ColumnGareth Taylor on season reflections, amazing support and fond farewells
In his final column of 2025-26, Liverpool FC Women head coach Gareth Taylor reflects on the campaign, and pays tribute to departing players Gemma Bonner and Gemma Evans.
It has been a really challenging first season in charge of this great club and we have had a lot of situations to deal with on and off the pitch, particularly at the beginning with a lot of trauma.
We faced a lot of situations that you just don't want to face and you don't want to be in, but we had to deal with it and I felt everybody at the club behaved in a really sensitive and controlled manner.
Everyone is aware of the lateness of quite a few key people coming to the club and that made for a tough pre-season, and also we had lost two of our best players in Olivia Smith and Taylor Hinds.
We had a lot of things to deal with and we knew that we would have to keep going and wait until January before we could try to fix things.
The second half of the season was a positive. We finished fifth in the points return for the second half of the season and that is a testament to the players.
The players that came in to us during January enabled us to train better and have more competition for places. It just changed everything because we didn't have that at the start of the season.
I do think the players have grown from this experience. We wanted to improve and get better, and I think we have done in the second half of the season.
The challenge for us now is to make sure we make the right decisions in terms of our recruitment and bring in the necessary people to the club who we feel will allow us to step up the league table.
Our final game of the season against Arsenal was a frustrating one. They finished second in the Barclays Women's Super League and they have a very good squad.
It was a tough challenge and although it didn't go our way in the first half, we wanted to be the team I want us to be – and that is to play in an aggressive nature and really try to stifle teams.
We chose to stay a bit deeper in the second half and try to contain them as much as we could.
I do think there has been some good progress since January and we have seen the team get fitter and stronger, which is so important.
So overall, I would say this has been a really challenging season but it's also one where we have grown as a group.
I have to say a big thank you to our supporters for the way they have stood by us and their support has been incredible.
They grieved with us during those moments and went through some difficult times and we have come out of it the other side.
The position we were in before Christmas didn't look good at all. But there was a lot of hard work and a lot of patience from our supporters and we really thank you for that.
Without your support, I don't think we would have been able to do what we did, so we really appreciate you. We now look forward to a break and get the necessary work done during the summer so we are ready for a new season.
We have said a fond farewell to Gemma Bonner and Gemma Evans, who will be leaving for pastures new.
Gemma Bonner has been a fantastic servant to Liverpool Football Club and it's something to be really proud of, particularly the amount of appearances in two spells at the club.
I was also fortunate to be able to coach her at Manchester City. Gemma has just been a real ambassador for this football club on and off the pitch and she goes with our best wishes.
She has given a lot to this club and we really appreciate everything she has done on and off the pitch to drive this club forward.
I've always said Liverpool FC is special because of the people and Gemma is certainly a big part of that. We will always have a place in our hearts for her here because she has done so much for this football club.
Gemma Evans has also been a good servant to the club. She has been a real positive for the team and in the dressing room she is really well liked. She is a top-class girl to work with and brings maturity and experience.
With our planning, we are always trying to move forward and improve and get better and there's obviously always comings and goings, but Gemma leaves with our thanks for what she did for this football club.
She made a positive impact at the club both on and off the pitch and she is a real top professional.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
YNWA,
Gareth
Gareth Taylor was speaking to Liverpoolfc.com's Steve Hunter