Liverpool Women’s manager Matt Beard has said it could be a while before the Reds can compete with the very best teams in the WSL.

The 3-3 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend means Beard’s side have only taken four points from their opening seven games. While he feels his current group of players can avoid relegation, Beard admits that the squad needs to be seriously strengthened for the club to trouble those at the top of the table:

“I know we’ve got a good enough squad to compete at this level, but I’m not going to come out and say our ambition is to just to stay up this season because we want to be as high up the league table as we can,” he said. “To be perfectly honest with you, it’s going to take us two or three more transfer windows to get us competing with those top teams and it’s not going to happen overnight.”

Liverpool recruited six players in total following their promotion from the Women’s Championship but they suffered five consecutive defeats following their shock opening day win over Chelsea.

The Brighton result has steadied the ship somewhat but it’s clear that a lot of work needs to be done in the transfer market if the Merseyside club are to compete on an even footing with the very best that English women’s football has to offer.