As the title states, should they? " If they are good enough they are old enough" is the phrase that will get thrown around and let's start with the back being as we have a lot of issues there right now. Fit first team defenders we have are Carra, Soto, Skrtel, and Wilson(technically a kid but gets more time than others). Do we roll with these as our options or do we take that gamble and bring in ( at least to the bench) Wisdom and Robinson and move Wilson into CB? Will we take this risk? I don't think we will but it could be worth a try at least with Robinson and moving Wilson inside. We have a dillema of needing quality CB's but we have a lot of good defenders coming up ( Wisdom, Robinson, Wilson, Ayala, Kelly are the main ones that spring to mind). If we buy, will we stunt their growth and oppurtunities in the first team? ( Ayala good example). Moving on to the midfield, how do we groom a player like Coady when we need better midfield options now, without blocking his way up? Shelvey was getting game time, Pacheco was getting none, Suso and Sterling seem just a bit too young. How do we go along with FSG wanting to buy young players that can grow but this would inevitably block our youth players coming up would it not? For me, we need to buy quality players now as we have the funds to do so, but I would try to find ways to always incorporate the youth coming up so as we do not have to buy years down the road because another youth player failed/not given a chance/loaned out never came back, etc. We are fighting for 5th so I do not see us trying out some of the youngsters but hope we do not block these upcoming players in the future, yet find a player they can emulate and provide competition for in a few years. I know this sounds a bit on the fence, but I am just glad I do not have to make the decisions as it is no good having a fruitful youth academy to just buy players in those positions and not promote.
No. We need as many wins from now until the end of the season to ensure Kenny gets his perminant contract. Leave the dabbling for the end of next season... When we're 20 points clear at the top of the table with 6 games to go :-D
I stated in there I do not believe we will do it this season, I am talking the future, next season, the one after, when these players start turning into their 20's or 18-19, but we have just bought players who are 23 in that position. That is the dillema I am talking about.
To be honest, I read the title, saw the size of your post and guessed what it said (sorry, I'm at work and was being stealthy) I think our youngsters will be monitored a lot more closely now. We seem a lot more youth orientated then we ever were before. Houllier wanted Liverpool to be the hot bed of french talent, Rafa wanted the place to be the hot bed of young spanish talent (but we couldn't afford it and to be frank, he was awful when it came to making mid-price transfers) while FSG have brought in Comolli (who has a nose for young talent regardless of their nationality) while Kenny already has string ties with the academy. I think the youngsters will get their chance and if they don't make the grade they will be used as pawn in transfers for other players (a la Lauri Dalla Valle)
I just remember players like Nemeth, Plessis, a u-19 lb (french) whose name I can;t remember, dalla valle, who had all this promise and were just blocked by another player being brought in. Ngog over Nemeth or better Voronin over Nemeth. Plessis had that one game then disappeared, dalla valle was doing well and he was sent off. Didn't we give away a German u-21 international too? for Konchesky??? stuff like this where players seem to get blocked. I agree that we will do a much better job and the job Segura and Borrell are doing is going to pay dividends later, just as long we properly nurture it. I know not all of them will make the grade but I firmly believe in making sure all the correct steps were taken and we won't have a what if or what could have been moment. No prob with skimming, I am at work as well and it was a bit quiet so thought I would try to start a somewaht thought provoking thread. Main point is, how do stop blocking our better talented kids. We buy M'Vila for example, bye bye Coady or how can we still groom him if he is good enough? You would have Lucas and M'Vila and spearing there in that position and all not much older.
I think it's a case of flooding the squad & reserves with semi decent youngsters bringing them up to a level where they are sellable at a decent price and then letting them go. If there is an outstanding player in the flood then he will quickly raise to the top and wont be sold. Spearing is at a level where we can expect 7 figures for him, will he get much better? I doubt it so I'm guessing he'll be sold (Much like David Thompson & Danny Murphy). If Coady is at the same level when he is 24 then I don't expect him to get in to the team (our 1st string should hopefully be much better by then) so he'll be sold too, he on his loan's, training, chances in the league cup and off the bench proves to be decent then he'll stay (Like Gerrard)
I agree with no making it b around 22-23 then possibly get sold for a nice profit. I think he has shown in Shelvey,Kelly, and Wilson that you will get a chance. A problem I see is with Suso, if we keep Pacheco and get back Aqua, you will have Aqua, pacheco, Gerrard, Meireles, Cole, Shelvey, who can all play that role that Suso plays. And I think really highly of Suso and want him to have the best possible chance as creativity is what we need and he has an abundance of it. I think Sterling will have a straight shot to the first team as we actually have no one who has similar qualities to him. I think players like Eccelston, Amoo, Ngoo will be shipped off as you say and I can see that, they just won't cut it at the top level. My preds are Suso, Sterling, Wisdom, and possibly Robinson. I am not sure on coady but we will see.
Gerrard will be as good as retired by the time Suso starts playing regularly, he is on his way now. Aqua will be sold as I reckon his is on a large wage, is on the wrong side of 25 and would prefer a move to italy. I think that next season (maybe the season after if we're pushing it) will be Gerrard last 'proper' season as a senior Liverpool player and then we'll see his apperances begin to decline. Liverpool will begin to get more youth orientated while looking for players aged 26-28 to provide the experianced head. Lucas has these next two years to prove that he can lead the team as I honestly see him becoming our next long term captain
I agree with getting the needed quality in right now and having the younger players develop more and not feel rushed. I just want our youth to provide for us as it is not just Barca reaping those rewards but the whole philosophy behind it. You have players who have been at the club, know what its about, WANT to play for the club and do well. Not just coming for $. We talked on one of the other threads about our lack of winning mentality, these younger players can help us get that back and get back to our roots of how we want to play, how we should play, and what others team know when they play us.....getting a lashing! For buying now, we need more Suarez players who want to fight and play every minute every game. I know he would cost a lot but why has no one been mentionting Nuri Sahin as the answer to our midfield? him and Banega would be the two I would go after asap.
Unfortunately as businesses success is required and required quickly, this is the problem with young players at such clubs, look at most of the top teams, how many field how many academy players, not enough by a long shot considering the time and effort actually put into those academies. On the flip side the academy has to produce players good enough to fight against established first team players for a spot when the academy player is just begging to learn and has also to fit in, being in the reserves first and then having to join up with the first team, this all means you have to be exceptional, Rooney was exceptional at 16 17 Giggs Owen Gerrard and many more but not so for a while, the difference now is the teams of Liverpool and United are not fantastic yet there is still a shortage of quality players making it through even under these circumstances, do young players have to be almost the finished article before hitting the first team with regualrity, I feel for the academy players at chelsea, they have a real task on their hands, Citeh too. results are paramount and in business you spend money to make money, quickly so tey trade money for success which brings in more money, academy players dot fit this model as their devlopement is far too slow to keep up with demands for success
Rooney was exceptional at 16 17 Giggs Owen Gerrard and many more but not so for a while I feel Suso and Sterling will fit this. My opinion and as stated, we have no one like Sterling at our club in terms of raw pace, trickery, winger!
I think credit has has to be given to managers as well. Say what you want about fergie about his on screen persona but every player from the captain down to the academy new boys will always play their socks off for him and that need to play as well as you can will only improve you and this stems from his father like presence within the team. Can we say Roy Evans had that same presence? - To a degree yes, he was a boot room boy who grew up at the club. Can we say the same about Houllier? Looking at the state of the academy when he left - No. and Rafa is famous for his poor man management but Kenny... Kenny has it and I think this will help us develop our youngsters Obviously it's not all down to the managers handling of the youngsters but I think it goes a long way.
I reckon the youngsters will flourish under Kenny.Kenny treats the youngsters the same way he treats the senior side.I've heard this that Kenny applies an old Bob Paisley trick.He calls players over when necessary and whispers in their ear.He gives them a tit bit of advise.Bob Paisley instead of giving full group team talks used to go up to a player and say stuff like,''X teams centre back has a dodgey ankle'' to a defender,or '' X teams striker has a dodgey knee''.He used to do it,to motivate his players and he was usually right because he could spot an injury from 10 yards,due to his education as a self taught physiotherapist.Kenny may not say stuff like that,but he would give the players a little bit of advice that applied to the circumstance whether it be centre back or forward,and the players would respond,as they wouldn't dare disagree with him,seeing as he's worked under the best.He does that even with the youngsters when he goes to their games and when they are in training,he takes his time to oversee everything.
I agree, I think Sterling should be on the bench next season he's an exeptional talent and imo good enough already, I'm a bit more cautious with Suso as he plays in the center so may need to add some strength to his game. I also think Robinson is our next left back and would like to see him on the bench next season.
Regarding Raheem Sterling,I reckon he should get games with the first team if he lights up the reserves in the same way he has the under 18s.I would give him a couple of months in the reserves and if he proves he's too good for reserve team football,I would use him in the first team squad.The best Liverpool academy players were all too good for the reserves,with the exception of Neil Mellor who couldn't make the step up to the first team.The likes of Stephen Wright and Steven Warnock were faced with too much competition.But the likes of Stevie and Carra and Michael Owen and God took the reserves by storm,and made every transition with pure ease.Both God and Owen were playing reserve football at 16.Michael Owen was like Raheem Sterling playing under 18 football at 15.If anyone makes it out of the attacking academy players and this is out of Ngoo,Amoo,Ince,Eccleston and Sterling,I reckon Sterling is the one that has shown the most promise. I have high hopes too for Conor Coady,He's been a revelation at under 18 level and he is going to be one hell of a player.
With regards to tonights game. Young players from the academy itself. Spearing and Flanagan played, Robinson on the bench. Add to that young players Gulacsi, Shelvey, Wilson. This is a good sign and we looked in general more enthusiastic today. With the likes of Coady, Wisdom, Suso, and Sterling as that next line more than likely, it just feels too good to be true that we have all this waiting in the wings. Add some top signings and we will be in a good position in years to come.
I agree with Bluffcity. There was a difference in both experience and possibly quality between Liverpools overall midfield and Citys.But firstly Jay Spearing battered the living day-lights out of Milner.What was the difference,Spearing had passion.Okay Milner may overall be a far better player,but Spearing murdered him.City changed it around and Spearing made YaYa Toure look like Anderson.City had no answer whatsoever to the overall unity and fighting spirit of Liverpool tonight. Lastly.Tonight proved Dzeko is a donkey.
You heard the rumor that the City PLAYERS think Dzeko is terrible? Apparently useless in trainings and think falls into thinking that I touch the ball on average 2 minutes in a 90 minute game = for 88 minutes I am completely and utterly useless.
