When manager Matt Beard took charge of Liverpool Women for a second time in May 2021, it wasn’t the first time he was tasked with completing a huge turnaround at the club.
Ahead of his second spell on Merseyside last year, the Reds were still battling in the Championship after a disappointing first season in the second division. It was his job to get them back onto the big stage and he duly delivered as they secured promotion last term.
In 2012, after three years at Chelsea, Beard was brought to Liverpool for the 2013 and 2014 campaigns and he needed to turn a team struggling at the bottom of the table, into title contenders. After the Women’s Super League was established in 2010, Liverpool finished rock bottom in both 2011 and 2012, while Arsenal continued their dominance as Champions for the ninth year running.
READ MORE: Liverpool Women left frustrated on Anfield night that gave exciting glimpse into the future
READ MORE: Liverpool Women player ratings as Taylor Hinds good but three poor against Everton
Understandably, many would have expected the Gunners to make it 10 consecutive league titles in 2013 - but Liverpool had quietly been putting the groundwork in place to build a team ready to compete for the top honours.
Natasha Dowie and Fara Williams were signed from Merseyside rivals Everton in November 2012, just a few months after Beard’s arrival. The Reds also brought in USA international Whitney Engen, as well as German youth international Nicole Rolser.
Lucy Bronze was another addition for the 2013 campaign, although defender was yet to become a senior England international having only featured for the under-23s at that point. Liverpool also signed 21-year-old centre-back Gemma Bonner from Chelsea, who went on to spend over five years with the Reds.
The 2013 season marked the first time the women’s team were fully part of the football club and the integration was well underway. The Reds became the only team in the league at the time to be on a full-time training schedule ahead of the new campaign - starting with a session alongside the men’s team.
Ahead of their season opener against Arsenal, the women were invited to Melwood to train with Brendan Rodgers’ first team. In discussion with Steven Gerrard, crunching tackles from Luis Suarez and a team talk with the manager himself - it was a positive way to go into the season.
Their opening game in May 2013 presented the true test, however, with a huge fixture against reigning champions Arsenal at the Emirates. The Gunners hadn’t suffered a league defeat in 21 months, yet their title defence got off to the worst possible start.
Liverpool’s Amanda Da Costa opened the scoring right before half-time, before she doubled the visitor’s lead shortly after the break. Dowie then opened her account a few minutes later and Louise Fors made it four just before the hour mark.
It was a pivotal moment in the Women’s Super League and a seismic shift as Liverpool comfortably saw off a team that finished 29 points above them in the previous campaign. Beard’s side went on to win 11 of their remaining 13 matches that season, suffering defeat on just two occasions.
The return fixture at Halton Stadium in Widnes, Cheshire in August 2013 would see Arsenal enact their revenge as a brace from Jordan Nobbs and a first-half effort from Alex Scott secured them a much needed 3-0 victory. While Liverpool recorded a tightly contested 4-3 victory over Chelsea in their home game, the away fixture saw Emma Hayes’ side earn a narrow 2-1 victory.
It was, however, Bristol Academy who would push Liverpool closest come the end of the campaign. The final matchday of the season saw the Reds host their title rivals and a draw would be enough to secure them their first WSL trophy. Bristol, on the other hand, were two points behind Beard’s side in the table and needed a victory in order to snatch the honours.
But it was Liverpool’s day as a Fors penalty and a strike from Katrin Omarsdottir sealed the win and saw them finish five points clear at the top of the table. Arsenal, who finished third and outside of the Champions League places, had three points deducted for fielding an unregistered player in the victory over the Reds a month prior - but even so, three points wouldn’t have been enough to surpass Liverpool at the summit.
Dowie (13 goals) and Rosler (10) ended the season as the top two goalscorers, while Fors ended her campaign with seven to her name.
“I think there’s been a lot of investment and support from the men’s side,” Bonner said in an interview with the BBC after the title win. “They’ve adopted a one club philosophy and they’ve really bought into that. It’s helped us training wise and we’ve improved as players with the contact time we’ve had with each other.”
"When I came to the club our plan was to be in a position to challenge at the top,” Beard told the Guardian in 2013. “The players deserve the credit for the shift they've put in. We don't want it to be just a one-off season, we've got an incredibly focused group of players and almost everyone is on a two-year contract, so we'll regroup in the close season and look to go again."
Liverpool had raised the bar and it was up to everyone else to follow - it wasn’t just a one-off either as the Reds, under Beard’s leadership, replicated their success to win a second consecutive league title in 2014.
Beard departed Liverpool in 2015, but left the club in a much stronger place than when he took charge. However, year on year, the WSL has hit new heights and the emergence of Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham - as well as the continued success of Arsenal and Chelsea, means the top flight has never been more competitive.
The Reds learnt that the hard way in 2020 when they were relegated to the second division, but once again the arrival of Beard in 2021 gave a struggling team a lease of new life as they completed a much needed return to the WSL earlier this year. Liverpool have had a mixed start to the 2022/23 season with a huge victory over reigning champions Chelsea, but a disappointing defeat to Merseyside rivals Everton at Anfield last weekend.
This season promises to be an exciting one as Liverpool are well on their way to establishing themselves as a top flight team once again and becoming a force in the women’s game. They’re back fighting on the big stage, which is exactly where they should be.
READ NEXT:
- Liverpool to 'rally around' stricken forward as Merseyside derby promise is made
'We have to' - Liverpool boss Matt Beard makes Anfield admission after Everton defeat
'Perfection' - Everton boss Brian Sorensen reveals how side silenced record crowd in Liverpool win
Everton defender sends Liverpool warning as aims for season outlined
New-look Everton Women look for 'missing' quality after turbulent season and transfer overhaul
