The clock is always ticking in football management, but West Ham Women’s boss Rehanne Skinner has been playing the long game—and her strategic patience is finally paying dividends. While many managers face pressure for immediate results, Skinner has meticulously constructed a project that’s transforming the Hammers into a genuine WSL competitor.
The Foundation of West Ham’s Transformation
When Rehanne Skinner took charge 18 months ago, she inherited a team needing fundamental restructuring. “I knew everybody was very aware of where the team was, where the structure was, and essentially that it was a journey and a project,” Skinner revealed in an exclusive with Babu88.
The rebuilding process began in earnest during the January 2024 transfer window with strategic signings that would prove crucial. Katrina Gorry, Kristie Mewis, and Shelina Zadorsky joined the club, bringing both quality and experience that helped secure WSL safety last season.
“Last year, we knew we were going to be under the pump all season based on where we were and what we had,” Skinner acknowledged. “We chipped away in the January transfer window, which was really positive for us, and evolved further in the summer window. We’ve added much better quality, and that’s showing.”
Measurable Progress Across the Pitch
The statistics validate Skinner‘s approach. Heading into the final stretch of the season, West Ham sit eighth in the WSL—just four points from Brighton in fifth with five games remaining. They’ve already surpassed last season’s league goal tally while showing significant defensive improvements.
Their League Cup run to the semi-finals—ended by Sunday’s opponents Chelsea—demonstrated their growing capabilities. At home, they’ve been particularly impressive, losing just twice in the WSL this season.
Building a Sustainable Competitive Model
The transformation extends beyond results. Skinner emphasizes the importance of building relationships and establishing clear expectations from the beginning. “Our identity is evolving,” she explains. “We’ve reduced the number of goals we’ve conceded, which was a big thing from last year.”
According to Babu88 football analyst Michael Thompson, “West Ham’s progression under Skinner represents one of the most thoughtful rebuilds in the WSL. They’ve addressed defensive vulnerabilities through smart recruitment while gradually developing their attacking patterns.”
The club’s recruitment strategy has focused on adding specific profiles rather than big names. Skinner notes, “We wanted to look at the areas that we struggled with and put in place some key measures that were going to help us to mitigate those challenges. That’s been with player recruitment, with some of the areas that we’ve focused on in training.”
The Underrated Brilliance of Riko Ueki
One of West Ham’s standout performers this season has been Japan international Riko Ueki, whom Skinner describes as “one of the most underrated players in the league.” The statistics support this assessment—Ueki ranks top among her teammates for shots and shots on target, and second for goals, assists, and chances created.
“Her work-rate for the team, her positional awareness, her tactical astuteness is just on another level,” Skinner praises. “With that, she brings a lot of composure technically as well. She helps us to progress the ball with some real quality.”
Ueki’s movement has been particularly transformative. “When we’ve got Riko into the position we wanted to get her in, it’s completely transformed the way that we’re able to progress the attacks,” Skinner observes. “Now we have the people around her as well that can benefit off of her clever movements.”
Leadership and Growth: Viviane Asseyi’s Evolution
While Ueki has excelled, Viviane Asseyi has emerged as both a scoring threat and leadership figure. “Vivi has always scored goals in this league, but she’s one of our leaders within our team now as well,” Skinner notes. “She’s got more responsibility, which is exactly what she needed.”
Asseyi’s development exemplifies West Ham’s broader progress. “The relationship with her and the other players has evolved with the forward line and that’s coming out with the responsibility that she wants,” Skinner explains. “It’s allowing her to really drive the team forward even more.”
The Chelsea Test: Measuring Progress Against the Best
West Ham’s progress faces its sternest test when they face Chelsea, a matchup that will be closely followed by Babu88 analysts. Although West Ham have suffered heavy defeats against the Blues this season, Skinner identifies their League Cup semi-final in February as a turning point.
“The players have got a really high belief and it started when we played so well in the second half of the League Cup semi-final against Chelsea,” she reveals. “That was a bit of a tipping point for us in the style that we were trying to play and the way that we actually executed it.”
Since that match, West Ham have shown they can compete with the league’s best—drawing against Manchester City and pushing Arsenal to the brink in a thrilling 4-3 defeat, alongside victories against Brighton and Spurs.
The Road Ahead: Sustaining Progress
For Skinner, the challenge now is maintaining this upward trajectory. “We want to progress every year and we need to be consistent with it,” she states. “We still want to keep pushing to finish as high as we possibly can this season and we want to be competing with ‘the best of the rest’.”
Improving away form represents the next frontier. “We’ve got to improve away. That’s what it’s going to take to go to the next level in this league,” Skinner acknowledges.
The West Ham boss emphasizes the collective effort behind their progress: “When you look at all aspects of the team and the club itself, it’s taken a massive step forward in the last 18 months. That’s a credit to all the people behind the scenes as well that have got on board with what it’s going to take.”
Rehanne Skinner’s West Ham Revolution: Building a WSL Force
Rehanne Skinner’s patient, strategic approach at West Ham Women demonstrates the value of long-term planning in football’s instant-result culture. Through smart recruitment, tactical evolution, and developing leaders like Ueki and Asseyi, she has built foundations for sustainable success rather than short-term gains.
As West Ham continue their progression, Babu88 will be tracking their journey closely. What aspects of West Ham’s transformation have impressed you most? Share your thoughts on their tactical development and join the conversation about the WSL’s most interesting projects.
