willingness to speak openly about winning.

"The whole season has felt different, in a really good way," Greenwood said.

That difference, she explained, began with words around winning and excellence that City's players were finally willing to use.

"The shift in culture, the shift in mindset, the language we use and being comfortable to use certain language that we've maybe been a little bit afraid to use in the past," said the England defender.

"But when it becomes the norm to speak like that, it's not like you win trophies immediately, but at some time that becomes normal, you operate like a successful winning team."

City's league title capped a season defined not just by results but by late-game authority. Under head coach Andree Jeglertz, appointed last July after Gareth Taylor's sacking, belief slowly hardened into expectation.

"There was a couple of moments during the year where we realised, there's one thing just saying that you want to win, but also when you score in the last minutes against Arsenal or London City or Liverpool, that the players started thinking, 'Yeah, we can actually win'," Jeglertz said.

"It's been a momentum shift during the season, for sure."

WINNING CONSISTENTLY

Yet both Greenwood and Jeglertz are careful to separate winning once from winning consistently.

"There's one thing of working to be a winning team. The difficult part starts now, it's to maintain winning," Jeglertz said. "Now we are not talking about becoming a winning team. We talk about acting like a winning team."

He pointed to City's stunning 3-2 comeback victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals.

"That was acting like a winning team," Jeglertz said. "That's where we are from now on. Winners that need to act like winners every day."

Jeglertz and Greenwood spoke to media on Tuesday as part of the unveiling of the women's team's new training facility. Both praised the glittering new building as a key part of that winning culture.

"The facility is a massive step forward. It attracts players, but it also allows the Next Generation (women under-21s side) to look over here and want to aspire to be here," Greenwood said.

"If I were them right now, I'd do everything I could to be in this building.

"I also hope this is a shift for women's football, for other clubs to push their women's team to have their own facilities," Greenwood added.

The new purpose-built facility is at the heart of the club's longer-term vision of creating a dynasty, according to Charlotte O'Neill, managing director of the women's programme.

"Absolutely, that's the plan," O'Neill said. "We're trying to build the winning machine."

The club has been deliberate in creating a feeling of togetherness.

"We have social events, Halloween parties, surprise events at the training ground -- ice cream vans, food trucks, pasta trucks -- nights out," O'Neill said. "It's creating an environment where everyone wants to be here."

For Greenwood, that sense of connection extends to the dressing room. The player lockers are laid out in numerical order, with one exception: No. 5 Greenwood sits next to striker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw, who wears No. 9.

"We've sat together since day one in every changing room. We have a fantastic relationship on and off the pitch," Greenwood said, deflecting questions about Shaw's future at City, which has been the subject of speculation.

"I'd love Bunny to stay at this football club forever," she said.

City wrap up their WSL season at West Ham United on Saturday. They take on Brighton Hove Albion in the FA Cup final on May 31 at Wembley Stadium.

(Reporting by Lori Ewing Editing by Toby Davis)