Liverpool Women part company with manager Vicky Jepson | Women’s football

The growing insecurity of managing in the increasingly ruthless top tiers of the women’s game was highlighted as Vicky Jepson left Liverpool by “mutual consent” on Tuesday.

Liverpool Women were relegated from the Women’s Super League last summer and are third in the Championship table, eight points behind the leaders, Leicester, and five short of second-placed Durham.

With Liverpool’s expected promotion now looking far from assured, Jepson’s tenure has ended leaving her assistant, Amber Whiteley, to take interim charge as the hunt for a new manager gets under way.

After more than a decade in assorted roles, Jepson became Liverpool’s manager in 2018 but was forced to operate on a significantly lower budget than that enjoyed by leading WSL rivals including Manchester City and Chelsea.

Initially she restored harmony to a club left disrupted and discontented by Neil Redfearn’s swift resignation as manager and a raft of player departures. Yet after Jepson led Liverpool to a respectable eighth place in the WSL during her first season, results began unravelling last term, leading to relegation on a points-per-game basis in the wake of the campaign’s suspension due to coronavirus. Her team had won only one and drawn three of their 14 completed matches and dropped into the Championship.

“It’s with a heavy heart that my time has come to an end with Liverpool FC, the place I love and have been lucky enough to call home for over a decade,” the 32-year-old Jepson said.

“Over the years I’ve been fortunate to work across the entire pathway at this club. During this time I’ve seen so many youth-team players go on to wear the first-team red shirt, which fills me with immense pride. It’s a privilege to have contributed to their careers.

“I’ve travelled round the globe wearing the badge and have witnessed the power of this club. Seeing the increase of girls’ participation in football has been truly inspiring.”

In a statement, Liverpool paid tribute to her contribution: “Vicky’s legacy here will be the the thousands of young girls – both around Liverpool and internationally – whose talent and love for the game flourished under her guidance.”