Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez believes the changes that were made to the Academy last summer have really started to pay dividends. He said to Liverpoolfc.tv:
“We didn’t have too many players of the level we were expecting but now the atmosphere is really good and we have more players with quality.They have some players in each group and the other day I got a report with different names and different players – but still they are young so they have to keep working very hard if they want to be in the Reserves and then the first team.”
Rafa also believes that the job being done by Frank McParland, Pep Segura, Rodolfo Borrell and Kenny Dalglish has really made a difference, and that the changes should see a dramatic improvement in the amount of young players coming through the youth system:
“When I talk with them it’s clear they’re doing a very good job and all the staff are working very hard to improve and change things. We are really pleased with them.We are trying for a different approach in training sessions. The mentality and the way they have to behave is more or less the same because it already wasn’t bad. The technical plan and how to push the players is now a little bit better.”
Certainly, if the Reds ever want the Academy to be as good as Barcelona’s, focus will have to put on the technical abilities of players, but also to ensure that a good mentality is bred into the players so the club invests in footballers who are 100% committed to the game.
My fear is that the fruition of those big changes Rafa made will not be seen until his tenure is over. That could be much sooner than we think and while I believe in Rafa he may yet walk away as the ownership saga takes another long bend on the journey.
We need good owners NOW, investing (in the new ground and in the playing staff), doing their job (running a club & leaving the football to the manager) & pushing the club brand forward across the world to bring in new revenues to allow us to balance our outlays thus carrying forward minimal debt year on year.
Rafa may well see this a task too far distant right now and opt to jump to Juve or a.nother.
Whilst this season has been very very poor on all accounts a little investment in a few quality players (LB&striker most especially) and some patience will in my opinion see just reward next year and the years thereafter (as the pachecos & co break into the first team).
In Rafa we trust