WE’RE A FAR BETTER SIDE THAN LIVERPOOL
Everton Women boss happy to ramp up the rivalry as he prepares for historic derby
Everton manager Willie Kirk urges me to take the next place in the queue for lunch at the club’s Finch Farm training base. the players are already tucking into a roast pork dinner and root vegetables following a morning session on the lush grass pitches below Marco Silva’s first-team hub.
Kirk has been preparing his side for tomorrow’s historic Merseyside derby, the first FA Women’s Super League fixture to be played at Anfield. ‘We’re a much better team so I’d love to go to Anfield and beat them,’ said the edinburgh-born coach, 42, as he pulls up a seat in the dining area.
Liverpool have lost four out of five league games this season and are bottom of the table, seven places behind neighbours everton. For Kirk, there has never been a better time to play vicky Jepson’s side.
‘everybody talks about playing the occasion down but we’ve ramped it up and we’re using it to energise the players. We will not kid on by saying it’s just another game.’
Liverpool anticipate a crowd of 15,000 with everton taking 2,000 and fans will be segregated. For Kirk, it’s the biggest match of his coaching career. He had spells in charge of the Hibernian women’s team and Bristol City’s before becoming assistant coach to Casey Stoney at Manchester United, then joined everton a year ago, despite initially recommending someone else for the post.
‘the structure of everton’s youth academy was far more advanced than I was used to. everton seemed like the right fit at the wrong time because I never wanted to leave United so quickly,’ says Kirk, who resigned from his United role just six months into the job. ‘But I knew I wanted to be a no 1 again.’
Kirk (right) recalls his email address was deactivated within hours of announcing his departure but says: ‘I think I left amicably, though I still think Casey felt let down.’
Kirk, who spent 16 years as an accountant, walked into a club fighting for survival. After avoiding relegation in his first season, a new professionalism was next on his agenda. ‘I’d heard some negative things about the atmosphere around the place and three or four months in I started to feel that. But we already had quite rigorous recruitment plans in place — seven out, seven in.’ Some have been surprised by the everton manager’s methods but results suggest they’re working. For a club who say they’re ‘10th in the league in terms of budget,’ their ambitions for a top- half finish appear attainable. they play at Southport but are redeveloping Walton Hall Park, a small ground in the ‘ heart of Goodison’ so they can move in next year. ‘they’ve even ordered blue and white seats,’ said Kirk ‘It’ll be a place we can call our own.’