A closer look at Matt Beard's tenure in charge of Liverpool Women FC

Since joining Liverpool in 2021, Matt Beard has achieved a lot, including promotion back to the Women’s Super League.

Beard, 46, has journeyed through many clubs during his career to date, racking up 350 games in-charge.

With the Reds showing promise under him, what could their future look like under Beard?

Liverpool under Beard

Since taking over in May 2021, Beard has taken Liverpool from third in the second tier to competing for European places.

Liverpool won the Championship the following season, winning sixteen of their 22 league games.

The Reds secured their stay in the WSL the following season with a seventh-place finish.

Since then the Reds have gone from strength to strength, finishing fourth last season, one place behind qualification for the Champions League.

The Reds currently sit sixth in the WSL, after winning at Aston Villa last weekend, only having suffered one defeat this season.

Beard’s journey so far

Since taking his first steps in league football management at Milwall in 2008, Beard has racked up a lot of experience.

Beard got his first job in the WSL with Chelsea, managing the Blues for three years without winning silverware.

The Blues were not then as accomplished as they are now, and Beard departed in July 2012, to take up the helm at Liverpool, as Emma Hayes took charge at Chelsea.

Beard’s first spell with the Reds included the Reds’ first WSL title, with the first women’s team in England to offer their players professional contracts.

The Reds went on to retain their title under Beard the following season, before Beard left to take charge of the Boston Breakers in the United States.

Beard then had a spell at West Ham United Women, and later Bristol City Women before re-joining the Reds.

Liverpool’s future

Beard signed a new contract with Liverpool Women in 2023, and Liverpool’s future lies under him.

He has said that his aim is to turn Liverpool into a team that challenges on all fronts, which is very promising.

Through no fault of his own, Beard is yet to prove that he can build a team that wins things in the highly competitive WSL of today.

This season’s mixed start has thrown Liverpool some big challenges, bedding in new players, and trying to cope with losing some big players over the summer.

The key to trying to build a team that will challenge one day is acquiring promising young players and developing them, Liverpool have already done the former.

With the success that Beard has enjoyed in both of his spells at Liverpool, he has earnt the chance to help Liverpool grow into this new era.