Liverpool fans’ patience wears thin as WSL strugglers face crunch clash | OneFootball

No wins, no clean sheets and – on Thursday night – no shots on target. It has been a horrible first half of the WSL season for Liverpool and, while the gaze of the world’s football media has been drawn towards the future of “the Egyptian King”, Mo Salah, on Merseyside, the women’s team look increasingly in danger of slipping down the pyramid.

It is by no means a hopeless situation for Gareth Taylor, whose bottom-of-the-table side face second-bottom West Ham on Sunday. But after Thursday’s 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa, it was clear on social media that portions of the fanbase are losing patience, with some supporters calling for the manager to go after only 10 league games. This time last year, under Matt Beard, Liverpool were seventh; 24 months ago, fifth.

The club sold their star player Olivia Smith to Arsenal in the summer for a groundbreaking £1m but fans could be forgiven for wondering how, if at all, that cash was spent. Their acquisitions have yet to look inspired, with the exception of the Sweden striker Beata Olsson, who has scored four times in eight WSL games. The problem is, her tally is two-thirds of Liverpool’s total league goals. Taylor’s side are the joint-lowest scorers with Leicester.

There have been positive moments, such as November’s home draw with the defending champions, Chelsea, a week after another 1-1 draw, with Brighton, in which Taylor’s team had been moments from victory. Their League Cup form has been encouraging, with three wins from three, albeit against lower-tier opposition, to set up next Sunday’s quarter-final against Chelsea, and they were impressive for spells against Manchester City and Arsenal, but producing decent performances that end in defeat is like a baker making a tasty loaf that fails to rise in the oven.

For many, the proof of how Liverpool have progressed was best examined at Villa and Taylor told Sky Sports it had been a “reality check”. He said: “There’s no doubt that we have regressed as a team for sure, more than is expected of a club like Liverpool. We have to go and show a reaction – if we don’t, we know that West Ham have players that can capitalise on that.”

Those who support Taylor will point to the fact that he was not brought in until very late in pre-season preparations, hindering his chances to work with his players. It remains baffling that the club were pleased to be without a permanent manager for nearly six months but Liverpool were understood to be happy to be patient to hire the coach they wanted for the long term, to change the playing style. Taylor was identified as their first choice early in the process, but, sooner or later, the only thing that will matter is results.

When Taylor was asked after facing Manchester United in late September about trying to change the style, he said: “It doesn’t happen overnight.” He was keen to praise his squad, saying: “Working with these girls is top, because they’re so open to learning.” Their approach is certainly different and not as direct, but so far it is not effective.

They have taken fewer shots than any other WSL side and, before Thursday, ranked 10th for big chances created. They have been somewhat unfortunate in hitting the woodwork five times but their lack of strength on the bench has been demonstrated by scoring only one second-half goal.

Rather harshly, this is Liverpool’s third WSL away game in nine days, and they have not secured a point on the road since April. The Villa match was originally scheduled for September but was postponed after Beard’s death. The grief that gripped the club means it would be only human for Liverpool not to have been at their best during a time of mourning. There have also been significant injuries to key players. If they keep losing, though, fans will not sympathise. There is not huge experience in this squad. They have the second-lowest average age among starting XIs, at 25 years and 295 days, older only than Everton’s, and two years younger than West Ham’s. It feels increasingly likely that the January transfer window will be pivotal, but will Taylor be afforded the time to oversee it?

With no automatic relegation places for one season only – to expand the league – and the 12th-place sided heading into a playoff with the third-placed WSL2 team, perhaps Liverpool will decide they can bide their time, on the assumption that staying up is more likely, and give Taylor the chance to continue building with this squad for next season. A long-awaited win on Sunday would nevertheless be very welcome.

Header image: [Photograph: Leila Coker/Getty Images]