ColumnGareth Taylor: It's fine margins at the moment but there's a lot of work to do

The match against Manchester United was definitely a case of a game of two halves, but we just gave ourselves too much to do after our slow start.

We had some great chances in the second half, twice through on their goalkeeper, but we didn't score. If you give these teams a two-goal lead, it makes it very difficult for yourself.

• See the latest LFC Women ticketing information here

I was really disappointed with our first half with the way we started the game. We were very flat and our energy was low.

We speak to the players before every game about earning the right to play and effectively we are talking about basics. The goals at the beginning of the half and then the end of it were real blows.

It could have looked a bit different had we taken one of those chances that we had in the second half. But there was a lot of improvement, we had more energy and we had more control and more chances than them.

There are positives but I'm just really disappointed with the first half and the girls were as well, because we were really honest afterwards in our assessment. We can't start games like that.

I made a change at the break with Mia Enderby coming on and she gave us a bit of energy. I started Sophie Roman Haug because I felt the game was going to be a bit more transitional and felt we were going to play a little bit longer from Rafa [Borggrafe] to Sophie.

That gives the girls an outlet a little bit and I feel we use it a little too much, and I thought Mia coming in low to overload midfield and being able to run in beyond can sometimes give us different things. Our intentions were there to try to help the team and I thought Mia was a threat in the second half.

At the moment it's fine margins but, of course, there's a lot of work to do. We are trying to change a lot of things in a short space of time and we know that can take a little bit longer to change the mentality. Because we want to turn this group, this team into winners again – which we had previously with Matt [Beard].

So, that's the challenge but the signs are good. It's just frustrating when the game against Manchester United was just about us handing the game to them in the first half.

Gemma Bonner made her 200th appearance in the Barclays Women's Super League and that is a fantastic achievement.

Gemma is someone I've kept in contact with. We had a season together at Manchester City before she left, and for me coming in here Gemma was really important in the sense of helping me.

When you come into a new environment, you obviously look out for certain players you might have worked with in the past and having Gemma here was great for us.

Getting to 200 games is some going, especially in the WSL, and I was told she actually played in the first WSL game ever, which is incredible. A real ambassador for the game and an ambassador for Liverpool Football Club.

When you look back at some of the tributes to Matt, you see Gemma in those photographs with him, doing so many good things for this club.

Gemma is important because she is at the other end of her career, helping young players and us be what we want to try to be. She deserves all the plaudits she receives.

In midweek against Sunderland, it was an incredibly emotional evening as we remembered Matt.

It was a really nice moment for Sofie Lundgaard to make her first appearance off the bench after her ACL injury.

It's great to have Sofie back. With players who have had this injury, like Sofie and Risa [Shimizu], they have to be managed in terms of load. But it's good to have her back for the midfield because we are a little bit light in those areas in the midfield and she will be feeling confident now after getting that game time under her belt.

We travel to London City Lionesses in the WSL this weekend. We will face a team with good experience and they have got some good players.

We are playing them at a time when they are still finding their feet in the WSL, but you can see with their movement in the transfer window that they are serious. They have tried to improve their facilities and they are not messing about. It's a tough challenge for us but it's one we look forward to.

Thank you for your continued support.

YNWA,

Gareth

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