ColumnMatt Beard on Manchester United test and the need to be more clinical

It’s great to get back into action after the international break, which I do believe came at a good time for us, especially with our injury situation.

Now, as always we wait and hope that everyone comes back fit and healthy and ready for our final three games of 2024.

Unfortunately, we will be without Hannah Silcock who went off injured playing for England U23s, which is a blow because she had got herself into the team.

On a positive note, Teagan Micah will be available for Sunday. Australia put two extra games into their schedule and they asked whether we would consider letting them have Teagan, but we need her and we’ve got three games.

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We are looking forward to Sunday’s trip to Leigh Sports Village when we take on Manchester United (kick-off 12pm GMT).

I was pleased with our last outing against Newcastle United in the League Cup and I felt it was a good team performance with some really good moments to come from it, with Kappy [Cornelia Kapocs], Smithy [Olivia Smith], Mia [Enderby] and Leanne [Kiernan] all scoring and Zara Shaw staking a claim for a place.

Manchester United have been a bit up and down lately but I do think there has been a lot of unfair criticism on Marc Skinner.

As always it’s going to be a tight game but it’s one we are looking forward to, it’s similar to the Everton fixture in the sense it’s a game we always look out for when the fixtures come out.

I say this all of the time but we know that on our day we can compete with anybody in this league. I do feel Chelsea have gone to that next level with regards to the players that they have brought in and the squad depth they have, but pretty much everyone else I think we can beat anyone on our day.

I just think we have been so unlucky with the injuries that we’ve had to key players like Sophie Roman Haug and, as I’ve said recently, we have to find a way to win games without her.

It’s just been the way the season has gone so far in the sense we get one player back only to lose another one or two, it’s just been constant since day one.

Manchester United is our first priority on Sunday, they are in a similar position to us with one or two injuries and also awaiting players back from international duty.

In these games you have to be clinical. We’ve been in that position plenty of times already this season when we have gone 1-0 up and not killed games off and it has come back to haunt us.

So from our perspective we have to be clinical when we get these opportunities and I do think the performance in our last game at Newcastle, especially the front players, will give them a big lift.

Thank you for your continued support, as always.

YNWA,

Matt

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