Matt Beard and Liverpool Women "Disappointed" After More Dropped Points
Today at 12:33 PM
For a side targeting a top three finish and European qualification back-to-back draws against Leicester and West Ham are a disappointment.
Expectations were high for Liverpool Women heading into 2024-25 following a fourth-place finish last season and with the club having worked to add quality and depth to the squad in the offseason as they eyed the top three and European qualification.
A pair of draws to start the new season isn't the worst result, then, but it's probably fair to say it's short of what the fans, players, or coaches were hoping for as the Reds followed an opening week 1-1 draw with Leicester with a 1-1 draw with West Ham on Sunday.
Last season, Leicester and West Ham were 10th and 12th respectively, with only relegated Bristol City finishing behind them in the final table, and both headed into 2024-25 targeting improvement but with far lower expectations than those for Liverpool.
"Both goals we've conceded in the last two weeks we're disappointed with," said manager Matt Beard after Sunday's draw, the manager obviously frustrated by the dropped points. "We've got ourselves to blame. We've had chances and we've not taken them.
"It was exactly the same last week, not taking them. All the time it's 1-0 the opposition have an opportunity to obviously get back into the game. After that, we've had two really good chances when they've equalised and we should have had a penalty."
Next up for the Reds is a trip to Manchester United in the FA WSL Cup on Wednesday before returning to league action against Tottenham and then Manchester City as the level of difficulty ratchets up in a hurry after a start that seemed easier on paper.
United and Spurs were both top half sides last season, while City are perennial contenders who expect to battle it out with Arsenal and Chelsea for the title this season—which is to say they're precisely where Liverpool aspire to be in this and future seasons.
How Beard's Reds react to their situation over the next three fixtures, then, could well define their season, and the dropped points against Leicester and West Ham only add importance to what was going to be a very difficult run of games regardless.
