WSL needs to grow soon – Bristol City manager Lauren Smith

Just seven points separated the top four teams in the Championship this season, with Crystal Palace the only team to win promotion.

Smith said the expansion had to be done “the right way.”

“You can’t make it huge right away because you don’t want to lose the quality,” Smith added.

“It’s the one league in the world that everyone wants to be in at the moment, so it needs to stay, while growing it over several seasons the right way.”

Smith said the growth has to come off the field as well.

Bristol City have averaged 7,000 fans per game this campaign and will continue to play at Ashton Gate next season despite their return to the second tier.

“If you look at some of the top teams, they need new stadiums now because they’ve outgrown them,” Smith said.

“The game has grown so quickly in such a short time that the teams that are catching up and pushing to catch up are worth a shot – and that needs to open up a bit.”

Smith said the WSL was “clinical” and “brutal” and that the lead on the Championship was huge in terms of tactics and technical ability of the players.

She also pointed out that the number of injuries the team has dealt with throughout the campaign is a massive factor in the team’s results, but admitted that her side “were not good enough” to stay awake.

“If we go back to the WSL in the short term, we know we have to be more robust, fill the squad with the strongest 11 week in, week out, which we haven’t been able to do this season,” she. said.