ReactionMatt Beard's verdict on 'frustrating' Women's FA Cup elimination

The Reds’ ambition of a place in the last four was quashed by Leicester City at Prenton Park on Saturday, with Jutta Rantala’s double giving the visitors a 2-0 win.

Post-match, Beard gave his verdict to Liverpoolfc.com on the game and where things went wrong for his team. Read the manager’s assessment below…

On a disappointing day for the team…

Definitely. Frustrated for so many different reasons. I felt our use of the ball wasn’t what it has been, first half especially, first 10 minutes. When you don’t get control of the game, it becomes a bit like a basketball match – it was up there, up there. It was a frustrating afternoon. We’ve had chances to score and haven’t taken them, and obviously we’ve been punished with the two that we gifted them.

On a couple of big chances to score in the first half…

Yeah, Mia [Enderby] clean through, pulls it wide. And then obviously Marie [Höbinger], where the goalkeeper gives it to her on the edge of the box. On another day we probably take them, but for whatever reason it’s been one of those days for us today.

On the frustrations of the second goal conceded…

We should have had a corner. Still, we can’t allow what happened – we’ve not got the first ball, we’ve not got the second ball and then it’s ended up in the back of our net. I just think moments like that today, that’s where we’ve let ourselves down.

On making changes after the break but things not happening for Liverpool…

I felt we had good control in the first half, especially once we weathered that first 10, 15 minutes. But then everything was too rushed. I know time is against you but you just need to relax and make sure we connect the passes. But the turnovers were just too much.

On the absence of Fuka Nagano…

Yeah, we lost Fuka yesterday. Obviously Ceri [Holland] suspended as well. But at the end of the day, we’ve got the squad depth here to be able to cope with things like that. We definitely lost Fuka’s control of the ball and the game, in the sense of connecting the passes and her reading of the game. But it’s not an excuse, we’ve got good squad depth here and just for whatever reason it’s not clicked today.

On not testing the Leicester goalkeeper enough in the second half…

Definitely. Obviously we made a lot of changes at the top end of the pitch, we ended up going to a front three, obviously to try to do that. But sometimes you’ve got to give the opposition credit. I think they defended really well, especially stopping the crosses going in. It’s a bad day at the office for us and one we have to just move on from quickly.

On picking the team up ahead of next weekend’s league clash with West Ham United…

We’ll be fine. Whenever we’ve had a setback we’ve always regrouped and gone again. So I’m confident in us doing that. We turn our attention to West Ham now and make sure that we’re ready and focused for that.