‘We Want To Get Through’ – Kirk Addresses Liverpool
The Foxes are currently two wins from two games this season, after a 4-2 win over Bristol City on the opening day of the Barclays Women’s Super League season before beating Everton 1-0 more recently last weekend at King Power Stadium.
Switching focus to the League Cup, the Manager spoke to the media at Belvoir Drive during Monday’s press conference….
Examining Everton
Leicester faced a tough test last weekend against a physical Everton side, who were looking to kickstart their 2023/24 campaign after losing out to Brighton & Hove Albion on matchday one.
A single goal from German striker Lena Petermann, who joined the Club this summer, was enough to claim the points, but Kirk admitted there are still things to work on, as he aims for a higher finish this term.
“I thought it was a strong performance,” the 45-year-old explained. “I was a little bit frustrated we started so well and then began complicating things a little bit. We turned the ball over well sometimes and then missed big opportunities.
“For some reason, we started the second half really deep, and we created the space that Everton love to play in. But we reset when we made the first sub, getting players higher up the pitch and the goal was fantastic.
“It was good enough to win any game. We did what was necessary. Everton created chances, their best being the penalty, but it was a hard fought three points and a great start to the season.”
Keeping the momentum going
It took until February for the Foxes to get to this point last season, but with maximum points in the bag, the Manager hopes this is only the start of what will be a very fruitful chapter in Leicester’s history.
“Even though the season started last weekend, it feels like it starts when you’re at home in front of your own fans,” Kirk continued. “They were so good last year, and it was really good to get a result in front of them.
“Without being disrespectful to Bristol City, I think people expected us to win that game. But continuing that form and beating Everton will raise those expectations which I think is important.
“The Club has got such young history, and so it’s about us being able to push those standards. We need to improve on last year’s finish, and we’ve certainly improved on last year’s start.
“It’s the first time we’ve beat Everton, first time we’ve won our first two games. Lena [Petermann] has already got as many goals as any player did last season, so we just want to keep pushing the bar as much as possible.”
The approach
City will play their first League Cup fixture of the season when they welcome Matt Beard's side, who also have two league triumphs this season, to Burton for a 7pm BST kick-off.
Looking to keep the winning momentum rolling, Kirk is aiming for a positive start in Group B to progress into the knockout stages of the competition and will not be taking these cup games lightly.
He added: “We’ve said to the players that if you don’t win this game, I don’t think you get out of the group. We want to get through the group stages, and we want a good performance on Wednesday night.
“The squad was told at the start of the season that we won’t give away game time for free. I deem that as an important part of our journey, and I think that’ll be seen in the team line-up as we set-up to win the game.
“Liverpool have had two tiring performances, so I expect them to make changes. They’ve had some fantastic defensive performances so they’ve started off the season with a statement as well, so we’ll prepare accordingly for what I’m sure will be a tough game.”