Tottenham Rally Against Liverpool Reveals Ho’s And Taylor’s Wsl Tasks

Tottenham compounded Liverpool’s woes pinch a 2-1 triumph astatine Brisbane Road connected Sunday, continuing Gareth Taylor’s side’s hunt for their first points of nan season. It was an illustration of nan parallels and contrasts betwixt 2 teams who are, successful a multitude of ways, connected comparatively akin trajectories successful nan Women’s Super League but who are arsenic experiencing contrasting fortunes successful nan opening stages of this season.

With this win, Spurs consolidated their good commencement to life nether Martin Ho to stay fourth, while Liverpool are rooted successful nan threat zone. The disparity betwixt nan 2 is underlined by nan information – Tottenham are nan squad who person outperformed their expected points by nan biggest separator this season; Liverpool are nan ones who person underperformed nan most.

The similarities of their journeys are clear, not conscionable successful nan mode they person yo-yoed up and down nan convention successful caller seasons but successful nan upheaval they person gone through. Both person undergone important alteration successful activity complete nan summertime and some were comparatively slow to name a caller manager. Ho came into station successful July, a period earlier Taylor astatine Liverpool, and neither was fixed nan financial resources aliases capable clip to enlistee significantly. They inherited sides debased connected assurance aft difficult campaigns and successful dire request of caller power and direction.

Martin Ho had logic to grin astatine nan last whistle. Photograph: Ben Whitley/PA

Ho has managed to set nan quickest to enhancing nan capabilities and covering nan frailties of his caller team. The 35-year-old is known to beryllium an astute tactician and has openly spoken astir his desire for his squad to play connected nan beforehand ft and definitive themselves. Against Liverpool, Olivia Holdt and Drew Spence enjoyed nan state to roam and find nan pockets from which to propulsion nan strings, supported by nan marauding runs of Amanda Nilden and Jess Naz. This power and productivity were epitomised by a player-of-the-match capacity from nan former. The young Dane provided nan assistance for Koga’s equaliser earlier displaying her passing range, sending Nilden done to group up Bethany England for nan winner.

While clear successful really he wants his squad to play, Ho is not a head who is tied to 1 measurement of playing. In an question and reply pinch nan Guardian earlier nan season, he said he had “plans A to Z” because nan WSL is “more of a chess crippled and you person to beryllium very tactically flexible”.

This is nan important opposition pinch Taylor who has a intelligibly defined style that he has continued from his days astatine Manchester City without needfully possessing nan types of subordinate that his strategy needs. His problems person been compounded by a bid of awesome injuries – Marie Höbinger and Sophie Román Haug some suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries conscionable earlier nan caller world break, for illustration – which near him pinch conscionable 2 fresh recognised strikers for this trip. Mia Enderby is yet to people successful nan convention since joining successful 2023, while nan deadline-day signing Beata Olsson has taken clip to adjust. The Sweden striker came retired of this brushwood arsenic 1 of nan agleam sparks to cling connected to, opening her WSL relationship to put her squad up aft 11 minutes. His main interest will be, however, nan inclination of his squad to driblet distant aft agleam starts, a frustrating inconsistency that has been 1 of nan themes of their campaign.

While not reflected successful their results, location has been evident advancement arsenic players get up to velocity pinch what their head wants and nan knowing grows. Context is besides cardinal and Taylor has had to guideline his broadside done 1 of nan astir difficult times disconnected nan section aft nan deaths of nan erstwhile head Matt Beard and nan kitman Jonathan Humble. There is nary blueprint for that benignant of heartbreak and it is understandable that it will person inevitably affected performances.

Gareth Taylor gives his Liverpool players instructions – but they could not find an equaliser. Photograph: Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Taylor would person been hoping that nan world break would person acted arsenic a chance for his squad to reset but a precocious wounded to Enderby that led to nan young striker being carried disconnected was an added blow. He will person to hold yet different week and an arsenic difficult situation against Brighton to spot if his broadside tin find a measurement to footwear their play into life.