After the departure of Rafa Benitez from Liverpool last summer, I was very concerned about the futures of Pep Segura and Rodolfo Borrell at the Academy. After all, it hadn’t been long since they were appointed to oversee the transformation of Liverpool’s youth academy when Rafa was sacked. After Rafa had signed his new contract back in March 2009, he took the reins of the academy and set Frank McParland the task of reviewing the practices at Kirkby. It led to the sacking of many staff and the restructuring of the youth system with McParland established as Academy director, Segura as Academy manager and Borrell as Under 18s coach. With the departure of Benitez, I felt that these long term plans would be kicked into the long grass.
The arrival of John W Henry and NESV has allayed these fears though. Emphasising a long term strategy for Liverpool’s future success, he highlighted the need to develop young talent, in a similar vein to the Boston Red Sox, to make the team successful on the pitch using local, home grown talent with a spirit of the club values instilled in them from a young age. Such a strategy, NESV rightly believes, will also lead to a sustainable profitable club in the long term. Such a view was in the mind’s eye of previous manager Benitez and was therefore the long term strategy of McParland, Segura and Borrell when they took over the academy in the summer of 2009. Borrell has especially talked in length in interviews about developing local Scouse talent.
Borrell feels a similar approach to Barcelona’s La Masia academy was needed. Although an identical system can’t be replicated due to Premier League and FA rules, the values and training techniques developed at La Masia can be copied. From when they get to La Masia at age of 12 or 13, players are effectively taken away from their families and put into a youth hostel style situation where their guardians are the Barca coaches and staff. This has the consequence of putting them in a controlled environment, where they are not tempted by the trappings that money can provide. An ordered day, where they educated during the day, train in the evening, and do homework before they go to bed. Effectively, they are educated in the Barca way both on and off the pitch. The instilling of Liverpool values into all aspects of the club is something which is also important to John W Henry. Replying to questions put forward by the Red and White Kop fan site, he said:
“The values that we have to strive for within the club at Liverpool emanate from the supporters. We cannot have anyone at the club who when they walk into the Academy, Melwood or Anfield, aren’t aware of club values and that the club comes first and foremost. We have to have everyone from top to bottom on the same page – exactly the same page. And we will. We will make mistakes and it will be up to us to correct them. With the level of support this club has, if we are all on the same page, we will be incredibly successful.”
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I see that Borrell still has the youths using the ridiculous zonal marking system when defending setpieces. This is a huge mistake. This zonal rubbish does not work in England.
So Pepe got 4 golden glove awards from having that system in front of him despite it not working?? Wow Pepe!!!
Learn the game before making such comments!! just makes you look stupid!!!
yeah..zonal marking is good option if we want to get something from the counter attack..and if the players perfectly execute it, instead of opposition got a goal from their set-peices, we who will end up got advantage against them after that..but the problem is, we need a player like ferdinand, terry n vidic type to do that because a player like carragher, they preferred to go for man to man marking (outdated english’s marking system)..
If you read between the lines you can see that what henry is saying is hodgson wont get a dime in january to strenghten since we’re not looking for a quick fix. Funny that a quick fix translates to what is essentially hodgsons transfer policy – signing old, proven players. Meaning he’ll be out in the summer. Minimize the netspending under hodgsons reign – a clever move. At the same time this makes it look like he backs hodgson in public. Smart bloke.
In response to LFCkash and zyufa if zonal marking is such a brilliant system how come Liverpool conceded so many goals from setpieces during Benitez’s 6 seasons in charge. Among these goals conceded are the following examples: Ivanovic’s 2 goals in the Champions League quarterfinal firstleg at Anfield in 2008. Silvestre’s 2 goals for Man Utd at Old Trafford in 2-1 defeat in 2004. Ferdinand’s winner at Old Trafford in 1-0 defeat in 2005. Gallas’s header in 3-0 defeat away to Arsenal in 2005-unmarked from 4 yards out. Adebayor’s header in 2-2 draw at Anfield last season. Bassong’s header in Tottenham’s 2-1 win at White Hart Lane on first day of last season. Hreidarsson’s goal in the 3-2 win at Portsmouth in 2008. Curtis Davies header in the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa last season at Anfield. Robert Huth’s equalizer for Stoke in 1-1 draw at Stoke last season. Tim Cahill’s equalizer for Everton in 1-1 draw at Anfield in 2008. Tim Cahill’s goal in the 1-1 FA Cup draw at Anfield in 2008. Carlton Cole’s headed goal in the 3-2 win at Upton Park last season.
Yeah man marking is great isnt it, how many have we conceeded so far this season? 17. With the exception of Rafa’s first and last season in charge (04/05 conceded 41, 09/10 – 35) we have conceded less than 30 goals in each EPL season, we’re more than half that tally now and only a third of the season gone. I bet that took you ages to type out and for what, to make yourself look stupid.
I totally agree with bringing in youth, but if you really are going to be successful you must scout the world not just local talent.
The thing is i cannot see Henry spending much at all,you still need to buy ready made talent to fill gaps.
For a big club to be financially successful you need to be playing champions league football.
The other being Hodgson will not be sacked soon NESV do not want to spend money!!!
there’s no point in having young talent if you’ve got a manager that refuses to bring them through (let’s not pretend that the Europa League group stages are any more relevant than the Carling Cup – as soon as it hits the knock out stages, the “B Teams” season will be finished)
Pacheco will probably leave as will many others unless they get a bit of a run which they are not either Roy goes or the youngsters will.
Our young player proved themselves playing against Napoli in Itlay. The must be given more chances!