NewsMatt Beard on Manchester United loss and giving youngsters an opportunity

The Liverpool FC Women boss made nine changes to his line-up and handed a first start to academy graduate Zara Shaw in the fixture.

A goal in each half ensured the points for the hosts, with the Reds still to face Newcastle United and Everton in the group stage of the competition.

Read on as Beard reflects on the loss, why youngsters have to be given an opportunity and his thoughts on the opening to the 2024-25 season…

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On his reflections on the 2-0 defeat…

We had to rotate with the schedule that we’ve got and we made nine changes, so that’s always going to make it difficult. They had some good chances in the first half but I don’t really think they created a lot of out-and-out chances, so to concede from a set-play was frustrating. Positives, we got lots of minutes into legs for us, which was important. We slightly changed our attacking shape in the second half, which worked a little bit better for us. I was disappointed with our reaction to the second goal because I think we stopped doing the basics right, so we need to address that.

The league is always a priority for me and us. Yes, we want to do well in this competition and every competition we play in, but you look at this week for us and we played away in London on Sunday and the same again this Sunday. From that side we have to do best by the players and make sure everyone is fit and healthy for all three games.

On the benefits of giving young players a chance to shine in the League Cup…

If I look at Lucy Parry last season, playing her against the top sides in the cup was a great benefit for her, Hannah Silcock started tonight. When I went to Bristol City all those years ago there were so many young talented players who weren’t getting opportunities, and it just opened my eyes, to be honest with you. I come from coaching in youth development and my dad worked in youth football for the majority of his career. These young players need opportunities.

If you look at the history of Liverpool we have always produced our own players and Zara Shaw, who made her first start tonight, is the latest one to come through that system. Zara has just turned 17, she has got great potential, but unfortunately she got a bad injury last season and if she hadn’t she probably would have been in the first team at 16. It’s important young players get that opportunity because how else are they going to get exposure?

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On what he feels about his side’s overall performances so far this season…

I think they have been inconsistent. I’ve been quite honest about our pre-season, which was really disruptive. If I look at our start last year, pre-season was like a dream but this year it’s been tough. We are playing a bit of catch-up with players still not fully match-fit. Look, at the end of the day it’s part and parcel of the game and you get injuries, suspensions and you have got to deal with it.

I think in the WSL games this season we’ve taken the lead and had the opportunities to put the game to bed and because we haven’t done that we have ended up with two draws so far. It’s like tonight, at 1-0 down we are still in the game but a mistake from us and it’s 2-0. Could we have been in a better position? I would probably have taken four points from our opening two games if I’m honest as Leicester are a tough team to play against and West Ham away is never easy.

We now head to Tottenham and if we can win there that would put us around that top four, top five, so it’s not been a disastrous start by any stretch of the imagination and there are still plenty of points to play for, so I’m not worried at all.