ReactionGareth Taylor: Proud of the performance - but we have to strive for better
Sunday’s Barclays Women’s Super League clash with the team at the top was still 0-0 heading beyond the 90 at Joie Stadium.
Reds captain Grace Fisk had earlier hit the post as both sides created good chances in the game, including a Beata Olsson header wide after the break.
But City grabbed all three points in added time as Rebecca Knaak’s headed effort got past goalkeeper Jennifer Falk.
See head coach Taylor’s reaction below.
On it being ‘a cruel game’ after the level of Liverpool’s performance…
Yes, agree with all of that. But really proud of the performance.
On wanting to start quickly and being unfortunate not to score…
Yeah and even in the second half I thought there were some good opportunities from set-plays and also from Beata’s header. Unfortunately for us, it’s an error that’s undone us, because we looked really tight and resolute and City ran out of ideas. That’s football sometimes, it can do that to you. The overwhelming feeling for myself is just really proud of the players.
On the response from his players after the defeat by West Ham United the week before…
Yeah, I expected that. I thought that was a blip last week, but everything we spoke about from a negative point of view last week was there this week in abundance.
On planning for next season…
A lot of the work has to be going on behind the scenes, we need to improve in every area – every area, on and off the pitch, recruitment. Because you’ve seen just by bringing a few players in the January window what that’s done, how that’s allowed us to build, train better, improve, have competition – which we didn’t have at the beginning of the season – and have more options. I think that’s what we need to do and to generate, so there’s a lot of work to be done.
On the team testing themselves against the league’s top sides…
Of course. You saw today there wasn’t a lot between the teams at all. Over the course of the season, that looks slightly different. I’ll admit that. There’s positives from it but we also need to make sure that we’re constantly striving to be better and better.