Programme notesMatt Beard: Why patience will be key for us today

The Reds delivered an impressive 4-0 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion Women before the international break, and now return to home turf at Prenton Park for a 2pm GMT kick-off.

The Robins, who include multiple former Liverpool players in their ranks, arrive having taken four points from their last two away fixtures in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

“Today we face Bristol City, who won promotion from the Championship last season,” writes Beard in his matchday programme notes.

“I think it took them a while to settle back into the WSL and I know better than anyone that it’s tough when you have won a division and you come back up. It’s a completely different level so you have to try to get the balance right.

“I think Lauren Smith’s done that really well. I remember coming back on the coach from West Ham and we were watching the Bristol City v Arsenal game and I thought Arsenal were lucky to win with both their goals coming through second-phase set-pieces.

“Bristol City are a tough team to play against because they are organised and disciplined defensively and then very dangerous on counter-attacks and set-plays.

“Rachel Furness is going to be missing through injury. That is a shame for our fans not to see her back playing but, on the flip side, we know what a dangerous weapon Furney is on set-plays so from our side of things that’s a bit of a positive.

“This will be a slightly different game to what we’ve been used to in recent weeks because if you look at Brighton and Chelsea, they sit in a high block, whereas Bristol City have been more in a mid or a low block and they look to hit you on the counter.

“Therefore, it’s going to be a completely different style of game for us and we’ve worked on that in training this week to make sure that we’re patient in our play. We would ask our fans to be patient too when we have the ball and are trying to play round because we want to get the ball forward and into the box but there’s a time to do it and there’s a time not to do it.

“Furney is one of four ex-Liverpool players in the Bristol City squad and we also welcome back Satara Murray, Amy Rodgers and Amalie Thestrup. It’s always great for ex-players to return here.

“I’ve said it time and time again about this football club. I’ve left Liverpool and come back and you do miss it as it is a unique football club. I’m delighted that everyone who has moved on is playing regularly and obviously we wish them all every success, just not today!”

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