Fullback Full Throttle For LFC Youngsters

NOT much could be learned from the Mansfield game. Whether we had sauntered to a 6-0 whitewash or the far closer 2-1 win, a few hair-raising moments aside and the obligatory missing of countless chances, this result (unless we had lost) was always going to be quickly forgotten.

The newspapers unsurprisingly rabbited on about Luis’s goal, never mind that the ball came back to him off the keeper in the blink of an eye with little time to move his hand out of the way.

Some papers talked about Sturridge’s encouraging goalscoring debut – showcasing intelligent running in behind, ability to cut in from the right and an instant understanding with Jonjo Shelvey.

However for me the most enjoyable part of the game was the continuing development of our young fullbacks. Jack Robinson and Andre Wisdom looked anything but teenagers as they defended with composure, passed and moved at ease and attacked with gusto.

This season Wisdom has taken most of the plaudits as he filled in with relish when injuries to Enrique, Kelly and Flanagan meant Johnson moved to left-back to accommodate the England youth team captain.

Robinson may have felt a bit disappointed that he himself hadn’t deputised (and even more so when Downing was chosen ahead of him) – but pre-season games highlighted the need for Jack to improve his defensive positional play and he seems to have benefited from playing regularly for the reserves.

Of the two, Jack has always been the more adventurous going forward (little surprise given Andre is a converted centre-back) but it has been noticeable since Wisdom has come back into the side that he has been working on the attacking part of his game, just as Jack has worked on his defensive duties.
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Both are blessed with good athletic abilities – pace, height and stamina, and they are beginning to use these to better and better effect. Following a difficult game against Everton, Wisdom has also benefited from having time out of the team to work on his game and come back stronger.

We can’t forget either that the best of our young fullbacks is Martin Kelly, who deservingly went to the Euros ahead of Rio Ferdinand. Kelly can be a monster of a player, but he is recovering from a serious cruciate ligament injury and we will have to wait and see whether the injury will have left any negative longer term effect on his career.

Perhaps the forgotten man here is John Flannagan. Flanno’s more limited technical ability has put him lower down the pecking order in Brendan Rodgers’ eyes, and of the four young fullbacks he has the most to improve. It was telling that in the Being: Liverpool documentary Rodgers was overheard telling Flannagan that he shouldn’t try to do too much with the ball as that was not his strength, and that he should just play it simple rather than being too ambitious with his passing.

I felt for Flanno in that moment, but it’s hard to argue that Rodgers was wrong. When Flanno came on for Wisdom, who was struggling with cramp, he was almost too eager to impress, getting booked for a flying mis-timed tackle and giving possession away too cheaply at times.

There’s no doubt that as the months pass our young fullbacks’ progression will have highs and lows but one thing for certain is that this is at least one position in which we don’t have issues developing youngsters.