Matt Beard shares Arsenal Women blueprint Liverpool Women must follow
Matt Beard has revealed his delight with the “fantastic” first outing at the St Helens Stadium for his Liverpool Women’s side.
The Reds rounded off their pre-season preparations with a 0-0 draw with Everton in their first outing at their new home since relocating from Prenton Park at the end of the season.
In his column with the club’s official website [19 September], Beard revealed Liverpool are moving with the times with the move to St Helens and expects the stadium to be a massive long-term asset for the club.
He said: “It was fantastic to get our first game out of the way at St Helens Stadium. The whole set-up is fantastic, just everything about it.
“Tranmere Rovers was a fortress for us but the women’s game has moved on, the game is moving on year on year, and I think if we are going to compete at the top end of the table we need a stadium like St Helens and we need to play more at Anfield, and that is what is happening.
“If you look at Arsenal as an example, the amount of money they are making from their home games because they are filling out the Emirates with 55,000 to 60,000, it’s setting them up.
“We know we’ve still got a lot of work to do on that side, growing the fan base etc, but I think this move to St Helens is a big step in the right direction.
“It’s a modern stadium, a red stadium and there is a lot more as a football club that we can do there for the fan experience.”
Liverpool Women are set to make strides at St Helens Stadium
The Reds have made great strides on and off the pitch since the end of the season and look set to build on the incredible fourth-placed finish in the Women’s Super League last term.
It has certainly been a summer of change for Liverpool. The club are refusing to rest on their laurels and are eager to mount a genuine challenge to Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal at the WSL summit.
Olivia Smith joined for a club-record fee from Sporting CP alongside Cornelia Kapocs and Gemma Smith, while Missy Bo-Kearns bid a heartfelt farewell to the club, ending her 15-year spell for her boyhood side with a move to Aston Villa.
The move to the St Helens Stadium will increase the capacity for home games by 1,413 to over 18,000 and, with announcements that matches against Manchester City and Tottenham will be broadcast live, this could be the year that finances soar for the Reds.
First of all, Beard must prioritise matters on the pitch. The performance against Man City in pre-season was a positive first step but if the side is to compete with the best of the best, while matches against teams such as Everton at home have to result in three points.
Fenway Sports Group have laid the foundations for Liverpool to become a powerhouse in the Women’s game and now it’s up to the players and the manager to live up to the owner’s ambitions.
In other Liverpool news, a Reds player is at risk of Arne Slot axe if their performances don’t improve.
For more Liverpool women news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.