Too little too Leif: ten weeks wasn't long enough to save Crystal Palace from Women's Super League relegation
Life in the Women’s Super League was never going to be easy for Crystal Palace.
When Laura Kaminski joined the club at the start of the 2023-24 season, she was open about the project.
It was her first head coach role and the plan was to build a squad that would be strong enough to compete in the WSL.
It was a three year plan.
She achieved it in one.
After being crowned winners of the Barclay’s Women’s Championship, the Eagles were promoted to the top flight of women’s football for the first time in the club’s history.
Kaminski became a firm favourite with fans very quickly.
“Laura Kaminski's red & blue army!”
Kaminski lifts the Barclay's Women's Championship trophy in her first season as head coach at Crystal Palace (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
Kaminski lifts the Barclay's Women's Championship trophy in her first season as head coach at Crystal Palace (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
Palace strengthened their squad pre-season, bringing in experienced WSL players including Josie Green (Leicester City), Shae Yanez (Bristol City) and Katie Stengel (Liverpool). They also recruited smartly across Europe, with standout signings Ashleigh Weerden (Ajax) and Indiah-Paige Riley (PSV) added to the ranks.
Lexi Potter (Chelsea) impressed on her loan spell during the Eagles’ Championship winning season - and she joined for a second season on loan alongside Poppy Pritchard (Manchester City).
Their introduction to WSL football was like a baptism of fire.
The season opened with a 4-0 loss to Tottenham, followed by being thumped 7-0 by reigning champions Chelsea.
Brutal.
Match three saw Palace jump to 8th in the table with a 2-0 win away to Leicester, but it was all downhill from there.
After gameweek 14, Crystal Palace had just one win, three draws and ten losses. They sat rock bottom of the league and four points adrift from Aston Villa.
It was always going to take time for the squad to find their rhythm. 14 new players learning Kaminski’s style. Kaminski herself learning how to adapt to the style of football in the WSL.
But unfortunately, in the WSL - you don’t have time.
Kaminski on the touchline (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
Kaminski on the touchline (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
Speculation about Kaminski’s job security had been bubbling away among fans for a few weeks across social media.
“Kaminski’s team selections are starting to baffle me. We have top quality players who aren’t even on the bench. We’re struggling for goals - why aren’t we playing Elise Hughes. And where is Izzy Atkinson?!”
“We knew it was going to be a mountain of a challenge when we got promoted. Laura Kaminski got us here. I think we should back her, and if we get relegated - we all go down together.”
28th February 2025.
Just one day after Matt Beard was sacked by Liverpool, it was announced that Laura Kaminski and Crystal Palace had parted ways.
Was Kaminski off to Liverpool?
Was Beard coming to Palace?
Was it just coincidental timing?
It turned out to be the latter.
“Crystal Palace will always hold a special place in my heart and I am grateful to the club for my first opportunity in football management.
“The consistency of love [from fans] shown to me in the ultimate highs of promotion through to the most challenging of times has left a huge impact on me.
“Goodbye for now, I will always follow - and that’s the way we like it.”
The following day, Palace announced their new manager.
Leif Smerud.
Norwegian Leif Smerud announced as the new head coach at Crystal Palace (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
Norwegian Leif Smerud announced as the new head coach at Crystal Palace (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
You’d be forgiven for asking - who?
Unless you’re familiar with the Norwegian football scene, there is a strong chance you will never have heard his name before.
Between 2002 - 2013, Smerud managed Viking, Mandalskameratene and Hønefoss - all of which played in the second and third tiers of Norwegian football. He also took the reins of Norway under 21’s from 2014 - 2023.
During his spell as manager of the under 21’s national team, he made headlines when he took charge of his only match for the senior team in 2020 due to very unusual circumstances - the usual coaching staff being struck down with covid.
Given his lack of experience in the WSL (or English football as a whole) - was he the right person for the job?
“I’m really honoured, I’m proud and I’m very happy to join Crystal Palace, a club with a long history in football.
“I believe football is about more than tactics – it's about a connection with some values, and I really think that Crystal Palace has values that I connect with.
“I really look forward to representing the club and all that it stands for.”
With only a day to work with the squad, Smerud’s first game against Liverpool ended in a 1-0 defeat.
Their next fixture, two weeks later at home to Villa, saw a revitalised Palace side take a commanding 3-1 victory.
Celebrating their win against Aston Villa (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
Celebrating their win against Aston Villa (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
With just one point now between the bottom two, there was a genuine sense among players, staff and fans that Palace could pull off the greatest escape and survive in the WSL.
However, Crystal Palace lost five of their remaining six games and finished the season ten points behind Tottenham Hotspur in 11th.
Relegated.
The day after the season concluded, it was announced that Leif Smerud had left Crystal Palace after just ten weeks in charge.
Smerud was brought in to save the club from relegation - he was unsuccessful.
Smerud looks on as his team face relegation (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
Smerud looks on as his team face relegation (Photo Credit: Crystal Palace)
“We gave everything to try and stay in the WSL - we didn’t manage to pull it off but I’m proud of the work we did together.
“After some reflection, I made the decision to step away.
“The plan was to coach in the WSL - and when we couldn’t stay up, it felt right to step away to give the club space to rebuild, and to pursue the next challenge myself.”
The fans of the club had their say on social media.
“We should have offered the job to Matt Beard. He had experience of the WSL. He could have saved us.”
“What was the point in sacking Laura Kaminski?! He really wasn’t the right choice for the team - he kept our top goalscorer from last season on the bench when we were crying out for goals. Make it make sense!”
“I don’t think sacking Kaminski was the wrong decision, but we needed a replacement who would improve results. Nothing changed - in fact it got worse under Smerud.”
Worse under Smerud? Let’s take a look…
Looking at the stats, Smerud performed ever so slightly better than Kaminski in four less games.
Would he have been more successful if brought into the mix earlier? This would have allowed more chance for his style and teachings to create the habits he wanted on the pitch. But would it have changed the outcome of the season?
I guess we’ll never know…
Crystal Palace are yet to announce their new manager for the upcoming 2025-26 season in the newly named WSL2.
Fans will hope they can bounce straight back up into the top flight - however since the WSL launched in 2010, this has never been achieved. No team has ever gone straight back up after being relegated.
Maybe Crystal Palace will be the first.
Watch this space.
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