Optimism has been in short supply over the last six months at Anfield. Liverpool’s seventh place finish last season kind of took away any belief that our squad could compete with the best. Critics were lining up to criticise Rafa Benitez and his apparent wasteful spending that led a small squad of supposedly mediocre players beyond Torres and Gerrard who could not cope with injuries to a few key players. Gone had the praise of a year before when the Reds run Manchester United so closely in the title race, only losing two games while finishing on 86 points. As I’ve said before, the team did not just become bad overnight, confidence just seeped away along with any hopes of Champions League football last season. New manager Roy Hodgson said after the Rabotnicki game yesterday, that the squad did not need a massive overhaul:
“I don’t think I’ve ever said the squad is in need of a major overhaul. We need to add one or two players to the team. It is important we keep the nucleus from last season and a nucleus of players who are maybe just behind the first team.”
Although our first competitive match was against Macedonian minnows, and only so much could be ascertained from such a match, the performance did provide us with some good causes for hope for the new season. Roy was very worried about the match being a potential banana skin before the game but a combination of a good display by the Reds and a bit of stage fright from Rabotnicki gave Liverpool a comfortable win. It was clear from the match that ball retention was central to the game plan and meant the Reds backline, with three World Cup players in it who had relatively little training, had very little to do.
Rather than the established internationals like Alberto Aquilani, Milan Jovanovic and Daniel Agger taking the limelight, it was David Ngog, David Amoo and Martin Kelly who took centre stage. The very players that Roy had worried about in such a difficult early season match in a hostile atmosphere, really impressed. They looked like they had something to prove and the 2-0 victory has shown Roy that there are talented youngsters coming through the ranks at Anfield.
Of course, let’s not go overboard with the performance as I said it was against a very average Macedonian team but the youngsters still didn’t shirk responsibility. Without 11 World Cup stars, the Reds took the sting out of the match and came back with a good result. It demonstrates to Roy that even though there is currently no squad depth in regards to senior players, there is, as he said after the match, a good “nucleus of players,” young players behind the first team ready and able to come in and play.
If you impress Roy, like Ngog, Kelly and Amoo certainly did, then you must be doing something right for the Liverpool boss is no fool after 34 years in management. Although relieved at getting a win in his first competitive match, I’m sure Roy learnt more about the young players than anything else. Compared to other squads, especially Chelsea and Manchester United’s ageing sides, Liverpool’s is a very young team. Even looking at first team squad members such as Alberto Aquilani, Lucas Leiva and Daniel Agger, they are barely over 25, and this can only bode well for the future if Roy can add some experience and depth to the first team squad. The average age of the subs bench with Gulacsi, Darby, Shelvey, Dalla Valle, Eccleston, Ayala, and Ince was only 19, and hopes for Dalla Valle, Shelvey and Ayala are particularly high. Add to that the talents of Dani Pacheco who has been setting the European U19 Championships alight in recent weeks, and I am feeling quite up beat about next season at the moment, and the prospects for our young players beyond that.
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Unfortunately for us, United look to having a pretty promising crop of youngsters on the horizon too, only theres actually get some game time…
spot on, if rather obvious, this was one of the reasons why i liked rafa- apart from stars (and dirk) most of our players were under 26. I fear that roy may undo that with players like poulsen and figueroa, but i wish him and those signings all the best.
As an avid watcher of youth football as well as senior football, I must say that whilst our current crop look quite good, they are absolutely no match for those of Arsenal and United…
Arsenal look to have the most talented set of academy graduates and youngsters for some time
And you forgot to mention Raheem Sterling. He and Shelvey are my bets!
I don’t see how you can call Man U ‘aging’ macheda, rooney, da silvas, valencia plus all the fringe players I suppose you could point to all the old crocks but really, there’s nothing you can say about their lack of young players.
Man Utd do have promising youngsters who will probably come through, because sir Alex gives them games mostly in the Carling Cup but they get experience that way as do the Arsenal youngsters.
I actually think Liverpool does have a young breed of talent Rafa has bought in that need to be given a chance which under Rafa he didn’t do enough. Players like Amoo, Ince, Shelvey, Wilson, Derby, Kelly, Gulacsec, Raheem Sterling, Nemeth Danni Pacheco, Dalle VAlle, Ayala Spearing, thats more than 11 players all talented should be given a chance
i missed eccleston lol YNWA
I disagree with u saying man utd and chelsea ageing teams, they’ve also got a lot of quality relatively young players. Examples are franco di santo, kakuta, mikel, fabio, rafeal, da silva, rooney, valencia, obertan, machena, tim cleverly to mention a few are all promising ”young” players from man utd and chelsea, xcept rooney and valencia. Aldo liverpool is definitely not far behind them.
yeah as Jimbob says, Man U have a very good crop of young players coming through also, so the comparison you make in your headline is erroneous. you should be comparing like with like
Let’s not put too emphasis on the fact that our B team beat Rabotnicki. Frankly, no disrespect to Macedonian football, anyone’s B team would have beaten them too. Perhaps if it was Arsenal or Scum’s squad it might even have been a thrashing.
The fact is we don’t have strength in depth because we don’t have the money, never did. We have just enough resources to fashion a competitive starting 11. On their day, I’d still say they can beat anyone, be it Utd, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter, whoever. But as we all know how often do we get to use our starting 11? We’d be lucky to have a starting 8 half the time… It’s nice to know we have decent young replacements in our ranks, but to win titles ‘decent’ just doesn’t cut it. Our reserves are alright, enough to beat Rabotnicki, but they provide insufficient cover at the top level, and that’s why I don’t fancy our chances next season. We’ll be back in the CL, but that’ll be it (gutted as I am to say that…)
Our young fringe players get put down way too much! Are young talents are in my opinion the best in the EPL, they just don’t get enough opportunities! I do disagree with this article though as Chelsea and ManU have a good crop of young talent coming through their doors. I just hope under Woy are starlets will be given more game time.
As people have said, Man Utd and Arsenal have some great youngsters too. But all the people at LFC can do is worry about our team, and it’s looking promising as well. In 5 years time, we could be lining up with: Gulacsi; Kelly, Wisdom, Wilson, Robinson; Amoo, Coady, Shelvey, Sterling; Pacheco and Dalla Valle. All will be between 20 and 25 by that time. Let’s not rush them, let’s not demand Roy play them now, or that Rafa should have played them last year. Let’s be patient, and see how many of them develop.
what’s the point of lauding our youngsters when many fans derided them (Lucas, Ngog, Insua) and the man who dose the business, Purslow is selling them.
Can we not forget for a moment “other” teams and concentrate on backing what WE have as up and coming team members? If we do not applaud these young men and boost their efforts then who will?
There are enough people out there trying to rubbish LFC already without some so-called fans joining in..Let’s give them our thanks and support for a bloody good job they did and cut out the crap belly-acheing.
From what i have seen the youngsters have talent but some lack the skills and know how to become stars.
They still have a long way to go Amoo is an example is physically great but his crossing and passing needs a lot of work.
They must hold onto the likes of Dalle Valle Pacheco Mavinga Kelly Shelvey and Bouzanis.
Greg they need to be given that first team experience like SAF and Wenger give theirs in the Carling Cup, Rafa bought these players and never gave them a chance, and i was a Rafa fan. Pacheco should be given more first team football alot more tha Ngog, Amoo could be good cover to whoever we get for the right side of midf or left.
I agree with the previous posters who have pointed out that ManU’s youngsters are hardly crap. If anyone watched the MU match against the MLS all-Stars last week, you would have seen superb goals from Maceda and Gibson, plus a real peach from Tom Cleverley. These kids are no slouches! Credit to ours, though, for a job well done in Macedonia in a much more competitive environment!
We are always searching online for articles which will help me. Thanks