ColumnMatt Beard on lessons from Anfield loss and Crystal Palace challenge

I felt we definitely deserved something from our performance at Anfield against Manchester City last weekend. It was so frustrating to lose right at the end, but that’s what these top strikers can do if you give them a chance.

• Get your tickets for LFC Women v Crystal Palace on Sunday here

It was really difficult for me to not be at the game because I had a sickness bug, but I was constantly in touch with Pottsy [Joe Potts] on the bench.

I’m fine now but under the protocols you need to be 48 hours clear before you can return and I didn’t want my players and staff to get ill, so Sunday afternoon just came too quick for me to be there.

I thought we defended well but if I look at both goals conceded we were in a three-versus-two situation, which then ended up in a one-v-one. Unfortunately, Niamh [Fahey] was caught on the wrong side and Jas [Matthews] stepped out and these top teams and top players punish you in those situations.

I think Bunny Shaw along with Barbra Banda at Orlando Pride are probably two of the most clinical finishers in world football; unfortunately for us, City had two shots on target and scored both times.

The pleasing thing for me was I felt we were organised, but I did think we could have been a little bit more aggressive at times when we stopped them. We could have shifted it more too, but City do hurt you when they press and play through.

If I look at what they did to Barcelona and couldn’t do to us, I think it shows some good signs and there is plenty of confidence and belief we can take from that game going forward.

It’s been an interesting start to the season. There are plenty of positives to take overall, especially with the injuries to key players which we have had to endure.

• LFC Women injury update: Olivia Smith, Ceri Holland and Grace Fisk

Smithy [Olivia Smith] scored a fantastic goal but what I don’t want to do is put all this pressure on her - we already know what a talent she is.

She is a brilliant person in the sense of her personality. If I look back at the Tottenham game when she came off, she was upset and devastated she hadn’t scored, but it shows her hunger and desire.

I said to her that day: ‘Look, you are going to score plenty of goals so don’t worry, we know the quality you’ve got and you possess. All I ask is that you keep getting in those positions.’

If you look at the goal with her power, her pace and the way she uses her body in tight situations, I think she is undefendable.

Her upbringing - I know her dad did a lot of work with her and she’s done other sports as well - has put her in good stead.

We know we’ve got a talented player, she just needs time like any player does and we’ve got to remember she is only 20.

We welcome Crystal Palace to St Helens Stadium in the WSL on Sunday in our last game before the upcoming international break (kick-off 2pm BST).

I remember watching their game with Chelsea and they were unlucky to go in 1-0 down at half-time because they had some really good chances.

Nobody expected them to come up to the WSL. I think Laura Kaminski did an amazing job last year, but this year I think she has surprised everybody once again. They are a good side and they have different ways of playing so it makes it difficult for us to plan.

It will be great to see Katie Stengel again and we wish her well after this game.

I’ve been impressed with them overall, I think people thought they would come up and go straight back down, but they have signed some really good players with experience in key areas, like Katie and Josie Green, who has been at Tottenham and Leicester.

The experienced players they have signed know this league and they can give the younger ones that extra bit of quality and knowhow, because I think that’s the difference in the WSL.

They are learning on the job very quickly and defensively they are organised and play good football, so this is not going to be an easy game.

For us, we know on our day we can beat anyone and we just need to make sure when we have the ball that we are better with it. That is the one thing we looked at from City to say we should have done better with it.

There’s little things that have happened over the last few weeks that have caused us a bit of an issue but considering that, I think we have done really well.

Thank you for your continued support.

YNWA,

Matt

Matt Beard was speaking to Liverpoolfc.com's Steve Hunter

• Get your tickets for LFC Women v Crystal Palace on Sunday here