Reaction'We need to learn from this' - Matt Beard on WSL defeat at Chelsea
Matt Beard provided his reaction to a frustrating afternoon for Liverpool FC Women as they lost 5-1 away to Chelsea Women.
After an early concession at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, the Reds responded immediately when Shanice van de Sanden forced an own goal to equalise.
But the reigning Barclays Women’s Super League champions got back in front before the break and then extended their advantage by three in the second half.
Read a summary of manager Beard’s post-match reflections below…
On his assessment of the game…
It’s a frustrating result for us. We have said to the players after the game we are disappointed with the manner of the goals, especially when we worked hard to force Chelsea into turnovers. If you give it straight back you just get punished against these top, top sides. So, disappointed with the goals. I do think we’ve had good moments today but I don’t think we should be conceding five goals at this level, and I don’t think Chelsea had to work necessarily really hard for their goals today and for me that’s the most frustrating point or part of the game for us.
On it being unlike his side having been solid defensively previously this season…
Definitely. But we need to do better when we’ve got the ball to stop us having to do a half-pitch recovery. If you look at the first goal, we’re in comfortable possession and we could have gone forward but we don’t, we have an extra touch – and today the extra touch killed us because they’re on you like a flash, and then we got punished. The second goal really typified our performance; seven seconds the ball is out of play and then within a throw and a pass, the ball is in the back of our net – and that can’t happen.
On the Reds not being able to build on their equalising goal for 1-1…
The goals are frustrating right the way across the board. Chelsea are such a good side that they are going to cause you problems, they are going to create chances, and that’s why we’re desperately disappointed that the goals we have conceded have come from our own downfall, whether that’s not getting into the correct position defensively, whether that’s not being brave enough on the tackle. Super-frustrating. If I look at the second half I felt we really started it well, we really unsettled them, but then we’re snatching at decisions where it just sort of kills us. As I say, we can’t defend the way we defended on the goals or turn the ball over like we did at certain moments today which led to the ball being in the back of our net.
On how Liverpool will go about bouncing back from this result…
We can’t let today define us. We need to learn from it. We need to obviously go through the goals, look at the clips, show the players the options they have when we debrief. But we’re not going to let today define all the hard work that we’ve done, so it’s about making sure we respond and react in the right way but then make sure we’re disciplined and make sure we do the right things going forward.
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