Beard Report: “We Needed To Adapt To Things Quicker”
The Liverpool FC Women’s manager felt he got his initial tactics wrong in the 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City
The Liverpool FC Women looked tentative and hurried against Manchester City on Sunday. The Reds had a few early opportunities in transition that went begging, and were punished to the tune of four goals by some efficient finishing from the hosts. Manager Matt Beard felt his side were not set up well tactically from the start, and they should have changed things up more quickly as the game became quite open in the first 30 minutes.
“First half, I did get it wrong – we needed to adapt things quicker. I felt tonight we had so many chances to score. They could have gone 1-0 up where it hit the post and then Leanne [Kiernan] has had two great chances. Ceri [Holland] had a chance going through. We had another two or three opportunities beyond them. It could have been 6-4, to be perfectly honest with you.”
Despite the early chances, primarily generated through the efforts of Leanne Kiernan, Beard felt his side should have played with more aggressiveness. He felt Liverpool did not break forward as a unit to create sustained pressure in the attacking half. With the game state altered, and Manchester City comfortable ahead later in the game, Liverpool did start to produce some more consistent attacks, but it was too little too late.
“We were too passive in the first half, we didn’t break forward quick enough. We were too slow to get into positions to play and we were too transitional. We were worried about maybe turning the ball over and being countered on, but if you don’t get in the positions you’re not going to possess the ball. I thought the second half was that little bit better. It’s a frustrating night for us.”
After picking up points against many of the top sides last season, Beard has seen his squad play with much less confidence and cohesiveness this season. Asked what the difference is between last season and the current one, Beard feels it comes down to belief from the players that they can and should be able to take on anyone.
“It’s the belief that we can do it against these top sides. I think because of the season that we’ve had, we’ve had a little bit of doubt in these games against the top teams. But like I said to the girls before the game, since we have been back in the Super League we have picked up 21 points against the top sides in the division. So we know we can do it, it’s just having that little bit of belief.”
“We’ve just got to get our heads down on the training ground and continue to work hard. It has not been a disastrous start since the turn of the year, so we’ve just got to keep our heads up and keep going.”
Liverpool will now have two weeks off to regroup during the international break. A good portion of the squad will head out with their national teams, but there will be a decent core for Beard to work with at Melwood. The Reds will take on last-place Crystal Palace after the break, followed by matches with Arsenal sandwiched around a fixture with Manchester United.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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