Liverpool announced yesterday, along with the other nineteen Premier League clubs, their squad list for league matches up until January. The Reds could only name 21 players due to the lack of players aged over 21. On the face of it then, it seems likely that the Reds will have to delve into their youngsters to help out when injuries occur to players in the squad. Is this really the case though?
If we look at all areas of the squad, youngsters may struggle to make an impression for Liverpool this season. In goal, we have 28 year old Brad Jones backing up the ever reliable Pepe Reina meaning Peter Gulacsi will rarely be needed. In defence, at left back Paul Konchesky and Fabio Aurelio will be the regular starters while we have Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger and Soto Kyrgiakos to play centrally, leaving Daniel Ayala, Martin Kelly and others without any real possibility of getting any minutes. Kelly and Stephen Darby do however have a chance of starting at right back in place of Johnson if he gets injured.
The same problem lies in midfield, Christian Poulsen and Lucas Leiva will be used when Raul Meireles and Steven Gerrard are unfit while Ryan Babel and Maxi Rodriguez will be utilised as wingers if Dirk Kuyt and Milan Jovanovic are unable to play. This will certainly mean no real opportunities for the likes of David Amoo, Tom Ince or Nathan Eccleston unless there is an injury crisis. In attacking midfield both Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard will be chosen to play in the position leaving Dani Pacheco and Jonjo Shelvey with little game time.
Up front, the same situation persists. Fernando Torres will be backed up by both David Ngog and Ryan Babel, with no real opportunity for Under 21 progression. The biggest problem for the squad list is that it only applies to the Premier League matches. Managers can pick whoever they like in Carling Cup, FA Cup and European matches. Roy Hodgson may opt to play some of the youngsters in the Carling Cup but he has no obligation to, while in the Premier League all bases are covered by senior players.
It means then that many youngsters, especially those with promising futures such as Dani Pacheco, David Amoo and Jonjo Shelvey, will again be restricted to playing in the reserves. The standard of the league is of a pretty low quality and many Premier League clubs have withdrawn their teams from the reserve league and opted to put their players out on loan. It is an area that Liverpool really haven’t looked into thoroughly enough. In the first reserve match of the season, players such as Stephen Darby, Dani Pacheco, David Amoo, Nathan Eccleston, Jay Spearing and Jonjo Shelvey all started the match. It will be a level many of them will continue at for the rest of the season.
Although I am aware that a 21 man squad is quite small, and that at times youngsters will be needed, many of these players who will not be given a chance to play for the first team this season need game time, and when the loan transfer window opens up next week for lower division clubs, it must a priority for us to send players out on loan. Daniel Ayala was heavily linked with a loan move to Hull City, and I think moves such as these can only benefit the player and Liverpool FC. Without compromising the numbers in our squad, many of these could benefit from more first team action as the Premier League quota system is not going to help these players at all.
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Darby is 22 and I doubt whether he’ll get much time on the pitch! Kelly however is very highly rated and i expect him to see plenty of time expecially in the Europa League and Carling Cup at right back.
Like you I dont expect David Amoo, Tom Ince or Nathan Eccleston to play that much tis year. But as with Kelly Dani Pacheco and Jonjo Shelvey will see plenty of time in the aforementioned competitions. Pacheco may see a lot of game time in the Premier League also.
I think the new 25 man squad system is going to help bring a lot of players on! I also expect big things from Dani Pacheco, Jonjo Shelvey, Martin Kelly and Daniel Ayala in the future.
Ummmm, make sure you get your facts right mate. Daniel Ayala is at Hull on a season long loan. David Ngog is under 21, which is why he wasn’t named in the squad. Plus there is League Cup and early rounds of FA Cup to blood in youngsters. You are talking about Peter Gulacsi, you are missing out our other young keeper Dean Bouzanis. Yes it is a 21 man squad, but teams are allowed to use as many players under the age of 21 as often as they like. So although it’s officially a 21 man squad, in reality, it’s more like a 26 or 27 man squad.
pacheco, amoo, darby, kelly, shelvey all these young guys are talented and only need game in the legs, sure it’s gonna be difficult to get a lot but instead of playing david ngog give talented players a chance to impress cause if we loose them to other clubs we sure will miss academy gradutes people, in some way it’s saving money!!!
dunt wory man..
2 many games too play..
we needs a big squad with big quality….
surely having a smaller first team squad automatically improves the chances of the players in the reserves??
The reserve league has been revamped to give the youngsters more games this season so that should make it stronger. Hopefully the young guys will get a chance to step up if they impress in the reserves and their senior counterparts are floundering anyway, as should have happened in recent years. The reserves will never prove that they are good enough if they never play with the first team players in meaningful games
England should consider following the Spanish system of a second club team being able to play in the next lower league. Then they would get better and constant competition being better prepared for the 1st team.
Really there is no telling the future with injuries and barring Pacheco and Kelly, i am not sure the rest are quite ready to carry a position in a starting eleven in the premier league.
Remember although experience is a great thing, to be found wanting can do more harm than good.