WSL: Liverpool 4-0 Brighton gives Albion Women a reality check
It is not often you come away from a 4-0 defeat with feelings of hope and optimism. But with Brighton Women in a period of transition, days like losing 4-0 against Liverpool at Prenton Park are all part of the process.
Mel Phillips came into this game praising the team’s “growth” and “consistency” following a tough run of fixtures and creditable performances in the WSL, as well as heralding the team’s renewed “strength in depth” following a much-changed side’s 3-0 win over West Ham United in the Conti Cup in midweek.
But if that midweek win highlighted the new strength and potential Brighton Women have, then this 4-0 defeat to Liverpool highlighted its persisting weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
Last week I talked about how Mel Phillips was leading a transformation in the team’s fortunes. In part through a progression towards a high pressing, possession-based style. However, it’s a transition that is still in progress and in need of work, as evidenced at Prenton Park.
This was a defeat that showed just why playing this style can be so risky. High pressing football relies on the team being a well-organised and synchronised unit. And given that this team are in the early stages of their journey together, it makes that transition all the tougher.
Whilst 4-0 is a heavy defeat in terms of scoreline, Brighton Women still gave a good account of themselves for long periods against Liverpool – particularly early on.
They put the Reds under serious pressure during the opening exchanges, with Pauline Bremer and then Elisabeth Terland both forcing good saves from Liverpool goalkeeper Teagan Micah. A number of dangerous set piece deliveries then kept the home side on their toes.
But after Gemma Bonner headed home from a corner to give Liverpool the lead, there was no looking back from the relentless hosts.
Albion continued to push forward boldly, but the second Reds goal showed what can happen when you do. Within 15 seconds of Liverpool taking a throw-in level with their own penalty area, the ball had been swept up the other end and found its way into the back of the Brighton net.
If you commit players forward and win the ball in attacking areas, it will almost certainly lead to a chance on goal.
But with high reward comes a corresponding level of high risk, as the men’s team have shown under Roberto De Zerbi in matches like the 5-1 defeat to Everton last season.
Sure, a combination of Emma Kullberg and Jorelyn Carabali should have done better to at least halt this particular Liverpool attack.
But playing so high up the pitch leaves those players with less time and opportunity to win the ball back, at the same time as leaving the defensive line sitting behind them far more exposed.
Despite being 2-0 down, Brighton kept on pushing and can count themselves unfortunate not to have pulled one back before the break.
After Bremer appeared to have been fouled inside the box, the referee adjudged it instead to be outside the area and gave a free kick rather than a penalty.
Bremer picked herself up, took the free kick and forced a decent save from Micah. And so Albion went in 2-0 down at the break.
Brighton started the second half as they ended the first – pushing forward in search of a way back into the game. Once again though, they were punished on the break.
A long kick forward from Sophie Baggaley went straight to a Liverpool shirt and with a number of Albion players committed forward, Liverpool quickly broke to take advantage of a team out of position – and at 3-0 down, now pretty much out of the game.
As the second half went on, Liverpool found more and more space and opportunity going forward as Brighton legs began to tire. But the Albion persisted and pushed more players forward in search of salvaging something from the game.
In the end, the fourth Liverpool goal in injury time had been coming and the Seagulls were once again thankful of not having conceded a couple of others.
Mel Phillips was honest in her assessment, admitting that: “I made some changes in the second half that left us a little bit too open on transition and ultimately that defined the second half.”
Phillips added: “We are going to have to take things away from this. It will humble us so we come fresh into the next set of games.”
And there certainly are lessons to takeaway, most prominently defensive lessons. It was a game that demonstrated a number of defensive cracks which the shot stopping abilities of Baggaley have arguably been papering over so far this season.
It was always going to take time for this side to make such a dramatic switch in style and system of the degree that Phillips has overseen this season.
Despite all the good, defensively they still need to learn. And if this game is anything to go by, they need to learn fast in order to avoid more results of this kind.
But there were still plenty of positives despite this. The relatively small number of moments that cost Brighton overshadow a creditable performance where they were yet again brave and bold without the ball. With some more luck and better decision making in those costly moments, it could have been a very different result.
It is a high risk, high reward approach. But one the side didn’t flinch at persisting with. And why Captain Vicky Losada said after the game: “I’m very proud of the girls, the club and the staff. Sometimes things take time.”
Transition and time are the key words as to where Phillips’ side are right now. But if they keep demonstrating the levels of promise that we have seen so far this season, Phillips is at the best club with a patient board to get the time she needs to get it right.
Phil
