Women's Premiership: What has happened to former champions Linfield?

No matter the level, when you pull on the blue shirt of Linfield you are expected to challenge for top honours.

Linfield's women's team are no different and, with four Premiership titles in the last five seasons, they've largely delivered.

Despite falling just short against winners Glentoran in the shortened 2020 campaign, this season has been difficult as they sit fifth in the table with just 13 points from 14 games.

In comparison, the Blues collected 22 from just 10 games last year, and in the current campaign they've been on the receiving end of a 6-0 defeat by Sion Swifts, got hit for five by Cliftonville and, most notably, conceded nine to rivals Glentoran.

So what has happened to Linfield, and are there any positives to take from a difficult campaign?

Louise McFrederick has been at the club for nine seasons and from relegation candidates to Champions League action, she has seen it all.

"It has been a tough season, there's no doubt about it and you can see that from where we are standing in the league," she said.

"It's heartbreaking to lose 9-0 to Glentoran because, regardless of it's women or men, there's always a big rivalry. The scoreline was horrendous, there's no denying that.

"My view is that it can only get better, and it will only get better. Once we hit the reset button next year and get a few more experienced players in that will make a massive difference."

Those shoots of recovery began on Wednesday with a 6-1 hammering of bottom side Derry City, which saw 16-year-old Keri Halliday score a hat-trick, and the Blues will be hoping that kicks their season into life with six games to play.

If a team has massive success then there will inevitably be a natural decline as players move on and others push to catch up. You see it at all levels of sport.

Let's take a look at the team which won Linfield's fourth successive title in 2019. Chloe McCarron moved to Birmingham City, Rebecca McKenna joined Lewes while Louise McDaniel and Lauren Perry signed for Blackburn Rovers and subsequently clubs in Scotland.

Domestically, Kirsty McGuinness, Caitlin McGuinness, Casey Howe and Kelsie Burrows all moved to rival teams in the Women's Premiership. No team can account for that loss of talent and experience.

"We have always produced the goods in terms of youth players, which shows our system is working," said defender McFrederick.

"It's hard when you have mates playing for other clubs and when you are losing the way we are at the minute and other clubs come looking, I'm sure it's nice for them to have that bit of attention."

McKenna, who was superb for NI in their Euro 2022 play-off win over Ukraine, and Burrows have also moved in the middle of this season, making things even more difficult for Phil Lewis' side.

In contrast to Linfield's four senior internationals, Glentoran have 11 NI players on their books while Cliftonville have seven.

Aside from the departed McKenna and Burrows, Abbie Magee has missed the full season with an ACL injury and captain Ashley Hutton suffered a similar fate at the end of May.

The absence of Magee and Hutton has been a blow and is backed up by the stats. Last season Linfield conceded 12 goals in 10 games, this year it's 40.

Ali Smyth is a former NI striker, but she has only just come back from a long-term injury which kept her out of the game for 26 months.

McFrederick, usually a left back, has had to deputise in goal on several occasions for the Blues along with Smyth, which shows how hard the club have been hit by injury.

"Two of our internationals are out injured and two have left, which is hard to replace," added the 28-year-old.

"Ali Smyth is still coming back from her horrific leg injury, once she is fully fit she will be a big addition but at the minute it is about managing he rand building up her strength."

Linfield's various injury problems and departures have made things difficult, however it has offered young players the chance to shine and the Blues have an abundance of young talent.

The average age of the starting team that faced Derry City on Wednesday was 21, with nine of the 14 players involved in the matchday squad being 18 or younger.

"The talent is incredible in the young players coming through," said McFrederick.

"You maybe can't quite see it because they are playing against senior Northern Ireland internationals, but give them two years and it will be frightening.

"Lucy Johnston is a fantastic central midfielder, Sarah-Jane McMaster has kept Kirsty McGuinness quiet on a number of occasions, Sarah Tweedie has just joined us from Bangor, I can't believe how good Keri Halliday is and we have both Lecky sisters, Ebony and Sienna, who could be superstars.

"That's only a few but I could name seven or eight. They aren't a hard group to motivate because they have all bought in to what we want to do. They can all see the future."

With a title challenge now out of the question and a turnover of players with departures and injuries, the current season has become a transition year with focus on blooding new talent ahead of the next campaign.

"We are second from bottom and there is no relegation. We have nothing to fear so let's give it everything," added McFrederick.

"Everyone thinks over the past few years that Linfield have been the number one team, but when I was growing up it was never that way," added the 28-year-old.

"It was always Glentoran or Newtownabbey Strikers, who are now Crusaders. When I joined the club they had just been through a relegation play-off, so it's not long ago they weren't performing.

"Since then we have built it up. We won our first cup and eventually the league success happened. While we were performing really well Glentoran and Crusaders and Cliftonville have all gone through their transition years.

"Every club in the league has had years were they haven't really performed. We will definitely get back to where we belong."