Above: Liverpool midfielder Taylor Hinds. Photo: @LiverpoolFCW on X
By Catherine MacKenzie (13/03/2025)
Liverpool interim boss Amber Whiteley and Manchester United’s Marc Skinner both showed their support for Liverpool midfielder Taylor Hinds, who was subjected to verbal abuse during Liverpool’s FA cup clash with Arsenal.
Press conferences ahead of a clash between Liverpool and Manchester United will always strike a different tone. Where the usual press conference is dominated by discussions about team selection and evaluating the opposing team, one of English football’s biggest rivalries demands something different; there is talk of the “spirit” of the game, which is tinged with an awareness that anything can happen when these two sides meet.
For the first time, Liverpool are set to host Manchester United at Anfield in the WSL, and in their press conferences ahead of the game, both head coaches spoke of the significance of the occasion: Marc Skinner said that facing Liverpool at Anfield transcends football and “is about the spirit of the game”. For her part, Amber Whiteley asserted that “these are the games that everybody wants to be a part of” and highlighted the importance of the game being at Anfield; “we want the crowd to get behind us”.
Liverpool will arguably start the game as underdogs, as United currently sit second in the WSL table behind leaders Chelsea, eight points behind with a game in hand. They have the best defence in the league, only conceding six goals in fifteen games and keeping ten clean sheets. In comparison, Liverpool have conceded twenty-four goals and kept only two clean sheets. This defensive record is something Whiteley has been tasked with improving during her interim term, and today she spoke of the importance of dealing with a United attack that is “really direct, quick in the attack”.
There is some positivity for Liverpool, however. In their last outing, they beat Arsenal away from home to advance in the FA Cup, keeping a clean sheet in what Whiteley admits was a confidence-boosting performance. They will be hoping to extend that organised performance against United, giving the interim coach three wins from three in her tenure. Asked about the improved performance, Whiteley said that “we were better without the ball” and praised on-loan midfielder Sam Kerr for her defensive work. In their last game, United ran out 3-1 winners against Championship club Sunderland in the FA Cup.
What the teams presently have in common is off-pitch headlines. Liverpool’s midfielder Taylor Hinds was subjected to verbal abuse from the stands in the game against Arsenal, and both Skinner and Whiteley made their support for Hinds clear: Whiteley asserted that “we are proud of Taylor for making a stand. It is important for her but for everybody else in the game too”. Skinner echoed that the treatment was “unacceptable”.
For their part, United are a constant presence in the media due to actions and words spoken by majority-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has admitted that the women’s team is not a priority for him. Amidst fears that this may lead his squad to feel demotivated and unimportant, Skinner again suggested that inside the club, the mood is different: “I feel the support every day. I am absolutely convinced that the women’s team has a place within the club”.
Skinner and Whiteley also provided updates on the fitness of their squads, with positive news from both camps. Only youngster Simi Awujo is out for United; only Hannah Silcock for Liverpool, and Elisabeth Terland will be in the United squad for the first time since the February international break.
Follow Impetus on social media –
Twitter (X): @impetusfootball TikTok: @impetusfootball
Instagram: @impetusfootball
impetusfootball.org 