'Many ways to hunt' - Palace's fight for WSL survival

Crystal Palace may be fighting for Women's Super League survival but their new manager Leif Smerud does not want them to be easy prey.

The Norwegian says he wants them to "hunt" and "fight" for scraps.

Smerud joined the club this month when Palace sacked former boss Laura Kaminski after results left them four points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Forty-eight-year-old Smerud, who managed Norway's men's and women's national teams, is preparing Palace for a crucial game against second-bottom Aston Villa on Sunday (14:00 GMT).

They have seven matches left this season to earn points and Smerud's message to his players has been clear - they cannot give up.

"I don't want to run and be scared. We have to be brave. We are in a situation where we have very little to lose but it's easy to be scared," said Smerud.

"There are many ways to hunt. You wouldn't hunt a lion on an open field - you need to find another way. To look ahead, not be scared and sit back is important.

"We can't control the outcomes but we can control what we do and the mindset is important."

For Smerud, a licensed clinical psychologist, having the right mindset is everything.

He describes himself as a "team guy", "a builder" and someone who is "very open" with his players.

Ultimately, his aim is to bring the team together to understand the best ways in which they can attack opposition in order to get results.

"If you are going to build then you have to challenge yourself and create a game where you try to hunt and be quite brave," he said.

"You can't be naive, you have to be pushing and developing. I want us to hunt the ball, hunt the goal and hunt development as one unit.

"I don't like to see my teams quitting so we will keep working and be flexible - a hunting unit that doesn't quit."

From the outside Smerud has seen the team struggle during what he describes as a "rough season".

Having gained promotion from the Women's Championship in 2024, Palace were always expected to be at the bottom of the table but Smerud hopes to change perceptions.

"It has been close in quite a few of the games. They could have won them but they didn't and that is really heavy mentally when you end up on the losing side often," said Smerud.

"It adds a kind of pressure so I think to come in, change some perspective and provide a clear way of doing things can hopefully bring some direction.

"I want to take away the fear that will sneak in. People think about surviving but let's think about fighting instead."