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Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images
The Reds will finally kick off the WSL season this coming weekend. Matt Beard’s side will look to challenge for European competition a season after finishing a surprising fourth in the table.
The Liverpool FC Women will FINALLY kick off their season as the WSL gets underway next weekend. Manager Matt Beard has seen great progress in his second stint at the club over the past three seasons. Beard oversaw the club winning the FA Women’s Championship in his first year before the club finished seventh and fourth in the WSL over the next two years. Liverpool have a fairly settled squad with some exciting young talent, and will be looking to break into the upper echelon of the league.
Incoming Players (3)
Gemma Evans, Cornelia Kapocs, Olivia Smith
Outgoing Players (4)
Missy Bo Kearns, Emma Koivisto, Melissa Lawley, Shanice van de Sanden, Miri Taylor
Squad Analysis
Goalkeeper (3): Rachael Laws, Teagan Micah, Faye Kirby
Laws and Micah battled each other for the starting gloves last season, with both players getting stretches of matches. The battle looks to continue this season. Faye Kirby tore her ACL while on loan last season and is continuing work her way back to full fitness.
Defense (9): Lucy Parry, Gemma Evans, Grace Fisk, Niamh Fahey, Jasmine Matthews, Taylor Hinds, Jenna Clark, Gemma Bonner, Hannah Silcock
This is a deep and versatile group. Gemma Evans, Grace Fisk, and Jenna Clark will likely continue on as the spine of the defense. New signing Gemma Evans provides depth at both center back and left wing back, while Hannah Silcock makes the transition to the senior team after a successful loan last season. The uber-experienced Nimah Fahey will continue as a veteran presence as she begins her transition to the coaching staff. Lucy Parry looks to be trusted as the heir apparent at right wing back for the departed Emma Koivisto. Yana Daniels, though listed as an attacker, will likely deputize at right wing back.
Midfield (5): Fuka Nagano, Marie Höbinger, Sofie Lundgaard, Ceri Holland, Ceri Holland, Zara Shaw
Matt Beard’s preferred starting trio of Nagano, Holland, and Höbinger return. The surprise departure of Missy Bo Kearns leaves only Sofie Lundgaard and Zara Shaw as depth. Shaw is a big prospect, but the youngster has not played at the senior level and missed all of last season with an ACL tear sustained in preseason. Defenders Jasmine Matthews and Gemma Evans have experience playing in a holding midfield role if needed.
Attack (6): Cornelia Kapocs, Leanne Kiernan, Sophie Roman Haug, Olivia Smith, Mia Enderby, Yana Daniels
This unit had the most significant turnover this summer. Fan favorites Melissa Lawley and Shanice van de Sanden left the club after struggling with injuries over the past two seasons. Olivia Smith and Cornelia Kapocs were brought in to refresh the forward line. Only recently turned 20 years old, Smith is the club’s record signing and seems primed to step in right away as both a creator and an finisher. Cornelia Kapocs, Mia Enderby, and Leanne Kiernan will all be pushing for minutes with Smith to partner with Sophie Roman Haug. Kiernan is finally fit after a horror two seasons. Enderby made her mark at the end of last season, and the teenager also seems primed to break out.
Season Expectations
Liverpool made great strides last season to finish fourth, but they were still comfortably behind third place Arsenal. With several of the top squads undergoing periods of transition Matt Beard and Co will be looking to break into the European spots in the table (top three), with Arsenal seemingly the more vulnerable of the top clubs.
Storylines
Liverpool Move Into Their New Home
Last season the Reds moved into their new permanent training facility at Melwood. This season Liverpool will make the move from Prenton Park to the larger and more modern St. Helens Stadium. While the stadium will be shared with St. Helens Saints rugby sides, Liverpool will be the only occupants over a good portion of their season. In addition, there is a very nice dressing room that will be just for the LFC Women.
For the supporters, there are more modern amenities, including concourses and food offerings. Liverpool are hoping this will help create a larger match day draw. To help their cause, there are coaches that will ferry supporters from a couple of spots in Liverpool to and from the stadium.
Is Lucy Parry Ready For A Regular Starting Role?
Matt Beard has put his faith in the young right back, giving her the number 2 shirt and the starting role after Emma Koivisto moved on this summer. Parry has performed well in cup matches, but at 20 years old, this will be her first full season being thrust into a regular starting role and will face some of the top attacking talent in the world. Parry is a solid 1v1 defender and provides a very nice delivery on crosses, but she is not blessed with top end speed or elite athleticism. She will need to show strong positional awareness and an understanding of game state for when to hang back vs jump into the attack.
Do Liverpool Have Enough Midfield Depth?
Liverpool’s starting midfield is one of the top units in the WSL, but the loss of Missy Bo Kearns and Miri Taylor means there is very little depth, both in numbers and experience. Matt Beard has a high opinion of Sofie Lundgaard, with the 22 year old being deployed in both a holding role and a box to box role off the bench last season. Zara Shaw is a very bright prospect, but she is only 17 years old and is returning from an ACL injury that saw her miss all of last season.
Outside of the officially recognized midfielders, Jasmine Matthews and Gemma Evans both have experience in a holding midfield role. New signing Olivia Smith can also drop in as a more attack-minded midfielder for the time being.
Liverpool had Eva Mangan from Cork City in for a trial period this preseason and were reportedly impressed, but no move materialized before the transfer window. She may be a target for January.
How Does Matt Beard Manage The Attacking Minutes?
Last season Matt Beard struggled at times to field bodies in the attack with so many players dealing with long-term injuries. This season Liverpool look to have the opposite problem, with an exciting mix of attacking talent available. Sophie Roman Haug seems a lock to lead the line, and will look to build on her first season with the club that saw her knock in 7 goals. If Beard sticks with his standard 3-5-2 formation, competition for the second striker role will be fierce as four players vie for minutes.
Olivia Smith and Mia Enderby are extremely exciting young talents that seem primed to break out in the WSL. Smith joined Liverpool this summer for a club-record fee after scoring 18 goals for Sporting CP in Portugal and earning the league’s Young Player of the Year award. Enderby came on strong at the end of last season and was a force for the England U19s this summer. Leanne Kiernan scored 5 goals at the tail end of last season and is finally fully fit and in her prime. Kiernan has proven to be able to score goals in bunches from a central position, and her pace and delivery from wider areas makes her a playmaking threat. The other new signing, Cornelia Kapocs, offers both pace and physicality, and has formed a good partnership with Roman Haug already, according to Matt Beard.
Can Liverpool Kill Off Games?
Liverpool made great strides last season, cutting down on silly mistakes leading to goals as well as being able to find a way to manufacture goals when needed. The Reds often allowed teams to hang around, however, making for quite a few nervy finishes along with some dropped points. The next step is for Liverpool to become more ruthless in front of goal and kill games off the way Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City frequently have.
What Changes With New League Ownership?
The FA is no longer in charge of the WSL, with new ownership taking over just weeks ago. The change is with an eye towards giving clubs more say in the ability to grow and invest. The first drastic change has already been implemented, with matches not designated for TV broadcast to be available on YouTube rather than the always clunky FA Player.
Liverpool seem primed to take advantage of the transition to leadership wanting to grow the league rather than just focus on developing talent for the England National Team. The Reds have already invested in their training and matchday facilities over the course of the past year, and have begun to finally spend on the squad to create a young and exciting side for now an in the future.
What are your thoughts for the upcoming season? What players are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments!
