NewsGareth Taylor column: New arrivals, fitness update and London City Lionesses clash
In his latest column, Liverpool FC Women head coach Gareth Taylor welcomes the new recruits to his squad and previews Sunday's meeting with London City Lionesses at St Helens Stadium.
Firstly, I would like to say Happy New Year to all of our supporters and I hope you had a good and peaceful time with your families over the festive period.
We had a good break and we were back in for training on December 30/31. It was important that the players had some rest but obviously not too much just so we could continue to try to hit the ground running in the new year.
A big part of that is getting some additional parts to the squad and we've managed to do that with Alice Bergstrom and Jennifer Falk.
We need to try to get as much quality onto the pitch as much as we possibly can. But in general, I'm really pleased to have these new additions and they will add some much-needed quality.
We had to deal with a lot in the backend of the first part of the season, as on and off the pitch there was a heck of a lot to deal with.
I think the Christmas break gave us the opportunity to pause and reflect on some of the things we had to encounter.
Like I've always said, I am really proud of the players who have gone through those difficult moments – whether it be on the pitch or off the pitch.
We know, without going into detail, we have had a lot to contend with – particularly early on in the season.
We are aligned in our thought process as a club that the team really needs help and we are trying to get as much as we possibly can in this window.
Are we looking to do additional signings this month? Yes. But, of course, we also know how difficult that is – but that doesn't stop regardless of what happens this season.
We are fighting our hardest to get back up the table and we believe we can do that with some additional help, which is going to be important.
We will also get some of our existing players back. Our captain Grace Fisk is back in contention, so it's good to get her back, and Gemma Bonner is available as well.
But unfortunately Leanne Kiernan and Hannah Silcock will still be a little while off from returning.
Regardless of where we are in the table, I still feel in certain games the way the team is playing has been positive.
Of course, we have come up against some quality opponents but there have been some moments when we've been really close to getting that first win in the WSL.
It's good to have a home game for our first game of 2026 and we welcome London City Lionesses on Sunday in the Barclays Women's Super League.
They have spent a lot of money, they have a new manager, so a new proposition. That makes the challenge more difficult but hopefully we can make the best of that and maximise the advantage of a new team and a new coach.
Thank you for your continued support.
YNWA,
Gareth
Gareth Taylor was speaking to Liverpoolfc.com's Steve Hunter