| Date: Saturday, 15 April Venue: Leigh Sports Village Kick-off: 17.15 BST |
| Coverage: Watch live coverage on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. Listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds. Follow live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Melissa Phillips’ coaching stint in the United States was so brief, she didn’t have time to move all her possessions out of her flat in London.
That’s a blessing for the 35-year-old, however, who has now been tasked with guiding Brighton to a first Women’s FA Cup final – and then preserving their Women’s Super League status.
Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.
Phillips was appointed by Brighton last week as their fourth manager of the season, following the departures of Hope Powell and Jens Scheuer – along with two interim spells for Amy Merricks.
The Seagulls hope their new American manager can guide them off the foot of the WSL.
For Phillips, this is her third job of the season.
She started in charge of Championship promotion hopefuls London City Lionesses, who were top of the league when Angel City came calling in January to offer her the role of assistant coach in her native California.
Her Lionesses departure was announced days before they faced Tottenham in the FA Cup in January.
But, just over three months into her time with Angel City and two games into the National Women’s Soccer League season, Brighton made their move – and Phillips couldn’t say no.
“My heart was always in England,” she said at her pre-match news conference for the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United on Saturday.
“Leaving at a time when my previous club was fighting at the top was tough, but I needed to progress my career by training world-class players.
“But my heart is here, Brighton share my ambitions to grow in the women’s game. I never expected to spend so little time at Angel, but they understood me coming back.
“I was lucky that I hadn’t shipped my stuff out yet, it’s still in my flat in London.”
‘We don’t need wholesale changes’
Phillips’ first match could not be much tougher. Unlike Manchester United, Brighton have played in a Women’s FA Cup semi-final previously – but that is where the on-paper advantages end.
Brighton are bottom of the WSL with two wins and nine points from 15 games, where they have conceded a staggering 50 goals.
United, meanwhile, have scored 46 times in 17 WSL fixtures, the best attacking record in the division, as they sit a point clear at the top of the table.
Yet Phillips welcomes the challenge they will face at Leigh Sports Village on Saturday, before attention turns to league matters.
“There’s no pressure at all, it’s a good challenge against one of the best teams in the league,” she said. “Our priority is the league, but it is not just about staying up, we want to impress as well.
“It has been difficult on staff because of the transition over the last year. We want to come in and provide stability.
“I can’t understate the achievement [of reaching an FA Cup semi] enough from the players, amid such a transition year.”
Brighton’s last WSL game on 1 April was against United – and they lost 4-0 at home.
Despite this, and having very limited time with her new squad after she arrived during the international break, Phillips remains positive they can cause an upset.
“Four-nil wasn’t indicative of how competitive we were,” she added. “We are looking at incremental adjustments from that game, not wholesale changes, we don’t have that time in place. We have to be careful about what we do.”
‘Melissa has changed my life’
Phillips arrives at Brighton with her reputation high after her London City Lionesses spell, where she initially joined as assistant manager the day before the coronavirus lockdown began in March 2020. She then took on the senior role in October that year.
While there, Phillips shaped one of the strongest sides in the second tier, despite the Lionesses being a rare example of an independent club near the top level of English women’s football who are not affiliated with a men’s professional team.
A glance at the messages posted on social media by Lionesses players and staff after Phillips left for Angel City showed the esteem in which she was held.
Nikita Runnacles, who served as Phillips’ assistant before taking on the interim head coach role after her departure, wrote: “This is not an understatement when I say Melissa has changed my life, along with so many others.
“Coming to work daily for three years feeling valued can never be underestimated – forever grateful our paths crossed.”
Players were similarly effusive with praise. Co-captain, and fellow American, Shae Yanez said: “What an impact you have made both in my life, on/off the pitch. This club would be nowhere without Mel.”
Republic of Ireland midfielder Lily Agg wrote: “Hard to even imagine London City Lionesses without Melissa Phillips, who has only ever put us players first throughout this journey and is the sole reason why we are top of the league. The most selfless, driven human.”
Phillips will hope to create a similar feeling at Brighton who, she believes, have everything in place to succeed despite their lowly league position.
“Brighton have an unbelievable vision for the women’s project, providing a real platform to be successful and to operate in,” she added. “There is so much potential to be successful, we just have to match that on the pitch.”