'We Need To Have That Desire' - Passmoor Looks To Sunderland Test

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'We Need To Have That Desire' - Passmoor Looks To Sunderland Test

Rick Passmoor wants to see desire from his players to win individual duels, as another tough test in the North East awaits against Sunderland this afternoon.

2026-10-04T09:00+01:00

by Matthew Temple

Published

13 Hours 50 Mins Ago

'We Need To Have That Desire' - Passmoor Looks To Sunderland Test

Rick Passmoor wants to see desire from his players to win individual duels, as another tough test in the North East awaits against Sunderland this afternoon.

Matthew Temple

2026-10-04T09:00+01:00

'We Need To Have That Desire' - Passmoor Looks To Sunderland Test

Rick Passmoor wants to see desire from his players to win individual duels, as another tough test in the North East awaits against Sunderland this afternoon.

Matthew Temple

2026-10-04T09:00+01:00

'We Need To Have That Desire' - Passmoor Looks To Sunderland Test

Rick Passmoor wants to see desire from his players to win individual duels, as another tough test in the North East awaits against Sunderland this afternoon.

Matthew Temple

2026-10-04T09:00+01:00

'We Need To Have That Desire' - Passmoor Looks To Sunderland Test

Rick Passmoor wants to see desire from his players to win individual duels, as another tough test in the North East awaits against Sunderland this afternoon.

Matthew Temple

2026-10-04T09:00+01:00

Our fourth Barclays WSL2 fixture of the season saw us fall to defeat to Newcastle United last weekend, leaving us seventh in the standings, with six points accrued from a possible 12 in the early stages of the season.

The going doesn't get any easier for Passmoor's side, however, as we head north again to take on the second-place Black Cats...

'This league is relentless'

We were beaten by Newcastle last time out.

Consecutive losses to Ipswich Town and then the Magpies was a harsh reality check for LCFC Women, who learned this division will be anything but straightforward.

Beaten by a Newcastle side who are yet to let their 100 per cent start to the league campaign slip, our Manager has identified areas which the Foxes must build on, should we want to be challenging at the top end of the table.

"The takeaway is that this league is going to be relentless, and demanding physically, given their direct play," Passmoor explained to the media. "You need to ensure you're winning the first contact and second balls, and that's what our post-match chat was about.

"Nothing technical, but about that desire to be the best you possibly can on the pitch to have that effect. The scoreline doesn't lie, they were better than us on the day.

"We now need to ensure we learn from that, because as I've said before, September doesn't define us. We're trying to create a different philosophy, which will take time.

"Historically, both teams that have been promoted haven't got into their stride until about Christmas, and we're still learning and growing, with a new team.

"We're all 100 per cent committed to the shirt, and we know what direction this team wants to go in, so it's just about achieving that."

'Take accountability'

Instructions from the sideline.

The Foxes have been dealt a difficult hand, with a number of injuries currently plaguing the squad, including the long-term absence of Sam Tierney, who suffered an ACL injury against Durham a few weeks ago.

The league, however, will not take pity on City, who must learn to cope with the challenges faced, and look to return to winning ways, which the Manager believes starts with taking responsibility for our actions and learning from mistakes.

"You've got to look in the mirror and take accountability for the players and the team," Passmoor continued. "In a three-game week, it might have been too much.

"With the injuries we have, we've been training with fewer numbers as well, because we have quite a few First Team players in the medical room, so being left with a reduced squad has had an effect.

"I myself have to learn from that in terms of how we set them up, but we always debrief after each game, and we've had some open and honest conversations from last weekend.

"We know we need to improve, although we know this early stage of the season won't define us. We just need to make sure we hit the criteria that we set, and that we're ready for this weekend's game."

'They're a very good team'

The Foxes are looking for a first win in four games.

Sunderland are thriving themselves, currently four games unbeaten, as they look to keep the pressure on their fierce rivals at the summit.

Explaining what he has made of the Black Cats in his analysis, he urged his side to be ready for the fight that awaits us at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground.

Passmoor added: "I think they've recruited very well. They're entering a new era, because their parent club are doing well, and when you look at their form from pre-season onwards, they've gained good results, which helps momentum and confidence.

"They are a very good team and every time you go up to the North East, whether that's Newcastle, Durham or Sunderland, you need to be ready.

"We need to be ready this week and prepared because things off the pitch do have a psychological difference. They have a strong home record, and we're going there with an appetite and belief to get a positive result.

"But to do that, everyone has to be winning their battles on the pitch and it will be a good challenge for both teams."

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