Matt Beard leaves Liverpool FC Women — Where did it go wrong?

On the 27th of February, Liverpool FC Women announced the shock departure of Head Coach Matt Beard. This marks the end of Beard’s second tenure at the club. His first run produced the club’s two WSL Victories in 2013 and 2014, and after rejoining the club in 2021, Beard guided the team to promotion from the Championship. The Reds had an excellent run in the 23-24 season, finishing in 4th, but this form has not been replicated. Beard leaves the club after a relatively poor run of fixtures, with the Reds sitting in 7th place. But was it Beard’s time to go?

Recent Form 

As Beard’s sacking took place during the International Break, it doesn’t have the knee-jerk feel of some managerial exits. That being said, Liverpool Women’s last result was a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City. There was a real feeling of disappointment among supporters after the game, but it was by no means a humiliation. Prior to this, Liverpool Women had victories in the League Cup and FA Cup, and their previous league result was a cagey 1-0 win to West Ham. The recent fixture which sticks out was the loss to Leicester City, who are currently sat in tenth. 

The general feeling among supporters is that the team is underperforming, but at the games and on social media, I have not seen or heard many calls for Beard to go. We are better than 7th, but the season is not lover, and most fans have kept faith in our previously successful manager. 

Was Beard out of ideas?

While Matt Beard will always be a special manager for fans, could it be argued that he does not have anything left to give to the club?

The one word which comes to mind when I think about this year’s squad is uninspired. We have a good quality crop of players, many of whom are stars for their National Teams, but they were failing to produce something special working together. In that situation, the blame does fall to the team’s management. 

In the stands, we’ve often been hoping for a throw of the dice from Beard, but this just did not happen. At times, players stayed on for too long without being substituted. Perhaps more impactful substitutions could have turned close games around.

The Investment Problem

Unfortunately, I think that Matt Beard has been the scapegoat for chronic underinvestment in the team by FSG (the owners of LFC Men and Women). The squad was significantly weakened by departures in the summer, and there has not been proper reinvestment since. We did make some loan signings in the January transfer window who have been playing well, but the squad’s depth is nowhere close to the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea. 

Beard was not a magician, and he could not produce players without any investment in the squad. Criticism about how he used the players he did have can be levied, but LFC Women are fundamentally lacking squad depth as a result of FSG’s choices. 

Who could replace Beard?

In the short term, assistant Amber Whiteley has taken over as Caretaker Manager. She has been in this position previously, and I believe she is unlikely to take over full-time.

It is unclear who the most likely candidate is to replace Beard, as no prominent managers are without a job. There had been some discussion among supporters after the departure of Jonas Eidevall from Arsenal. Many saw him as a potential candidate should Beard go, but in the interim, he has moved to San Diego Wave. 

My wild musings are the volume of men’s football managers currently out of work. Could an ex-premier league manager like Steve Cooper, Gary O’Neil or Russell Martin take the plunge into the women’s game? This isn’t a phenomenon which has been prominent in the English game, but there are some examples from the continent. It’s an out there theory, but stranger things have happened.

Concluding Thoughts

Matt Beard’s departure from Liverpool Women has been a shock, but did not come from nowhere. There’s no denying that the squad has been performing under par, but no single action resulted in his sacking. Matt Beard has no clear successor for now, so only time will tell who becomes LFC Women’s next manager.

All images are the author’s own.

For from us on sport, Click Here!

For all things Liverpool Guild Student Media, Click Here!