One of the biggest dilemmas facing Roy Hodgson over the next week will be whether he should risk some of Liverpool’s World Cup stars in the Europa League ties against Rabotnicki before they are fully fit. The Liverpool manager said:
“It worry a lot about not having enough players for next week. [The qualifiers against Rabotnicki] will be two unbelievably difficult games at this stage of the season but it depends where we put the Europa League in the grand scheme of things. The sports scientists tell me it would be wrong if I use the World Cup players this early, if we want to use them throughout the season. But if we don’t throw them in, then we don’t have the players with experience to play these games, so it is a cleft stick. It is a balance that I cannot sort out on my own. It will be a decision for the club to take on. Where in the list of priorities does the Europa League come?”
In an interview with Liverpoolfc.tv yesterday, Hodgson stated that he was having a “fight” with the new sports science team to get some of the stars available for the ties. Ideally, he said, he wouldn’t question Peter Brukner’s team but with such important games early on, some “compromise” will be needed.
In my view though, considering how low the Europa League is on our priority list for next season, he should just leave out our senior players and leave our youngsters to play in the matches. The lack of senior games given to our youngsters means this competition could be seen as an ideal proving ground for our young guns. The worry will of course be whether our youngsters are up to the task of playing, and if Hodgson thinks they aren’t then I understand if he feels obligated to field a stronger side, but looking at the friendly against Grasshoppers on Wednesday, it seems pretty encouraging. Hodgson said so after the match himself:
“I was encouraged, the young players showed a lot of ability and determination.”
The average age of the side who both started and finished the game against the Swiss side was just 20. Players such as Nathan Eccleston, David Amoo, Daniel Ayala, Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing and Stephen Darby all started while new signing Jonjo Shelvey, Tom Ince, Lauri Dalla Valle, Steven Irwin, Victor Palsson, Peter Gulacsi and Jack Robinson were all given opportunities in the second half. Eccleston and Amoo were particularly impressive on the wings as they used their great pace to trouble the Grasshoppers defence. Amoo was always a threat on the wing and was an able assistant to lone striker David Ngog while there was one eye catching moment in the second half from Eccleston when he ran from deep in his own half before unleashing a powerful strike from 25-yards that went just wide of the Grasshoppers keeper’s goal. Hodgson stated that both players were “exceptional talents” when speaking of new signing Danny Wilson from Rangers.
Such performances not only give Reds fans hope for the future but they should also encourage Hodgson to utilise them in some of these less important Europa League games. The message from me then is this: don’t worry Roy, us Liverpool fans won’t get on your backs for fielding a weakened side in the Europa League. In fact, some of us, including me would actually encourage it to give some of our youngsters the much needed experience they need. I know it would be good to get the season off to a good start and provide the team with European competition for the season, but our focus most be primarily in the league where we have to recover lost ground. We don’t want to be risking our best players earlier in the season than advised if they break down later on in the season when more important games will be played. If Amoo, Eccleston & Co are as good as you think, just play them, and we then might see what they are actually capable of.
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Thanks for writing this article. I have been saying the exact same thing for the past couple of days…
Sensible option is to play the youngsters. If the encouragement of playing for a trophy works by keeping themon their toes and pushing their limits then it can only be a good thing for things to come. They want and need encouragement and what better than a part in a European competition..
I think a vast majority of fans would go along with this.
Yup, count me in for keeping it to the kids. European nights are all well and good, but there are so many of them in this cup, I think a long run in this cup will have a negative impact on more pressing matters, like the league. You never really will know of the likes of Lauri Dalla Valle are good enough unless you take the training wheels off and throw them in there. It’s a leap of faith, Rafa never made one, go for it Roy.
Liverpool’s bench players should be more than good enaugh for Rabotnicki, I mean if Babel, Pacheco, Lucas etc. can not get a win there it can give manager an idea whom to get rid.
Not to sure if Liverpool should relay on players who have never played in the first team, there were profesional players losing to amaterus in EL qulifications.
I’m already in conflict with the manager. Sorry, but Darby and Spearing just haven’t improved enough over the last two years. Darby (22) is a competent player but in my opinion he is just another right sided Insua. Spearing (22) doesn’t show enough to dislodge any other midfield player at the club, and I can see Shelvey (18) surpassing him quite quickly. They are still young, but unfortunately they’re just not good enough. This level of football is generally about mistakes, and both of these players have one in them.
The other players did reasonably well considering they’re younger in most cases and seem to be developing faster. Some looked to be exciting prospects Amoo, Eccleston, Kelly, Ince and Ayala.
I’m already in conflict with the manager. Sorry, but Darby and Spearing just haven’t improved enough over the last two years. Darby (22) is a competent player but in my opinion he is just another right sided Insua. Spearing (22) doesn’t show enough to dislodge any other midfield player at the club, and I can see Shelvey (18) surpassing him quite quickly. They are still young, but unfortunately they’re just not good enough. This level of football is generally about mistakes, and both of these players have one in them.
The other players did reasonably well considering they’re younger in most cases and seem to be developing faster. Some looked to be exciting prospects Amoo, Eccleston, Kelly, Ince, Ngog and Ayala.
oh this article is pure genius Roy you should tune in
If fully fit, i think new signing wilson and ayala are up to d task @ centre back, kelly @ right back. Aquillani, lucas, spearing, jovanovic mixed with d youthfull guys can do d magic. Our ‘big boys’ can be on d bench in case of incasity. My only concern is left back.
Yeah just play the reserves so I can piss the rest of my money up the wall, after paying for tickets, flights and accommodation in Macedonia to watch some 3rd rate football.
I take it you don’t get to many away games.
The only players who have any kind of excuse are those who played in the final.
Get them on the pitch and earning their sizeable salaries. If they need a rest, pull them out of the next round of international friendlies/qualifiers seeing as the internationals have caused such a problem.
Their wages are paid by the club. International duty is a privilege not a right and if it means players are unavailble for their employers for important matches, something has to give.
Kyrgiakos and Jovanovic are playing now, so I’m sure they will play on Thursday. By the time the second legcomes round, the 4 English guys, Agger and Skrtel will all have had about 3 weeks pre-season and can join in then if we need them to get us through.
I’m probably being unreasonable, but I’d like us to try our hardest in all 4 competitions!