It takes many different components for a player to be in good form, but one of the most important to City midfielder Linda Motlhalo is the communication she shares with her coaches and teammates.
Linda has been in fine form during the start to the 2025/26 campaign, helping City claim five wins from five in the Scottish Women's Premier League and progress to the Second Qualifying Round in the UEFA Europa Cup, with a top-of-the-table clash against Rangers at Ibrox being this weekend's focus.
She has played in all but one of our eight matches thus far across domestic and European competitions - with five of those being starts. Of those appearances, she has scored once and registered one assist.
And there is no doubt that Linda is enjoying her football, partly in thanks to plenty of minutes but also because of the talented teammates she has around her both in training and on a matchday.
“I’m very pleased with the way I’ve started,” our No.20 said. “For me, I haven’t always had the pre-season with the team or when I came back, it was during the season, so I have always had to do the catch-up.
“Now, I didn’t really have to do that. That is helping me because I have a better understanding with the players and the coaches. I blend in well with the players
“Especially this season, the depth we’ve got in the squad is amazing. From the goalkeepers to the strikers, there are two or three players competing for the same position.
“It’s really nice because in that way we get the best out of the players, with the person that I’m competing with.
“And also it’s not just on the field, like the way we communicate off of it, that helps us for when we get on the field."
Linda returned to City ahead of this season having been a standout performer for Banyana Banyana at this summer's Women's Africa Cup of Nations, where South Africa finished in fourth place.
And whilst her country did not defend their title which they had won in 2022, it was a tournament which left the midfielder delighted with the aspects of her game in which she had felt she had improved.
But, those improvements only provided a foundation for the form she is now in, as it is the relationship she has developed with Head Coach Leanne Ross that Linda says has truly helped her kick on.
“The WAFCON tournament, for me personally, I achieved what I wanted to achieve,” Linda said. “More in a way of my defensive work, I really improved so much in that aspect.
“That helped me when I came back to Glasgow, but so did Leanne and the way she would explain and communicate things to me.
“Leanne is one person who would say: ‘If you’ve got anything you want to say, my door is always open’ and she really means that.
“She is so passionate about football, so if you’ve got any questions or if you need help with anything, she is there to help.
“She understands the strength of the player, and she is really giving me that freedom to actually express my strengths. On its own, it’s really helping me to get the best out of myself."