Well Lawro knows PNE inside out so I'd take his views seriously. As far as I could make out, I think he's just saying it's going to be a big step up and we'll have to see how he responds.
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Well Lawro knows PNE inside out so I'd take his views seriously. As far as I could make out, I think he's just saying it's going to be a big step up and we'll have to see how he responds.
Nat was starting for Stuttgart last season as they won promotion, Ben was starting for Preston NE helping them to 9th place in the Championship. I know that is not the full story, but its not inconceivable that Nat may be above him in the pecking order when he gets here
Just want to say that there is quite a bit of cuntiness going on here regarding this new signing as if we are sure he is going to fail us big time. I mean - can we at least give him the chance to put on the LFC Kit and just take a look at him to decide if he looks terrible and say 'nah... not good enough' - has he even walked through the door yet for his medical or anything ? - has he had an anal probe yet ?
My thoughts too. Stands in contrast to some of the other pieces about Davies.
I imagine he'll be ahead of Williams but the rest.. probably true enough in the short-term.
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IMHO it's very much more of an FSG-friendly signing than it is a Klopp one. There won't be any problems of making back £2m if he doesn't stay long, we'll probably improve him quite a bit, and he will be the other option we needed. But in terms of having a CB pairing that is going to take us to the latter stages of the CL, and challenge for the title, well, I doubt Klopp feels any better about the situation now than he did before.
But this was always the most likely outcome. My concern now is that it won't take Davies as long as Robbo and Fab did to learn the system and settle into our style of play. If he's out of the team learning the ropes for a month then effectively we haven't added the emergency CB we needed. So he has to absorb lots of info really quickly.
But this was always the most likely outcome. My concern now is that it won't take Davies as long as Robbo and Fab did to learn the system and settle into our style of play. If he's out of the team learning the ropes for a month then effectively we haven't added the emergency CB we needed. So he has to absorb lots of info really quickly.
It would seem a completely pointless use of energy if he is coming in behind Nat & Rhys. If Klopp was happy with them playing he wouldn't be looking for someone to come in behind them surely. Maybe Lawro is saying he *should* be behind them, which is different and potentially worrying!
But the style of football they play at PNE and the caliber of players are different? 1.6m + sell on clause for a player with 4 seasons of regular Championship football (one of his sides' better players), contributes to the Home Grown tally, at a time when we are in need of options (and probably willing to be a squad player when the first choice options come back) looks like a really good deal.
Obviously there's no way to be absolutely sure how a lower league player will cope with the greater pace and intensity of the PL, with craftier and more cynical opponents as well. But it's not a bad idea anyway to let him arrive with low expectations. We weren't going to sign anyone until Matip and Fab's injuries meant we were really down to Hendo plus one other, so it's clear FSG were motivated mainly by the need to bring in another body. A cheap, low-risk other body. Anything else will be a bonus.
I don't know why - but I think he is going to be a club legend
The inspired part of the deal is Van Den Berg going to them on loan. Cuts the transfer fee, and we finally will get a chance to see if VDB has what it takes. He's a very quiet sort of guy, very reserved, which hasn't helped him make a good impression, but he's actually been pretty good recently for the ressies. It's time he gets a proper test, so this is a good move in itself.
https://www.goal.com/en/news/new-li...ms-seal-of-approval/bh0r1ue1ltbo1dwnqdu2ifkqo
[article]Rhys Williams must have known something we didn’t. A couple of weeks ago, Goal caught up with the Liverpool youngster for an exclusive wide-ranging chat. The 19-year-old was in good form.
He talked about marking Harry Kane on his Premier League debut, about learning his trade on loan at Kidderminster, about dealing with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in training.
Then we asked him about the players he looks up to. Who are the defenders he admires in the modern game? His answer was an interesting one, to say the least,
“There’s a lad at Preston now called Ben Davies,” Williams, a lifelong North End fan, told us. “He’s been at Preston all the way through, come through the academy.
“He’s been everywhere on loan – York, Fleetwood, Southport, Newport, Tranmere. Now he’s probably Preston’s best and most consistent player.
“It shows me that there’s a path through non-league, especially for defenders, where you have to go and learn the basics of the game. The bit on the ball, that can always come, you can always learn that later, but the basics, you have to have them.
“I look up to someone like Ben because he’s had the same path as me and now he’s doing really well in the Championship.”
Funny old game football, isn’t it?
A fortnight on, Williams and Davies are about to become team-mates, Liverpool having agreed a fee with Preston for the 25-year-old on Sunday. It’ll be a surprise signing, to say the least.
Liverpool have been linked to all kinds of names in the past few days, but few will have expected them to dip into the Championship for their centre-back solution. Davies, indeed, had been expected to join Celtic, either this week or in the summer, when he would have been out of contract.
Bournemouth had also been keen to sign him in a double-deal with Ben Pearson, while Burnley and Sheffield United had made enquiries. Davies and his representatives, though, felt those two teams’ style was ill-suited to his way of playing.
The idea of leaving Preston for Burnley, too, is not a smart one. As Williams explained to us in that interview, Lancashire rivalries burn bright.
So, remarkably, Davies is heading for Anfield instead. After 250 appearances in the fifth, fourth, third and second tiers of English football, he now gets his chance in the top-flight.
“He’s developed into one of the best defenders in the championship,” says ex-Liverpool forward Neil Mellor, who was a Preston player when Davies was emerging through the youth set-up. “He knows how to defend, he can sense danger. He is calm and composed on the ball and can pick a diagonal pass no problem.
"He’s a quiet lad and will need the support of the senior lads Hendo and Milner to help him settle and feel like he belongs there. £2 million is an absolute bargain. I have always believed he can play in the Prem, now we shall see if he can cope.”
What a story it is - the boy from Barrow-in-Furness, who grew up a stone’s throw away from the boyhood home of Liverpool legend Emlyn Hughes, pulling on the famous red shirt. From a Championship play-off push to a Premier League title race and a Champions League fight, and all in the blink of an eye.
Four years ago he was playing for Fleetwood in League One. The season before that he was in League Two with Newport, and before that Southport in the National League. He had a season with York and a month with Tranmere. He’s earned his stripes.
Paul Carden was his boss at Southport, and remembers Davies, who was 19 at the time, as a model professional.
“We were bottom of the Conference and we needed a centre-back,” he tells Goal. “I went to watch Everton’s Under-23s play Preston at our ground [Haig Avenue]. Preston lost 3-1 and Ben made a mistake for a goal, but he stood out with the way he played. He was good on the ball, he wanted to play.
“I was sat with Simon Grayson, the Preston manager, and his assistant Glyn Snodin and I asked about Ben. We ended up signing him on loan the next day.
“What a kid! He was a great lad, so eager to learn. He was always on to me ‘Paul, can I have the video of last night’s game?’ or ‘let’s see the clips of the striker I’m up against on Saturday’. He wasn’t afraid to ask for advice, and he took feedback on board. He wanted to do well.
“The lads knew from his first training session that he could play. When a lad comes down from higher up, you want them to impress you and he did straight away. He’s a very good footballer.
“On top of that he has personality. I remember one game at home which we lost badly, and he let a few experienced players have it in the dressing room afterwards. He wasn’t shy in saying his piece, which I loved.
"He didn’t want his name associated with a defeat like that. He cared. He was only here for a month but he was going to do everything he could to win for us.
“Preston took him back after about 10 or 12 games for us, and I don’t think he wanted to go because he was getting into a good rhythm, but he had a couple of other loan spells at Newport and Fleetwood and he’s gone on from there.
“I’m a Liverpool fan, and all fans are wanting [Kalidou] Koulibaly, but I think Ben could be another shrewd one. He’s different, left-footed, versatile. He can step into midfield like Matip does and start play.
“I know people will roll their eyes because he’s been in the lower leagues, but so what? That is he best place to get grounded and go and play. It will have done him the world of good.
“Just because he doesn’t cost millions and millions doesn’t mean he can’t be a very good player for Liverpool. Look at their current squad now, the likes of Milner, Henderson, Van Dijk, Robertson, they’ve all had to earn their stripes lower down.
“In terms of the FSG model, they rarely sign a player who decreases in value. Ben has cost peanuts and he has good experience, good grounding. He’s a good player and a rock-solid character. There are loads of positives to his signing.”
Liverpool, indeed, see Davies as a smart pick-up, a Ragnar Klavan-type signing according to club sources.
He is viewed as one of the best left-sided centre-backs in the Championship, good on the ball, calm and experienced, with the personality to handle such an unexpected change in circumstances. His versatility – he can play as a left-back as well as at centre-back - is also a plus.
The fee, Goal understands, is just £500,000 up front, with a further £1.1m ($1.5m) in add-ons relating mainly to first-team appearances and achievements. There is, for example, a payment for any England caps, as well as a 20% sell-on clause.
It would be unrealistic to expect a world-beater, of course. In a normal world, Davies would not have been on Liverpool’s radar - he knows that himself - but injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, as well as Fabinho, have forced the Reds to act.
The ongoing impact, financially-speaking, of the coronavirus pandemic, plus the fact they were looking for a player in January, meant their options were seriously limited.
It remains to be seen if Davies is the only arrival on deadline day. Goal understands that Liverpool were offered the chance to sign Duje Caleta-Car from Marseille over the weekend, and that they would have been keen on a loan-to-buy deal for the Croatian international.
However, Marseille’s inability to bring in a replacement on loan looks to have scuppered that, with the 24-year-old, a former team-mate of Naby Keita at Salzburg, expected to remain in France until the end of the season.
Davies, though, is on his way. After a medical on Monday morning, his move should be completed before the 11pm deadline. Good luck to him. Nobody can say he hasn’t earned his shot./article][/article]
[article]Rhys Williams must have known something we didn’t. A couple of weeks ago, Goal caught up with the Liverpool youngster for an exclusive wide-ranging chat. The 19-year-old was in good form.
He talked about marking Harry Kane on his Premier League debut, about learning his trade on loan at Kidderminster, about dealing with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in training.
Then we asked him about the players he looks up to. Who are the defenders he admires in the modern game? His answer was an interesting one, to say the least,
“There’s a lad at Preston now called Ben Davies,” Williams, a lifelong North End fan, told us. “He’s been at Preston all the way through, come through the academy.
“He’s been everywhere on loan – York, Fleetwood, Southport, Newport, Tranmere. Now he’s probably Preston’s best and most consistent player.
“It shows me that there’s a path through non-league, especially for defenders, where you have to go and learn the basics of the game. The bit on the ball, that can always come, you can always learn that later, but the basics, you have to have them.
“I look up to someone like Ben because he’s had the same path as me and now he’s doing really well in the Championship.”
Funny old game football, isn’t it?
A fortnight on, Williams and Davies are about to become team-mates, Liverpool having agreed a fee with Preston for the 25-year-old on Sunday. It’ll be a surprise signing, to say the least.
Liverpool have been linked to all kinds of names in the past few days, but few will have expected them to dip into the Championship for their centre-back solution. Davies, indeed, had been expected to join Celtic, either this week or in the summer, when he would have been out of contract.
Bournemouth had also been keen to sign him in a double-deal with Ben Pearson, while Burnley and Sheffield United had made enquiries. Davies and his representatives, though, felt those two teams’ style was ill-suited to his way of playing.
The idea of leaving Preston for Burnley, too, is not a smart one. As Williams explained to us in that interview, Lancashire rivalries burn bright.
So, remarkably, Davies is heading for Anfield instead. After 250 appearances in the fifth, fourth, third and second tiers of English football, he now gets his chance in the top-flight.
“He’s developed into one of the best defenders in the championship,” says ex-Liverpool forward Neil Mellor, who was a Preston player when Davies was emerging through the youth set-up. “He knows how to defend, he can sense danger. He is calm and composed on the ball and can pick a diagonal pass no problem.
"He’s a quiet lad and will need the support of the senior lads Hendo and Milner to help him settle and feel like he belongs there. £2 million is an absolute bargain. I have always believed he can play in the Prem, now we shall see if he can cope.”
What a story it is - the boy from Barrow-in-Furness, who grew up a stone’s throw away from the boyhood home of Liverpool legend Emlyn Hughes, pulling on the famous red shirt. From a Championship play-off push to a Premier League title race and a Champions League fight, and all in the blink of an eye.
Four years ago he was playing for Fleetwood in League One. The season before that he was in League Two with Newport, and before that Southport in the National League. He had a season with York and a month with Tranmere. He’s earned his stripes.
Paul Carden was his boss at Southport, and remembers Davies, who was 19 at the time, as a model professional.
“We were bottom of the Conference and we needed a centre-back,” he tells Goal. “I went to watch Everton’s Under-23s play Preston at our ground [Haig Avenue]. Preston lost 3-1 and Ben made a mistake for a goal, but he stood out with the way he played. He was good on the ball, he wanted to play.
“I was sat with Simon Grayson, the Preston manager, and his assistant Glyn Snodin and I asked about Ben. We ended up signing him on loan the next day.
“What a kid! He was a great lad, so eager to learn. He was always on to me ‘Paul, can I have the video of last night’s game?’ or ‘let’s see the clips of the striker I’m up against on Saturday’. He wasn’t afraid to ask for advice, and he took feedback on board. He wanted to do well.
“The lads knew from his first training session that he could play. When a lad comes down from higher up, you want them to impress you and he did straight away. He’s a very good footballer.
“On top of that he has personality. I remember one game at home which we lost badly, and he let a few experienced players have it in the dressing room afterwards. He wasn’t shy in saying his piece, which I loved.
"He didn’t want his name associated with a defeat like that. He cared. He was only here for a month but he was going to do everything he could to win for us.
“Preston took him back after about 10 or 12 games for us, and I don’t think he wanted to go because he was getting into a good rhythm, but he had a couple of other loan spells at Newport and Fleetwood and he’s gone on from there.
“I’m a Liverpool fan, and all fans are wanting [Kalidou] Koulibaly, but I think Ben could be another shrewd one. He’s different, left-footed, versatile. He can step into midfield like Matip does and start play.
“I know people will roll their eyes because he’s been in the lower leagues, but so what? That is he best place to get grounded and go and play. It will have done him the world of good.
“Just because he doesn’t cost millions and millions doesn’t mean he can’t be a very good player for Liverpool. Look at their current squad now, the likes of Milner, Henderson, Van Dijk, Robertson, they’ve all had to earn their stripes lower down.
“In terms of the FSG model, they rarely sign a player who decreases in value. Ben has cost peanuts and he has good experience, good grounding. He’s a good player and a rock-solid character. There are loads of positives to his signing.”
Liverpool, indeed, see Davies as a smart pick-up, a Ragnar Klavan-type signing according to club sources.
He is viewed as one of the best left-sided centre-backs in the Championship, good on the ball, calm and experienced, with the personality to handle such an unexpected change in circumstances. His versatility – he can play as a left-back as well as at centre-back - is also a plus.
The fee, Goal understands, is just £500,000 up front, with a further £1.1m ($1.5m) in add-ons relating mainly to first-team appearances and achievements. There is, for example, a payment for any England caps, as well as a 20% sell-on clause.
It would be unrealistic to expect a world-beater, of course. In a normal world, Davies would not have been on Liverpool’s radar - he knows that himself - but injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, as well as Fabinho, have forced the Reds to act.
The ongoing impact, financially-speaking, of the coronavirus pandemic, plus the fact they were looking for a player in January, meant their options were seriously limited.
It remains to be seen if Davies is the only arrival on deadline day. Goal understands that Liverpool were offered the chance to sign Duje Caleta-Car from Marseille over the weekend, and that they would have been keen on a loan-to-buy deal for the Croatian international.
However, Marseille’s inability to bring in a replacement on loan looks to have scuppered that, with the 24-year-old, a former team-mate of Naby Keita at Salzburg, expected to remain in France until the end of the season.
Davies, though, is on his way. After a medical on Monday morning, his move should be completed before the 11pm deadline. Good luck to him. Nobody can say he hasn’t earned his shot./article][/article]
Yeah, or looking further ahead, we can afford to loan out the like of Williams and Koumetio next season to aid in their development.
From the Echo:
Club insiders believe his pace and calmness in possession will afford the Reds the opportunity to push up and squeeze the pitch in the manner they do when Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk are in the side.
This pace thing drives me crackers. So far I've read from different sources that he's slow, average pace, okay pace, pacey, and really quick. Presumably the club's right on this, in which case, phew.
Club insiders believe his pace and calmness in possession will afford the Reds the opportunity to push up and squeeze the pitch in the manner they do when Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk are in the side.
This pace thing drives me crackers. So far I've read from different sources that he's slow, average pace, okay pace, pacey, and really quick. Presumably the club's right on this, in which case, phew.
Just to clarify on that VDB option - apparently it's an option to extend the loan period, not an option to buy.
Okay, those clips certainly make a lot of sense as far as the plan for him is concerned.
[article]Preston North End went global on Sunday afternoon as news broke that one of our own, Ben Davies, was poised to sign for Liverpool Football Club.
The Premier League champions have pounced for the Barrow Baresi out of nowhere, after it had appeared that our number six was Glasgow bound. The Celtic rumours had been present for weeks and there had been murmurings that he had agreed a pre-contract with them.
First and foremost, wow.
These sort of events are rare, once in a generation even. Certainly in my lifetime, North End have never sold a player to the current English Champions. Preston have rarely sold players to the Premier League in general, so to be selling to one of the biggest clubs in the world has certainly created a buzz.
When you lose a player of Davies’ quality, the normal reaction would be one of sadness, however I think for most PNE fans when I say I’m absolutely over the moon for him.
He is class on and off the pitch, and this is a move that he’s earned, make no mistake. Football is all about timing, and Liverpool’s injury crisis, exacerbated by Joel Matip’s latest injury, has certainly come at the perfect time for Davies.
I have every confidence that Davies won’t only be comfortable at Liverpool, but I think he’ll thrive.
Below I’ve looked at why I feel he will fit into Jurgen Klopp’s system, and why he will be well suited to Premier League football. With England’s dearth of left footed centre back options, could a good run of games even push Ben into contention for the Euros?
Why will he suit Liverpool?
As has been proven in recent seasons with signings such as Andy Robertson, Joe Gomez and Diogo Jota, all with recent EFL experience, Liverpool are prepared to delve into the Championship and they obviously keep an eye on the level.
With their extensive recruitment set up, looking at both video and data, the champions will have certainly done their homework and I’d back this signing to follow the recent patter of success.
Pace and mobility
As with Robertson and Gomez as defenders, Davies possesses mobility and pace, as does Virgil Van Dijk. Within Liverpool’s system, physicality is a key trait due to the emphasis on pressing high and squeezing the pitch. Klopp sets his team up to defend as high as possible, often on half way.
Due to Klopp’s preference for a counter pressing system, with the midfielders pressing forward and the full backs pushing high, the defensive line needs to be high to limit the space behind the pressing line.
By setting the defensive line high, Liverpool can suffocate the opponent in their own half and gamble on their CBs being able to defend the space behind them – Van Dijk and Gomez both possess great athleticism and recovery pace and this is why they’ve been such a successful unit over the last few seasons.
Much of Liverpool’s defending comes in defensive transitions due to their constant attacks and pressure. Davies is ideal for this as he’s quick in straight lines, and can also adjust his feet quickly to defend 1v1.
In their absence, and without their pace to recover, the Reds have been caught out one a few occasions recently, hence the need for a speedy defender to cover space.
Much of Alex Neil’s tenure has been defined by a high press, squeezing teams and condensing the game into the opposition half. Davies has often been seen sweeping up behind his RCB and covering wide space due to his pace.
He glides across the turf effortlessly and there certainly aren’t many quicker defenders in the Championship. This will stand him in good stead and should give him confidence when stepping into Liverpool’s side.
Reading of the game
This is such an intangible quality, and it’s more or less impossible to put a value on “reading the game”, but Ben Davies would certainly rank very highly if it could be measured.
Davies possesses really good anticipation of where the ball will drop, and his timing of movements is excellent. He engages forward when he knows he can win the ball, he drops when he anticipates the ball being played behind, and when defending the box he always seems to get his body in the line of shots.
Davies sees danger ahead of him early and is often seen covering across and sweeping up space behind his centre back partner. His ability to track deep runs allows his centre back partner to be aggressive and engage in duels further forward, knowing he has a mobile partner covering behind him. North End’s xG against has been around 0.5/ game so far in 2020, and the defensive unit has only conceded 1 open play goal in around 10 games. This is largely down to Ben Davies’ reading of the game, and his ability elevates those around him.
Due to his awareness, he rarely concedes fouls, and he has only picked up 3 yellow cards in since the start of the 2019/20 season. He is composed as a defender, rarely diving into tackles due to his game understanding – however when he needs to, he can show good aggression and again his mobility helps him to get down to intercept.
When defending high up the pitch, this composure is vital as if you commit yourself and get beaten, you risk leaving an attacker with a clear route to goal. Davies jockeys well and forces players onto their weaker foot when defending in 1v1 situations, and because of this he’s ideal for defending large spaces. He is calm and he can be trusted in tricky situations. It will be interesting to see how he copes with the elite attackers in the Premier League.
Passing and long diagonals
Jurgen Klopp’s side are renowned for a few things, and diagonal switches of play to the full backs are certainly one of them. This is an area in which Ben Davies excels.
Being left footed, Davies’ ability to ping 60 yard diagonals to Alexander Arnold would be a sight to behold. His passing ability is arguably his biggest strength and his range of passing is excellent. His technique means he can play floated long balls over players, but he can also drill flat long balls if his teammate is in space. His understanding of when to drill the ball is very good and in doing this, he can find his teammate quicker.
This has been a hallmark of Klopp’s Liverpool, with Van Dijk being the best in this regard. However, being left footed gives Davies an advantage here as the angle of pass from left to right is natural to him, and he would add balance to the defence in terms of distribution.
As well as his diagonal balls, Ben is also extremely comfortable with shorter passing. He also looks to pass forward with incisive passes, and given Liverpool’s preference of possession this season (averaging over 60% of the ball), he will fit right in. He can punch the ball through the lines, he can play into the channel, and he can curve the ball into his left back with good pace and accuracy.
His calmness comes into play here, as even when pressured, he always makes good decisions with his pass selection. This is something that Liverpool have perhaps lacked with their current centre back options, with Phillips and Williams lacking that confidence, meaning Henderson and Fabinho have had to drop into those roles. With Davies’ composure on the ball, his range of passing and his left footedness, Klopp would surely have the confidence in him which would then allow Henderson to move into his more natural midfield role, from where he is one of the best players in Europe.
Good age, English and cheap
Liverpool have had a track record in recent years of being the shrewdest operators around when it comes to transfers. Whether that be selling players for inflated prices, or bringing in hidden gems, or promoting youth players at the right time.
Ben Davies certainly fits into the hidden gems category. Being English, a good age, quick, and left footed gives him a major advantage when it comes to his attractiveness. Knowing that he’s out of contract in summer, Liverpool have a low risk, high reward.
The deal will probably be a low 7 figure sum and so it makes perfect sense from a recruitment perspective. At 25, there is still major scope for physical and technical improvement working under a world class coach in Klopp.
If Davies performs well, his value will increase exponentially, and Liverpool will have a good left footed option on their books. If it doesn’t work out, Liverpool can move him on for a profit. There is very little to lose from a financial point of view.
It’s been well documented that Jurgen Klopp only signs good characters, and I don’t think there can be a bad word said about Ben Davies. Having come through the youth set up, spending time out on loan at the likes of York and Southport, he’s bided his time, learnt the hard way and has never complained. He has regularly played through knocks in recent times, such is his importance, and the way he conducts himself is pure class.
Even with his current contract situation, he has performed superbly and I’d say his level has actually gone up in recent months. Just 48 hours ago he was North End’s best player at Hillsborough, and today he’s signing for Liverpool.
All the best Ben.[/article]
From this article:
[article]North End’s xG against has been around 0.5/ game so far in 2020, and the defensive unit has only conceded 1 open play goal in around 10 games.[/article]
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spo.../ben-davies-liverpool-transfer-agger-19741031
[article]
"He’s one of the stand-out centre-backs in the Championship and has been for three of four seasons now," said Preston commentator and Championship expert Guy Clarke on a special Blood Red podcast giving you everything you need to know about Davies.
"A player like Davies would have commanded a £10m fee at the very least [had he not had only a few months left on his contract].
"There have been mootings of Premier League interest in the past and the figure has always been around £10m, which I would say would be fair.
"The comparison things are sometimes quite difficult but I think in the Premier League, you are thinking a left-footed centre-half who is very good on the ball and is quick across the ground - probably not that dissimilar to Jack O’Connell at Sheffield United.
"His main strengths are his distribution from the back and his speed across the ground to cover gaps.
"O’Connell is perhaps the easiest comparison to make but Liverpool have done business in January for a left-footed centre-back before in Daniel Agger.
"Probably the main things Liverpool have been looking for is a defender who can pass and that is one of [Agger and Davies'] strengths.
" Nat Phillips can defend but are Liverpool hesitant to creep that defensive line five or 10 yards higher up the pitch [with him in the side]?
"With Ben Davies, he can do that. He is a bit like Matip in that way - he wins those interceptions and can play the ball into midfield."
Davies has played 19 times in the Championship so far this season, getting booked just once in that time.
He is left-footed, can also play at left-back should he need to, and has been ready for a step up to the Premier League for some time.
Bournemouth have been linked with him most recently, as have Newcastle and Sheffield United, while he was edging closer to moving to Celtic on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.
Davies would never have thought that he would be joining the top-flight champions and Champions League hopefuls this month, but now his task is clear: help Liverpool retain their Premier League title.
[/article]
[article]Preston chief Peter Risdale has told of just how close Celtic came to agreeing a deal with Ben Davies before the defender's last-gasp move to Liverpool.
He told radio station talkSPORT that the deal look all but done with the Hoops.
[article]
Because it was a pre-contract with Celtic, we weren’t really involved. They had, out of courtesy, told us at the start of last week that they were trying to get the deal done.
But looking at all the media last Friday and Saturday, it was suggesting the deal had been signed. So when Liverpool enquired yesterday I had to check the status first.
We had a window of opportunity of a couple of hours to try and get the deal done with Liverpool before it looked as if he was going to finally sign for Celtic.
It’s private and confidential and it’s not for me to say what the deal is but let’s just say we are very happy with the deal, given that the alternative was he was going to go to Celtic for nothing.
[/article][/article]
Strengthens the left hand side of defence. Good business, very cheap as well by today's prices.
[article]There may be a few gasps from the football world that Liverpool have sought a solution to their centre-back crisis at the heart of Preston North End’s defence.
But to those who have guided Ben Davies on his path towards Anfield via pit stops in York, Southport, Fleetwood and Newport, the greater shock is that it has taken so long for a Premier League club to make a move.
“I am not surprised. I was surprised nobody took him before,” says Fortuna Dusseldorf manager Uwe Rosler, who has tracked Davies’ progress since working with him at Fleetwood in 2017.
“I tried to sign him last summer. I have always liked and admired him and I am delighted he has developed into a player who has a chance at the highest level.
“He will surprise people. I am pretty sure about that.”
Graham Westley, who gave Davies his senior debut for Preston in 2013, had also anticipated Premier League clubs would call sooner.
“If you had said to me when he was 17 that he would go on and play for Liverpool, I would have said, ‘One hundred per cent he will’,” says Westley.
“As the years have gone by, I have often wondered why that talent had not come through. Sometimes it is just a case that a chance does not come your way. On other occasions I think the pressure of trying to get promotions means managers have kept him in the background because they are wary of young players making mistakes, so they sent him elsewhere to develop. But now I see him on the verge of making a move to the top club in the country, I am not looking at that and feeling that surprised.”
There is a touch of the old school about Liverpool’s imminent capture of the 25-year-old who, pending a medical, will complete the transfer on deadline day.
Thirty years ago, few would bat an eyelid at a Premier League club scouting the lower divisions for a bargain. In an era when anything less than a £20 million investment is considered loose change, such deals are rarer.
The initial fee is just £500,000, although it may rise to £2m.
Davies, who was born in Barrow and worked through Preston’s academy, was fast-tracked into the senior team by Westley - initially as a full-back - where the learning curve was steep.
“He made a mistake early on his career - I think it may have just been his second appearance - against Shrewsbury at Deepdale,” recalls Westley.
“He conceded a penalty and we lost 2-1, and I think I was getting coined as I left the pitch!
“But when he made the mistake he did not shy away from it. He didn’t blame the bobble of the ball or look for excuses. He took full responsibility and was straight back onto the training ground the following morning showing great humility. When you have the basic ingredients of talent and humility, you have a chance. The response is what defined him as a character, not the mistake. I loved that about him. It is an attribute that makes a player.
“When I saw him as a 16-year-old there were three things I looked for, which I look for in any player. They all relate to courage. First, to have the tenacity to make sure the opponent does not get the better of you. The second is courage in the challenge. If the ball drops between you and I, are you going to hesitate or am I? And third, do you have the courage to receive the ball and think in a forward direction? The first time I saw Ben play I thought he had all of those qualities. That is why I gave him a debut as a 17-year-old. I saw so much potential in him.”
Westley’s successor at Deepdale, Simon Grayson, felt Davies could benefit from more experience so a succession of loan spells followed between 2013 and 2017.
The most significant was the last of those at Fleetwood Town where he made 22 appearances in a promotion bid, after which Davies returned to Preston more qualified to become a fixture at centre-back.
“I had him on loan because I was looking for a left-sided centre-half who could play in the back three,” recalls Rosler.
“Ben had not played in a back three before but I thought he could do it. He established himself immediately and was crucial in an outstanding season. For a young player he matured very quickly. He was competent and solid on the ball, and the longer he played the position the more confident he became in joining the attack.
“In possession there will be no problem and a left-sided centre-back is always a plus. He is not a sprinter but has decent pace. Obviously it will take time to adjust to the Premier League, which is a different level, but he is 25 now and will have played over 200 games.”
For all that, joining the Premier League champions and filling the void left by Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip is a gargantuan leap for someone who was playing in the National League six years ago.
Rosler believes the romance of that story will appeal to Jurgen Klopp.
“You see the history of Klopp signings and he is always about development, taking players to another level under his coaching,” says the former Manchester City striker.
“I am sure he could do the same for Ben. He can step up and get used to the level of the Premier League over time.”
It remains to be seen if Davies becomes a valuable back-up, or truly competes to play alongside Van Dijk once Liverpool's defensive cavalry returns. Nevertheless, his transfer offers hope to all those in the Championship and below, who might consider their chance of joining one of the world’s biggest clubs has passed.
“It’s going to be seen as a punt because Liverpool are not shelling out £50 million for him,” says Westley.
“When you thrust a player from the lower level into the Premier League, some will sink, some will swim. The demand of having to win every game at a club like Liverpool might be too much for some players. Ben is the type of character who I can see thriving under that pressure. From what I can see about Klopp, he likes those who bust a gut to succeed.”[/article]
Yeah, but it still needs to be the right sort of pulse. Just ask Frank Worthington.
got tears laughing at this, fucking hell medical...why bother - we just need an experienced body from anywhere right now.
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