The Anfield curse came back in roaring fashion for Liverpool Women on Sunday when they kicked off their new WSL campaign against Everton, losing 4-1 despite taking the early lead. Somehow the occasion keeps getting to our Red Women and they haven’t been able to beat our crosstown rivals (who will be taking over Goodison Park after the Men’s team moved to the docks) while playing at Anfield in maybe ever.
Ceri Holland started the match in midfield and almost scored for Liverpool had her shot not hit
the post. She spoke to the club website following the match, expressing real heartbreak at the result.
“I think firstly, it’s a really, really disappointing way to start the season, the result. We know that’s not what we wanted to do and it’ll hurt for us and our fans. But I think when you take away the result, we have to look at what we did well,” Holland said.
“I think the first half, we have controlled the majority of that half, 40 minutes I think. Then they obviously get the goal just before half-time. But I think the signs were there that were really, really positive in that first half. And then obviously after half-time, just coming out and conceding three goals really, really quickly, we can’t let that happen. You have to stay in games, in this league particularly. We’ll go away and review that.”
With loads of missed chances, there is a part that can attributed to simple bad luck, with not only Holland hitting the post but Gemma Bonner after collecting a free kick from Marie Höbinger. Höbinger herself would have a shot miss the target later in the half, too, that would simply make it clear it might not be the Reds’ day.
“I don’t think we feel hard done by, we have to accept that we’ve let moments of the game get away from us,” the midfielder continued.
“We’ve had our chances and we’ve threatened their box. I think they’ve had four or five shots and taken every single one. You have to sometimes look at that, and we’ll go away and improve and review.”
The scoreline definitely took a turn when Everton took the lead in the first half’s extra time, and that kind of turnabout can give anyone’s head a shake, especially playing at a well attended Anfield. Even with the fans behind them, Liverpool found it hard to come back in the second half as Everton made changes to take further control.
“I don’t think the goal has really knocked us just before half-time. We felt like we controlled the half, we were positive at half-time, we had done what we wanted to do. But like I said, the five minutes after half-time, we can’t concede that many goals that quickly,” Holland added.
“They’re little things we have to tidy up on – they make a big difference in these games. Really, really disappointing result but we have to go away, review the good things, review the bad things and improve.”
As the season opener, it was also Gareth Taylor’s first official match in charge of the Red Women, outside of the preseason that he got shockingly little of. Taylor was only appointed just under a month ago and didn’t get much time to work with the Women in preparation, or maybe just not enough time in general, and Holland admitted that may have been part why they struggled today.
“We’re really early into the journey with Gaz and we’re still kind of getting to grips with his style. I think we showed some really positive signs and I hope the fans saw that as well,” Holland said.
“We’ll go away and we have to review. We have to review quickly and improve and tidy up on those bits. I think you can look at it two ways. We obviously showed really good signs. We’ll get fitter, we’ll get stronger. The way that we want to play requires that. We’ll go away and, like I said, we’ll just have to review. We have to get better and we have to go again.”
And is she enjoying that style of play?
“Yeah, really, really enjoying it so far. It has been really, really positive. It’s different,” she added.
“I’ve really, really enjoyed working with him and I think he has been fantastic with Chad [Gribble] since he came in. The team has taken fully onboard in a really short amount of time. We’re early into that journey so we have to be mindful of that I think, but we are fully aware we have to improve quickly.”
The Liverpool Women have a little under a full week to prepare for their next match, traveling south to face Leicester at the King Power Stadium next Sunday September 14, so hopefully any time they have will be used to get used to this new system and learn to better adapt.
