With the departure of manager Rafa Benitez last week, I thought the time was right to look at some of the player’s that have come through the ranks during his reign, and whether the new manager will see them in the same light as he did. Spaniard Dani Pacheco is one of the young players that any new prospective coach will have to assess. A player who has excelled in the reserves with his touch on the ball and creative flair, the 19 year old had a breakthrough season last campaign by playing some first team football.
Games against Wolves and Fiorentina saw Pacheco make his Premier League and Champions League debut’s respectively from the bench in December last year and he came on in his first Europa League tie against Unirea Urziceni to make an assist for David Ngog in an important 1-0 first leg win over the Romanian side. He also came on in extra time during the semi final tie against Atletico Madrid although he had little time to impress. So what abilities attracted Benitez to begin including him in his first team plans?
He is the archetypal clever small attacking midfield player, with a good touch and eye for goal. Although he lacks height, his work rate and skill allow him to play the game with ease between the lines. He has good maturity both technically and mentally, meaning he has great vision and positional awareness allowing him to be both creator and finisher of attacking moves. Intelligence in his off the ball movement is central to this ability, allowing him to get into good positions and be aware of team-mates when either playing in the hole behind the strikers, or finding space to get into a position to score a goal. Any new manager will certainly see Pacheco has ability, but will they be convinced he is a Premier League class player?
There are probably two possibilities as to what could happen next for the youngster. The first is a rather pessimistic one that the departure of Rafa Benitez could spell his own exit from the club. Being surrounded by a great deal of Spanish speaking coaches such as his reserve coach Antonio Gomez Perez, first team coaches such as Paco Miguel and Maurcio Pellegrino as well as Benitez himself, may well have helped Pacheco settle in on Merseyside. The departure of such coaches and the arrival of an English coach might hinder his development with the new manager and coaching staff not rating him as highly, or he himself becoming unsettled with the new atmosphere.
The second possibility, a much more optimistic, and in my opinion, more realistic scenario is that the lack of money to spend may force the manager to use Pacheco a lot more regularly. Whether he would be ready for greater involvement is open for debate but it would no doubt show to us whether he can cut it at the top level. The next few months could well determine Pacheco’s future at the club, the speed of his progress and whether he has the quality to make it in the Premier League.
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The way our fans judge young players coming through, any mistakes and they say get rid he’s rubbish. They seem to judge just on one season and too quick making up their minds.
I have to agree with B2D but I sincerely hope he is given a chance, from what I have seen of him he has a great deal of potential and I believe that any manager with sence will give him his opportunity
I’d love to see more of Pacheco in the first team. Seriously, he can displace Lucas at the very least!!
I’ve seen him play in the Europa League, very eager and enthusiastic,always asking for the ball and seemed very intelligence. I agree with the author in that we may not have many option but to play him, i can see him replacing want-away Benayoun since they have similar style of play. At times when everything is not going right for the club, maybe it’s a good idea to bring in some youngsters with enthusiasm & passion to lift some senior players & the fans. Only time will tell.
Yeah give a him a chance as he looks to have great potential.
play the youths and dumb fans will criticize them for the lack of experience and blind faith by the manager. buy established matured players and still get flak for lack of trust in the youths. it will never be good enough for some liverpool fans because they are seriously dumb. they are simply those who called for rafa’s head.
LFC recovery lies within the players that we have – young, old, intermediate.Shake ’em up Put ’em out and p-l-a-a-a-y!!!!!
I’m becoming more and more embarrassed to call myself a Liverpool fan. What happened to this club ? We were something special I don’t just mean the owners, the treatment of Rafa by some fans was disgraceful after all he achieved the treatment ofLucas, N’gog etc is not the Liverpool way. Sad times indeed
It is the boys confidence I admire, when he has made an appearance he has never shyed away from the ball and has yet to give the ball away easily. I see him as one for the future.
He will make it easily as a prem player and really its up to him with how far he can go he has all the attributes. Hight did not stop zola, messi, benny, etc, if your good your good and with hard work you make it.
He can not displace Lucas as they play diffrent positions, but I think might be given more chance under new manager becouse Benitez always played with 1 striker in the field.
Pacheco and Babel could get a lot more playing time now, and Aquillani too, as I belive one defensive midfielder should be enaugh for Liverpool, especialy when playing at Ainfield.
all you rafa lovers go an support inter he failed lfc is bigger than one fat spanish waiter ynwa
Pacheco should get a chance at playing some more in first team he has the talent to become a great player for liverpool, I would be very sad to see us miss out on him, there`s deffinatelly some places you could play him instead of others at times. . . please make this guy one of the kop greats in the future, forthcomming manager!