Eder Maestre began his reign as manager of London City Lionesses with a dreary 0-0 draw away at the home of bottom WSL side Liverpool.
In a game lacking any genuine quality, both sides struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities, leaving further questions about the directions in which both Maestre and Gareth Taylor are taking their clubs.
The Lineups
LIV: Falk, Woodham, Fisk, Clark, Shimizu, Holland, Nagano, Enderby, MacLean, Bergström
LCL: Lete, Linari, Sangaré, Fernández, Corrales, Geyoro, Kumagi, Rossar, Godfrey, Aslanni, Parris
The Action
With five wins already achieved in their debut season, London City left everyone scratching their heads when they announced during the winter break that they had dispensed with the services of Jocelyn Prêcheur. In his place was Tenerife’s Maestre, tasked with not just keeping the ambitious South London side in the Women’s Super League (WSL), but pushing them even further up the table.
As opening fixtures go, this should have been a late Christmas gift for Maestre. Liverpool have toiled badly under Taylor, winless in the WSL since his appointment in the summer.
As befuddling as it was that newly-promoted London City chose to move on from their manager, just as puzzling is that lacklustre Liverpool have elected to persevere with theirs, especially after their disastrous 9-1 defeat at home to Chelsea in the League Cup just before Christmas.
But as the game commenced, it was Liverpool who had the first real chance. Ceri Holland formed into box, cut inside her defender, only to see her shot blocked. Alice Bergström, signed from BK Häcken, went closer after having a pass slipped through to her in the box. But her effort flashed past the keeper and the far post.
London City’s main source of threat was through the use of the flanks, but their crosses posed little danger to Grace Fisk and Jenna Clark. Meanwhile, malaise in the visitors’ defence nearly proved to be the source of their own downfall, as Holland closed down and blocked Elene Lee’s clearance. Lete was grateful to the ball roll behind for a goal kick.
In truth, it had been a ghastly first half, and the second 45 was no better. Bergström went close with a dinked effort after well found in the box by Kirsty MacLean, but the ball sailed wide. Ceri Holland should have done far better when a rare moment of flowing possession saw her picked out in the box, but the Welsh midfielder blazed her effort well over the bar.
With less than 20 minutes to go, Taylor decided to switch up his attack, with Freya Godfrey and Jana Fernández opting to go low from the wide positions. Neither was able to pick out substitute Missy Goodwin in the penalty area.
In injury time, both sides were awarded free kicks to launch the ball into the opposition’s box. Both deliveries came to nothing. At full-time, both sides deserved nothing, with neither achieving a shot on target all match. Instead, they departed with a point apiece, in what will surely rank as one of the worst games of the season.
Winless Liverpool toil again
With West Ham United suffering a 5-0 hammering away at Chelsea in the day’s 12:00 kick-off, Liverpool were given the chance to finally move off the bottom of the WSL Table. It was a chance they did not take.
There was little quality, direction, or energy to the Merseysiders’ play. It was only for Maestre’s side’s equally poor showing that meant they got the majority of the meagre crumbs of half-chances. New signing Bergström could have potentially done better with the few moments she was given, as could Ceri Holland. The scantest of consolations they could lay claim to was a first WSL clean sheet of the season, with Fisk and Clark easily able to snuffle out the London side’s non-existent threat. Jennifer Falk will never have enjoyed an easier debut in goal.
Liverpool remain bottom, still without a win to their name. Not since Yeovil Town in 2018 has a side finished bottom of the WSL table and winless. New signings have been brought in from the Damallsvenskan, but they did little today to alter a narrative that is moving from worrying to embarrassing, for both Liverpool and Gareth Taylor.
Despite it all, they sit only a point below West Ham United. Avoiding the relegation play-off is well within their reach, but performances like these make it ever more difficult for them to escape the trapdoor.
Maestre’s fresh start at London City fizzles out
There was no ‘new manager bounce’ for LCL, as the Ede Maestre era got underway in extremely underwhelming fashion. His side did nothing of any note across the entire 90 minutes.
Given the limited time Maestre has had to settle into his role, and for the team to adjust to his methods, it is only natural that the performance would have been impacted. But there were few clues as to what it was he was trying to get his team to do, besides cross the ball badly.
London City Lionesses are not a side willing to afford time and patience to their managers, having fired Prêcheur after getting them promoted to the WSL and settling them into mid-table. If Maestre wishes to remain in charge by the end of the season, his team will need to offer a lot more than the wretched showing they provided at St Helens.
