Former England manager Hope Powell leaves Women’s Super League side Brighton after 8-0 Tottenham defeat

Hope Powell has resigned from her position as manager of Women’s Super League team Brighton with immediate effect.

Powell has been in charge on the south coast for five years after joining Brighton in July 2017, but has now decided to part ways with the club after struggling for form this season.

They have won just once this season in five games, and on Sunday were routed 8-0 by north London side Tottenham, which precipitated Powell’s decision.

In a statement regarding the decision to part ways, Powell said: “I feel now is the right time to step aside and allow a new coach to take the team forward.”

Powell’s assistant manager, Amy Merricks, will step in as a caretaker manager for this Sunday’s game against Brighton.

Powell admitted that the season had been a difficult one, adding: “We’ve had a very challenging start to the new season with many changes to our squad and results not going as we had all hoped.

“Sunday’s heavy loss at home to Tottenham was particularly disappointing,”

Brighton currently sit 11th in the league with just three points after losing four of their matches already this season.

They are second-bottom above Leicester City, and have the league’s worst defensive record after conceding 19 goals, averaging a little under four goals a game.

Powell is best known for her transformative role in developing the England women’s football team, the Lionesses.

She was in charge of the team from 1998 until 2013, and also won 66 caps and scored 35 goals as a player for the England side.

Powell also had a club career as she played for Millwall and a number of other domestic teams.

The BBC reports that Powell was dissatisfied with her team’s transfer strategy this summer, with key players leaving without replacements that the manager was content with.

Two names linked with the permanent role are former Everton manager Willie Kirk who is director of women’s football at Leicester City as well as former Netherlands coach Mark Parsons.