Liverpool coach Slott published an op-ed before tonight's League Cup match against Southampton.

The Dutch wrote in the article: Before talking about tonight's game, I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Matt Beard, who unfortunately passed away on the weekend. It was a very sad thing that Matt left us at such a young age. Matt is a special person, and there is no doubt about it. As a coach, he has been an important figure in the women's football field for many years. As an individual, he is deeply loved and respected by many people, both in the football world and in other fields. As a husband and father, he means a lot to his wife Debbie and the kids Harry, Ellie and Scott.

He is equally respected and loved at Liverpool. He had won two consecutive league titles when he coached our women’s team for the first time and led the team to a higher level after returning to the club a few years ago. These achievements are self-evident, and the mourning for him has proved this since we learned of the news of his death. Matt is indeed a very special person to be able to induce such affectionate condolences. Before the game tonight we will be paying tribute to Matt as a club and thanking him for everything he has done for us and the football community as a whole. Representing everyone who is the Liverpool Men's Football Team, I also want to express my condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and everyone who knows him.

Regarding the game itself, we won the victory by defeating Everton in the last Merseyside derby. This victory made our performance at the beginning of the season very promising, although we knew there was room for improvement. This victory made me very happy, not only because it was a derby, but because it was achieved after such a tense schedule as Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Inevitably, at the end of such a difficult week, our physical fitness levels were different from those at the beginning.

I need to emphasize again, this is not an excuse. First, we don’t need excuses because we won the game; second, considering the pressure the players are under, such an explanation is worth reiterating. The way they faced the challenge showed a strong collective spirit, and winning such a tough game was a huge affirmation for them.

Due to the impact of the schedule, we will definitely make some staff adjustments tonight. It is not possible to determine the specific number of players yet, but no matter how many, we will choose a well-prepared starting lineup to face Southampton, a team we have played three times last season.

Will Steele, his team, players, and Southampton supporters and officials were welcomed to Anfield. We know Southampton will be a tough opponent, and even if we are at different levels now, that expectation has not changed.

In addition to the final that failed to achieve our goal, we had many wonderful moments in this match last season. Our goal is to do this again, starting this journey in front of fans starting from Anfield.