Rosie White: Liverpool Ladies have put 2015 problems behind them, says striker
- From the section Women's Football
Liverpool Ladies have put last year's dismal campaign behind them, says striker Rosie White.
The club started the 2015 season as Women's Super League champions, but finished second from bottom, five points above relegated Bristol Academy.
Since then, Scott Rogers has replaced Matt Beard as manager and the squad has seen nine players leave and another nine come into the squad.
"The mood's completely different," 22-year-old White told BBC Sport.
"Last year we had a really close connection as a team, but towards the end of the season, we fell apart a little bit.
"There's a new vibe, new energy, new players and new personalities. No one's too worried about what happened last season, we've put that behind us."
Cementing relationships on tour
White was speaking from Liverpool's pre-season tour of South Africa, where they beat Yarona Ladies in Soweto on Sunday and will face Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday.
After nine players left the club during the transfer window and another nine were signed, White said the trip has been vital in helping to bring the revamped squad together.
"It's such an awesome opportunity, spending more quality time together and training in the heat," she continued.
"We've got almost a completely new team and it's been really good for us to cement those relationships and gel even more. It's so beneficial to us going into the season, on and off the field."
The 2016 underdogs
Despite last year's disappointing campaign, New Zealand international White says the appointment of new boss Rogers convinced her to stay with the club for 2016.
"I was a little apprehensive at first, but I had a lot of trust in Scott and he was really keen to keep me on," she said.
"He's done a really good job to bring together a good group of players and it's going to be an exciting season for us.
"We don't really have any massive expectations on us, I think we'll probably come in as underdogs.
"We're just looking forward to this season and seeing what we can do with this group of people."
Liverpool Ladies start their new campaign with a home game against Birmingham City Ladies on Wednesday, 23 March.