Liverpool’s Young Talent
There looks a wealth of talent coming through at Anfield right now as Liverpool start to reap the rewards of their Academy that was former manager Rafa Benitez’s vision for the future.
Youngsters getting a chance to breakthrough at first team level has always been very tough as top clubs have spending power to improve their team, but at Liverpool times have changed and money is tighter and with a new young manager in Brendan Rodgers it looks like the young talent will be given a chance to play for Liverpool’s first team.
Already this season we have saw many youngsters play in the first team. Sterling, Suso, Morgan, Yesil, Robinson, Pacheco and Andre Wisdom have all stepped up to the plate and showed they are more than capable of playing at first team level and proving that if you are good enough age is not a factor.
The impressive thing is the way everyone is playing, the veterans, the youngsters, everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet written by Brendan Rodgers and his pass and move style of play.
The introduction of the younger players has excited everybody connected to Liverpool Football Club, but nobody is getting carried away, after all, it is hard to break into the team but is far tougher staying in it with all the competition that is there for places and more importantly how difficult it is to play consistently at that level week in week out.
Experienced players like Gerrard and Carragher who have come through the youth teams to become legends of the club will no doubt remind the younger players of how tough it is and they will be there to keep their feet on the ground if they get too carried away or put an arm around their shoulder if things get tough. But Gerrard and Carragher will be invaluable to the youngsters’ progression, every bit as much as Brendan Rodgers will be.
Raheem Sterling is the one that has really caught the eye so far this season and he is being rewarded with a run in the first team which is impressive and encouraging for others, especially as he is keeping out big money signing Stewart Downing. Recently Andre Wisdom has come into the side after the unfortunate injury to Martin Kelly, and he has looked very impressive too.
The crop of young players coming through will also encourage the even younger ones at the Academy that if they are good enough they will get their chance and the club could save a lot of money too, by not having to go out and spend mega money on players to improve the team.
Liverpool have endured a very tough start to the season with a new manager with new ideas and a tough fixture list to start the season too, but now things start to be looking up, maybe this season is a transitional one but it could be a very important one with so many youngsters stepping up to the first team and gaining invaluable experience.
Liverpool supporters have the knowledge and experience to know that the young talent must be given time and Liverpool will be rewarded, that I am sure.
Hi Jamie/Antoine,
I have to disagree with your article ever so slightly, as the problem is I am getting carried away!!
Sterling, Suso, Yesil, Wisdom and co are all impressing me so much and putting a massive smile on my face when I see the team sheets. BR is right when he says that younger players have more desire and although some of the time this can be to get a platform to move on to a bigger club, I believe that the crop we have truly love LFC. Most of the English lads are from Liverpool and the likes of Wisdom, Shelvey and Wilson came early enough to be able to now call it home. I knew Danny Wilson well at Rangers and he was always destined for a bigger club, and the fact he can’t get a look in the 1st team speaks wonders about Melwood and the coaching staff.
I reckon some players will eventually move on though due to lack of 1st team football. Defensively, for example, we have Skrtl and Agger in their late 20s and will probably have a good 5 years each left in them. Most people seem to think that Kelly will eventually end up at centre-half so he would be available rotationally for cup/european games. Wisdom should play right back and Enrique will come good again, once he is fit. We would also have Robinson at cover for left back and Stephen Sama can play anywhere across the back four although he looks like a decent centre half for the future.
That leaves Wilson, Flannagan & Coates who I think will all eventually move on, regretfully. It’s a shame given their current potential but I think that’s the way it will go. Wilson & Flannagan I don’t think will make the top level and given (hopefully) Liverpool will be back the Champions League in a few years, I think they would struggle. I could be wrong, but I reckon they will end up a bit like Spearing by ending up at a feeder club like Wigan, Blackpool or Bolton. Coates is a player I would love to see make the grade as he has a great appetite and is good on the ball. He reminds me of the Javi Martinez mould for Bilbao/Munich, running a game of football from centre half. Ultimately though, I reckon he will move on to a top european club due to the fact that he is good on the ball but is more suspect to mistakes (which you can’t do in the prem, but get away with more in europe).
We are definetaly on the up and up though and the squad looks strong, Stevie said he will keep trying his hardest to win the prem before he retires and I truly believe that over the next few years we will see the team eclipse the 2008/2009 team . . .
And we know there was only once space above them that year!
YNWA