Before focusing on tonight’s match, I want to take a moment to honor Matt Beard, who sadly passed away over the weekend at a very young age.
Matt was truly a remarkable individual. As a manager, he played an important role in women’s football for many years. On a personal level, he was deeply loved and respected by countless people both inside and outside of the sport. As a husband and father, he was everything to his wife Debbie and their children Harry, Ellie, and Scott.
At Liverpool, Matt was held in high regard and affection, having secured consecutive league titles during his first spell managing the women’s team and later leading them to promotion after returning to the club.
These accomplishments speak volumes, as do the many heartfelt tributes we’ve seen since his passing. It takes a special person to inspire such widespread admiration and love.
Before tonight’s kickoff, the club will pay tribute to Matt to acknowledge his contributions to Liverpool and football in general.
On behalf of the men’s team at Liverpool FC, I extend my deepest sympathies to his family, friends, colleagues, and all who knew him.
Turning to the game, we come into this fixture following a win over our local rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby. That victory helped continue a promising start to the season, though we recognize there’s still room to improve.
I was especially pleased with the win because it came after a tough schedule of fixtures on Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Naturally, our energy levels varied throughout that demanding week.
This isn’t an excuse — we don’t need one since we won — but rather an explanation of the challenges faced by our players.
Their response showed great collective strength, and securing victory in such a tough match is a real testament to their mentality.
Because of the heavy schedule, we expect to make several changes for tonight’s match. While I can’t specify how many yet, we will put out a lineup fully prepared to take on Southampton, a team we know well from last season’s three encounters.
I’d like to welcome Will Still, his staff, players, and all Southampton supporters and officials to Anfield. We expect a tough contest, even though we now compete in different divisions.
Despite last season’s disappointment in the final, we had some strong moments in this competition, and we aim to replicate that success this time.
Starting this cup run at Anfield, in front of our fans, is an opportunity we’re eager to make the most of.
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