Matt Beard delighted with what he’s seeing from Liverpool Women ahead of WSL opener
Liverpool Women boss Matt Beard believes his side are making strides in pre-season after the match with Birmingham City.
The Reds took on the Women’s Championship side in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the AXA Melwood Training Centre on Sunday [1 September], a week after Beard called off a match against Manchester United due to mounting injuries.
Beard was pleased to see his side gain valuable minutes ahead of the new Women’s Super League season on 22 September and believes his side are now ready after a much-needed reset.
He said to the club’s official website [2 September]: “The most important thing after the injuries we’ve had is that everyone has come through OK and it’s a great step in the right direction.
“If I look at last week, we’d have had 12 players available with a couple modified, whereas this week those ones had planned minutes today.
“The training has been good because we’ve got the bodies back, especially in doing the tactical work.
“My biggest frustration this pre-season has been not being able to do the work I want to do, although sometimes that can be a positive because you work on other things.
“So it’s been a good day today and a good week from a training perspective so we can build from here.”
Liverpool Women are ready for a big 2024/25 WSL campaign
The Reds were the surprise package of the 2023/24 WSL season, securing a fourth-placed finish behind Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea.
Beard will be tasked with toppling the stronghold of those three sides at the WSL summit this upcoming season and has been supplied with the firepower to do so throughout the summer.
New signings Cornelia Kapocs and Gemma Evans gained invaluable minutes for their new side against Birmingham, whereas club-record signing Olivia Smith has been impressing on international duty with Canada at the U20 World Cup.
With the additional firepower up top in Kapocs and Smith, alongside the move to the St Helens Stadium, increasing the Reds’ home capacity by 1,413, there is plenty to be excited about for Liverpool Women supporters this season.
However, all the excitement comes with added pressure on Beard’s shoulders as Liverpool are expected to mount a genuine challenge for the WSL title this season. It is up to the boss to deliver.
In other Liverpool news, Arne Slot will rightly be raging as another Liverpool fixture is shifted.
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