NewsGareth Taylor column: 'I really believe this team can kick on this season'

I have been really happy with the way things have gone in pre-season and we now can't wait for our season to start when we travel to Charlton Athletic on Sunday.

The pre-season has allowed us time to work together as a team, to establish how we want to play and how we live day to day.

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I think the training camp we had in Cardiff was great for us because we had a really good environment there and had everything we needed to accelerate those relationships and cohesion between everyone. It was a really good week for us to have.

Yes, our pre-season results have been good, but I'm not getting too carried away with that. I look at the performances and they have been good in general.

I think there has been flexibility in the team and we've had to have that due to the nature of pre-season when you do pick up little niggles. That allowed us to see what potentially can work and also not work.

All the players that we have been able to bring into the club have really complemented what we already have.

We have a new goalkeeper in Khiara Keating, who I had at Manchester City. Khiara is someone I know really well and admire a lot.

I believe she has a bright future in front of her. For someone so young, she has had a lot of really good experiences already. I feel she is really key to how we want to play.

We have a new No.9 in Vivien Endemann. She is a really exciting player. The best thing, I think, is the fact that she is so aggressive in how she wants to play, and I think that's a really good thing.

She is still young and also breaking onto the international stage now, which will give her more confidence. But she is a player that, I think, is going to be really exciting this season.

Natalia Ramos in midfield brings a little bit of know-how and a little bit of experience. She has settled really well.

It's a testament to all of the girls that everyone has settled really well to the group we already have and the environment that we have set.

Natalia has a great personality and is full of enthusiasm. We are going to need her this season because I think her experience is going to be invaluable for us.

Mao Itamura is another exciting player for the future who is going to need some time.

We're going to have to be patient with her this season because we've now lost her to the U20 Women's World Cup, which is a bit of a frustration. We'll lose her for those first three or four games.

But we understand for her in this instance that it means a lot and it's an important part of her growth within the Japanese set-up.

We have also strengthened our defence with Sara Agrez and Mari Ward coming in.

Sara is another exciting player who will take a little bit of time to adjust to the WSL, but I think she is going to be a good prospect for us and a good player to help the team.

It was good to have Mari back in action during our final friendly against Durham. I think she is going to be a really good player for us going forward.

With a little bit more time and more training hours under her belt, I think she is going to be a really exciting talent for the supporters to see.

It has been fantastic to see Marie Höbinger back after her ACL injury. It's always difficult when you come back after that injury, but the early signs are good and she is someone I think can make a strong contribution to this team.

Mia Enderby and Sophie Roman Haug have missed the pre-season games but we are hoping they both aren't that far away now.

With Sophie, we just need to get more training weeks into her before she can be available again after a long time out with the ACL injury.

Mia's injury is a frustrating one because it has been longer than we anticipated. Hopefully we can get her close to a return because in that first month before the international break we have a heavy schedule.

We start our new WSL campaign with a trip to Charlton Athletic.

We have good memories of Charlton last season when Zara Shaw got our winner in the Women's FA Cup. But it was a tight game and we had to show personality to get through, which we did.

I expect this game to be different – for us to be different and for them to be different as well – but we are looking forward to it.

Our fantastic supporters, as always, are going to be really important for us during this first month of the season.

We played in front of our supporters for the first time in pre-season against Durham, which was really nice, and the support we got was excellent. It was nice to showcase what we have been doing and make them excited for what's to come.

Looking ahead to this season, I really believe this team can kick on.

I don't like to set markers, particularly if it's outside of winning the title, because I think that can limit you, especially when you put a cap on what you are trying to achieve.

I expect us to be really competitive against every team that we play against. There will definitely be many games I expect us to win. So for us it's about really kicking on.

I don't know what's going to happen but what I do know is we are going to be really competitive every game we play.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

YNWA,

Gareth

Gareth Taylor was speaking to Liverpoolfc.com's Steve Hunter