The Academy Revolution Mark 1.5

This relic of previous regimes was recognised very quickly by the likes of Segura and Borrell who saw the reserves as a barrier for their youth prospects to progress to first team football. In addition, the reserves were under the control of a manager who didn’t necessarily hold the same footballing philosophy as the Academy staff. This is not to denigrate John McMahon who is a very good coach, but it seems to be that the overriding feeling was that the reserves were too detached from what was going on at Kirkby. Academy staff obviously felt that a coach should be put in place who could continue the work started by the U16s-U18s and advocate more vehemently the inclusion of his players in first team affairs. For this reason, Pep Segura, the Academy’s technical director replaced John McMahon half way through the season to start spreading the techniques of the Academy to the reserves.

At the end of the season, the Reds have decided to put Rodolfo Borrell in permanent charge of the Reserve team while Pep Segura will still be monitoring the technical development of reserve team players. It’s a move that means that from schoolboys up until reserve team level, the same training techniques and footballing philosophy is inculcated into the players. In a very similar way to what goes on at Barca’s Academy at La Masia, Liverpool Football Club now has the ability to sculpt players in their own image from the youngest ages up until right before they start their first senior team match. It can only be a successful formula in my opinion.

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This week it is former LFC WAG Gisela Molinero!