OPINION
Jurgen Klopp should tread carefully over how he uses Liverpool youngster Adam Lewis in the upcoming season even if club legends like John Aldridge believe he could become a star.
Aldridge revealed he was worried about the position of left-back ahead of the 2019/20 campaign as the Reds didn’t seem to have much cover at left-back in case first-choice option Andy Robertson suffered an injury.
The Reds legend then claimed Lewis could be a contender to cover Robertson if that situation emerged and tipped him to become a star due to having all the raw materials needed.
“Cover at left back is a concern and even though James Milner has proved he can do a good job there when needed, I would worry about what the impact a long-term injury to Andy Robertson would have on the balance of the team,” wrote Aldridge for the Irish Independent.
“Young Adam Lewis could be a contender to step into the team at left back.
“I would never want to put too much pressure on kids at a formative stage of their career, something would have to go very badly wrong for Lewis not to hit the big-time because he has all the raw materials to become a star.”
Given that Aldridge believes something would have to go badly wrong for Lewis not to hit the big-time, that shows how much confidence he has in the 19-year-old.
However, his remarks on how he doesn’t want too much pressure put on any of the Reds “kids” during the formative stages of their career surely shows why Klopp has to be careful with Lewis.
Aldridge clearly hints at how pressure could derail a youngster’s career, and it’s fair to say potentially covering for Robertson next season could be stressful.
The 25-year-old is one of the Reds’ key players and he proved that in his 2018/19 campaign.
Robertson featured 48 times across all competitions and not only helped the Reds be solid at the back, Liverpool only conceded 20 goals in the 36 league outings he featured in (Source: Premier League), but he was a threat going forward by racking up 13 assists across all competitions.
So Robertson would be hard to live up to for Lewis, no matter his potential, as it’s not like he has any experience of senior football having not played for the first-team or been loaned out.
When you consider the Reds will be looking to retain the Champions League and aiming to win the Premier League after narrowly missing out, it’s surely too much to ask Lewis to potentially be the first-choice cover for Robertson.
That scenario could end up developing if James Milner is needed in midfield when Robertson potentially gets ruled out of action, and that pressure could do damage to Lewis’ fledgeling career as who knows how he will cope.
So while it may be a good idea for Klopp to utilise Lewis in the upcoming campaign, after registering seven assists in 28 outings in the Reds’ youth set-up last season, he has to tread carefully when it comes to depending on him as throwing him in the deep end may do more damage than good.
