The Liverpool FC Women were handed a difficult start to the Gareth Taylor era. There were delays to Taylor himself being able to start with the club due to contractual issues that had to be sorted out with Manchester City, leaving only a few weeks for him to work with the players to try to implement his system. Recruitment was also held up due to the delays of Taylor being brought in, with four players added to the roster on deadline day, just a few days before the season opener. On top of all of that,
Liverpool opened the season with local rival Everton in a derby match played at Anfield. Liverpool have struggled mightily in this fixture, losing their prior 5 matches to the Blues.
Despite all of the hurdles, Liverpool actually started off brightly, scoring a goal just 12 minutes in through Cornelia Kapocs, and generally dominating play throughout the first half. Two moments of brilliance from Everton gave them the lead at the half, with a dagger scored by the Blues with the last touch of the half.
Everton came out with a point to prove to start the second half and managed to knock all the fight out of Liverpool with two goals just two minutes apart early in the 54th and 56th minute. The Reds looked a shell of their first half selves, managing just one shot on goal the entire second half.
After his first match in charge of Liverpool, Gareth Taylor felt there were plenty of positives from the opening 40 minutes, but let Liverpool things get away from themselves in a short period of time. He thinks the team need to continue to build fitness and stay confident with the game plan to avoid collapses in the future.
Because games can just get away from you really, really quickly. My feelings are strange really because I felt in the first half – particularly in the first 40 minutes – we were pretty good. Probably better than pretty good. I think the control we had in the game was very good. Then it’s just the four minutes either side of half-time, you can see how quickly the game can get away from you. Disappointing, obviously, to concede the [first] goal when we were so dominant, but I felt that the players still then got a grip of the game.
We could’ve been easily better than 1-0, even at 1-1 it could’ve probably been the scoreline that you’ve seen at the end quite easily. We hit the bar once, post twice, maybe Marie [Höbinger] has had a really good chance. [We had] lots of opportunities. There are a lot of things to improve, and we need to get better and we need to get fitter. The messaging to the players has been really positive. But we’ve got to really stick to what we do, and I think coming off it like we did either side of half-time has been our undoing.
It could have been a very different score line with a little bit of luck for Liverpool in the first half. Both Gemma Bonner and Ceri Holland were denied by the woodwork and Marie Höbinger rushed a shot in front of an open net, skewing it wide. On a different day, Liverpool could have lead by multiple goals at the half rather than trailing, but Taylor says those are just the breaks.
Obviously the goal we scored goes in off the underside [of the bar] so it falls the right side of it. Football is funny sometimes where you can have games like that where you feel, particularly in that first 40 minutes, or first half, where you’re so superior and dominant but come in at 2-1. That’s football and it will always do that to you. We’ve probably felt a little bit aggrieved today. But I think the second half was probably a more even affair where Everton have started to come into it a lot more, feeling that confidence. When you’re 4-1 [down] that’s obviously quite a difficult environment to play in.
While Liverpool were unlucky not to have scored at least one more goal in the first half, Everton scored three of their four goals with brilliant takes, with the fourth being off of a deflection. Gareth Taylor was forced to start third-string goalkeeper Faye Kirby, but he felt the young keeper played well despite the score line. While she may feel it was a tough day for herself, Taylor does not think Kirby or anyone else could have done much better.
I don’t think it was a difficult day for her. I think she’ll feel that way. I thought she was exceptional and very, very good with everything she did with her build-up. Again, when you look at the goals; deflection, going in off the bar and post. They were kind of one-in-a-million goals. The first goal, she can’t do anything with but obviously we can be better with defending the corner. But Faye was never a moment where I hesitated because she’s very, very good and you’ve seen that today.
Taylor believes that his side are moving in the right direction with the style of play, especially considering the compressed timeline during preseason. He stressed the need for players to continue to have belief in the process, and that mistakes are a natural part of progression. It will take time to truly get everyone on the same page with the style and patterns of play.
We are adapting, we are, but it’s tough. We’re making compromises to what we do and how we want to see the game. I’m fine with that, I’m not crazy enough to think that this style that I believe in is going to be magic straight away. It takes time and belief and making errors is all part of it, unfortunately.
