Scotland forward Erin Cuthbert has opened up about learning to be more "direct" on the pitch, a skill she credits former Chelsea coach Emma Hayes for teaching her. The 25-year-old revealed that being direct allows players to read the game better and make swift decisions.
"Certainly working with Emma Hayes at Chelsea had an impact on how I played the game," Cuthbert said in an interview. "She emphasized the importance of being direct, which is about reading the game quickly and making bold movements."
Cuthbert recalled a specific moment when she realized the value of being direct. During training, her mother was trying to teach her how to use the tumble dryer at home, but Erin kept getting distracted by something.
"It was a funny moment because I kept getting sidetracked," Cuthbert laughed. "My mum would say 'Erin, focus!' But it's funny how that experience taught me about being more direct - if I can stay focused in that situation, I can do the same thing on the pitch."
Cuthbert believes this newfound skill has helped her improve her performance on the field. The Chelsea forward praised Hayes for creating an environment where players felt comfortable taking risks and trying new things.
"Emma was great at creating a space where we could all feel empowered to be direct," Cuthbert said. "She would say 'take your time, think about what's happening' but also 'don't overthink it, just go with it'. It's been really beneficial for my game."
Cuthbert has seen significant improvement in her play since working with Hayes and is confident that being more direct will help Scotland succeed at the World Cup. The forward hopes to bring this skillset back to Chelsea as well.
"The WSL title race is heating up, but I think if we can get more players to be direct like Emma taught me, it'll give us a real advantage," Cuthbert said with confidence.
"Certainly working with Emma Hayes at Chelsea had an impact on how I played the game," Cuthbert said in an interview. "She emphasized the importance of being direct, which is about reading the game quickly and making bold movements."
Cuthbert recalled a specific moment when she realized the value of being direct. During training, her mother was trying to teach her how to use the tumble dryer at home, but Erin kept getting distracted by something.
"It was a funny moment because I kept getting sidetracked," Cuthbert laughed. "My mum would say 'Erin, focus!' But it's funny how that experience taught me about being more direct - if I can stay focused in that situation, I can do the same thing on the pitch."
Cuthbert believes this newfound skill has helped her improve her performance on the field. The Chelsea forward praised Hayes for creating an environment where players felt comfortable taking risks and trying new things.
"Emma was great at creating a space where we could all feel empowered to be direct," Cuthbert said. "She would say 'take your time, think about what's happening' but also 'don't overthink it, just go with it'. It's been really beneficial for my game."
Cuthbert has seen significant improvement in her play since working with Hayes and is confident that being more direct will help Scotland succeed at the World Cup. The forward hopes to bring this skillset back to Chelsea as well.
"The WSL title race is heating up, but I think if we can get more players to be direct like Emma taught me, it'll give us a real advantage," Cuthbert said with confidence.
but for real though, being more "direct" on the pitch is such a valuable skill and i'm so glad emma hayes taught her that 
it's all about reading the game quickly and making bold movements - sounds like a total game-changer for scotland at the world cup 
I'm loving Erin Cuthbert's vibe on this one! 
It's great that she's crediting Emma Hayes for teaching her the value of being more "direct" on the pitch. That laugh about getting sidetracked by her mum learning to use a tumble dryer is priceless 
I'm really excited to see Scotland do well at the World Cup with this new skillset! 
Fingers crossed they can bring some of that confidence back to the WSL title race 
It's only natural that she'd learn from her former coach! Anyway, it's cool that Cuthbert has improved her game and is hoping to bring this skillset back to Chelsea - we'll see if they can replicate the success of their Women's Super League title wins under Hayes' coaching 
Like, how does that even translate to football? I mean, I get it, staying focused is key, but isn't that kind of obvious? 
Still, if Emma Hayes taught her that, maybe there's something to it... 
Erin Cuthbert's story about learning to be direct on the pitch from Emma Hayes is literally so inspiring! 
I mean, who wouldn't want to stay focused in a situation like that and translate it into success on the field? 