Taylor Says He Was 'true To Role' During Argument With Lioness Kelly

Liverpool head Gareth Taylor says he "stayed existent to his role" erstwhile dealing pinch disagreements pinch England guardant Chloe Kelly successful his erstwhile job.

Taylor, who joined Liverpool successful August, spent 5 years astatine Manchester City wherever he managed Kelly earlier her melodramatic move to Arsenal, primitively connected indebtedness successful January.

Kelly pushed for a move away from nan club, referencing "negative behaviour" towards her and saying she "wanted to beryllium happy again" successful a societal media post, and later criticised City for attempting to "assassinate her character" connected transportation deadline day.

She went connected to triumph nan Women's Champions League pinch Arsenal successful May earlier scoring nan winning punishment arsenic England hit Spain successful a shootout successful July's Euro 2025 final.

Taylor says location are "always things you will look at" erstwhile asked if he would do thing otherwise now, but insists some parties person "moved on".

Reflecting connected nan situation, he told BBC Sport: "You understand arsenic a caput coach that you are not going to make everyone happy successful your team. That's normal.

"Players want to play. I understand that. I had it galore times myself erstwhile I was a master and I was retired of nan squad - I had my beef pinch it arsenic well.

"I conscionable ever tried to stay arsenic master arsenic possible. Now, connected nan different broadside of it arsenic a caput coach, my occupation is to prime what I deliberation is nan squad that gives america nan champion opportunity. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I get it wrong.

"You will ever get that benignant of business but you don't want it being played retired successful nan public. For me, it felt for illustration done each of that time, I was existent to my role."

Taylor now takes connected a caller opportunity astatine Liverpool, who vanished seventh successful nan Women's Super League past season.

There is activity to do, he acknowledges, having taken a fewer months to get his assignment complete nan statement because of contractual issues from his erstwhile station astatine City.

During that time, Liverpool's prima subordinate Olivia Smith was sold to Arsenal for a world grounds £1m fee, joining vice-captain Taylor Hinds, who ended her five-year stint pinch nan Reds.

"Those players spell pinch our champion wishes. You ne'er want to clasp a subordinate that astir apt has her oculus connected a move and we understand that completely," said Taylor.

"There is activity to do, for sure. We don't want to suffer apical players for illustration those 2 but it makes nan situation a small spot much difficult.

"Ideally [myself and my staff] would person been present a small spot earlier but it is what it is. In nan days we person been here, we person seen large strides.

"The engagement from nan players has been fantastic. They are a really bully group of girls. The group present are incredible. The nine is apical people successful that sense."

Liverpool are rebuilding to effort to adjacent nan spread betwixt themselves and nan WSL's apical four.

"The challenges present will beryllium different to immoderate different club. But what we person present is simply a very bully opportunity to commencement to build something," said Taylor.

"The situation astatine Melwood is incredible. The girls are really quiet to study and to create an identity. That's nan cardinal thing. That process is not a speedy one.

"It takes clip and it takes struggles, unfortunately. It's clear that will happen. But we're really knowing of that and we're present to support nan players and unit arsenic overmuch arsenic we tin to beryllium arsenic quickly aligned arsenic we tin be."

Liverpool, back-to-back WSL champions successful 2013 and 2014, person ambitions to return to nan apical successful nan long-term.

And Taylor arrives pinch Champions League experience, starring City to nan quarter-finals successful 2020-21.

"[There is a] immense history. A awesome nine that has awesome support. The relationship pinch nan supporters was 1 of nan immense reasons why I came. It's beautiful unparalleled," said Taylor.

"But everyone wants to beryllium successful nan Champions League. Everyone wants to triumph nan league. There's only 1 squad who tin win. The challenges are really tough.

"There is ever an expectation. We won't beryllium competing for nan title this play but successful a fewer years we want to beryllium challenging for nan Champions League spots."

Taylor's biggest occupation is to instill his style of play astatine Liverpool.

He has agelong favoured a possession-based crippled and wants his players to build retired from nan back.

"It's a crippled exemplary that is simple. That's not to opportunity it is elemental to execute. Players request to make errors while doing it to spot progression," said Taylor.

"It's adapting truthful players don't consciousness it is wholly different to what they were doing previously. That personality is really important.

"What that does is make it an charismatic proposition erstwhile you are trying to enlistee players truthful they tin spot wherever they fresh successful that system."