Rodolfo Borrell

[Insignificance]

[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=44233.msg1290231#msg1290231 date=1298550214]
[quote author=Insignificance link=topic=44233.msg1290222#msg1290222 date=1298547667]
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=44233.msg1290181#msg1290181 date=1298536134]
Every year some club has a youth team that does really well. Most of them don't make it.


[/quote]

But it all depends a little how you run these teams. Why is Barcelona so succesful in bringing in own talent? Why were ajax top of the crop for a while? I believe that if the youth teams are used to create first teamers and not only to win the Youth cup there is a bigger chance to bring through first teamers. If you have an identified way of palying and the youngsters are bread into specific roles.... But in football you often change coaches and you often change strategy. And you often prefer to buy a player to fit a role, rather than create 5 youngsters for the same role...
[/quote]

This is true. In fact this is something that Rosco himself has been banging on about, the club having a fixed philosophy that it maintains irrespective of 1st team coach. This is likely not only to allow for us to be consistent at a 1st team level, but also perhaps, more consistent at developing talent.
[/quote]

It might be that it helps to have a DOFS if this is the way forward. I have no clue if Comolli is the right man... But if the DOFS has set his sight on a long term way of playing and can recruit First Team managers and youth team coaches which follows the strategy it could pay off better. But then again it is only changing the power to someone else and in the end we live of results, and will sooner or later be willing to pay us out of trouble if short term results are needed.

 

[RolandG]

Conor Coady - Coady had the honour of captaining the England under-17 side to the European Championships last summer and he has recently forced his way into the first-team picture at Anfield after a string of impressive performances for the academy. Capable of playing at centre half or in midfield, Coady is tough but with a touch of class to his play. The 18 year-old recently made the bench for the club in their Europa League knockout away fixture to Sparta Prague and current manager Kenny Dalglish is known to be a fan.


Andre Wisdom - Coady’s partner at the heart of defence during England’s victorious European Championship campaign. Bounced back from heartache in the final against Spain after initially scoring an own goal, to score the equaliser that set England on their way to victory. Great strength of character aside, Wisdom looks comfortable with the ball at his feet and is capable of playing all across the back four. The 18 year-old defender has drawn comparisons in some quarters with Sol Campbell.




Raheem Sterling - The Jamaican born forward has grabbed all the headlines in recent weeks for his, shall we say, sterling efforts for the Liverpool youth team in their recent 9-0 victory in the FA Youth Cup over Southend, with Sterling bagging five goals. Poached from QPR in 2010, the 16 year-old travelled with the first-team squad for Liverpool’s recent Europa League clash away at Sparta Prague. Although he eventually failed to make the bench, big things are expected of Sterling and with the ball at his feet and in full flight, he bares an uncanny likeness to a certain John Barnes.

Martin Kelly - Technically, defender Martin Kelly appears to have already made the grade at Liverpool, but it’s worth remembering that the young England hopeful is still just 20 years of age and relatively inexperienced despite his mature performances for the first-team to date. The fact that he’s keeping current first-choice England right back Glen Johnson out of his preferred position at the club, with Johnson having been shunted over to left back to accommodate the ever-improving Kelly, says it all. Superb performances against Everton and Chelsea this season mark Kelly out as a fine defender with a great temperament and he could well be England’s first-choice right back by the next World Cup. Kelly has already made 21 appearances for the club across all competitions this season and he could have a huge impact if he keeps going at this rate over the next few years, for both club and country.

Conor Thomas – Amidst all the furore of transfer deadline day at Anfield, you’d be forgiven for letting slip from your mind the signing of 17 year-old Conor Thomas on loan from Coventry with a view to a permanent move. The midfielder has been hailed as Coventry’s brightest prospect for years and there was outcry among sections of the club’s faithful support that they had let such a talent slip through their fingers so easily just days after he’d made his first-team debut in the FA Cup against Birmingham. The nature of the deal is a strange one to say the least, but Liverpool were said to be tracking Thomas for months prior to his switch. Apparently the club decided to swoop quickly in the January transfer window to ward off any potential interest from rival Premier League clubs in the future, which in itself, tells you the youngster must have bags of potential.

Jack Robinson - The all-action left back made headlines last season when he became the youngest ever player to make a first team appearance for the club after a cameo appearance off the bench in the final game of last season against Hull. A regular at England youth team level, the 17 year old attacking minded full-back is also known to love a crunching tackle. Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher has stated of Robinson: “He’s really young and playing in a higher age group – for England as well. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about him. I wasn’t even in the youth team when I first went full-time and he was a regular at 15 which shows you he has something about him.†With the club’s relative paucity of first-team options at left back, Robinson could well be one to watch for next season as he continues his meteoric rise up the footballing ladder.

 

[doctor_mac]

[quote author=RolandG link=topic=44233.msg1290234#msg1290234 date=1298551857]
Conor Coady - Coady had the honour of captaining the England under-17 side to the European Championships last summer and he has recently forced his way into the first-team picture at Anfield after a string of impressive performances for the academy. Capable of playing at centre half or in midfield, Coady is tough but with a touch of class to his play. The 18 year-old recently made the bench for the club in their Europa League knockout away fixture to Sparta Prague and current manager Kenny Dalglish is known to be a fan.


Andre Wisdom - Coady’s partner at the heart of defence during England’s victorious European Championship campaign. Bounced back from heartache in the final against Spain after initially scoring an own goal, to score the equaliser that set England on their way to victory. Great strength of character aside, Wisdom looks comfortable with the ball at his feet and is capable of playing all across the back four. The 18 year-old defender has drawn comparisons in some quarters with Sol Campbell.




Raheem Sterling - The Jamaican born forward has grabbed all the headlines in recent weeks for his, shall we say, sterling efforts for the Liverpool youth team in their recent 9-0 victory in the FA Youth Cup over Southend, with Sterling bagging five goals. Poached from QPR in 2010, the 16 year-old travelled with the first-team squad for Liverpool’s recent Europa League clash away at Sparta Prague. Although he eventually failed to make the bench, big things are expected of Sterling and with the ball at his feet and in full flight, he bares an uncanny likeness to a certain John Barnes.

Martin Kelly - Technically, defender Martin Kelly appears to have already made the grade at Liverpool, but it’s worth remembering that the young England hopeful is still just 20 years of age and relatively inexperienced despite his mature performances for the first-team to date. The fact that he’s keeping current first-choice England right back Glen Johnson out of his preferred position at the club, with Johnson having been shunted over to left back to accommodate the ever-improving Kelly, says it all. Superb performances against Everton and Chelsea this season mark Kelly out as a fine defender with a great temperament and he could well be England’s first-choice right back by the next World Cup. Kelly has already made 21 appearances for the club across all competitions this season and he could have a huge impact if he keeps going at this rate over the next few years, for both club and country.

Conor Thomas – Amidst all the furore of transfer deadline day at Anfield, you’d be forgiven for letting slip from your mind the signing of 17 year-old Conor Thomas on loan from Coventry with a view to a permanent move. The midfielder has been hailed as Coventry’s brightest prospect for years and there was outcry among sections of the club’s faithful support that they had let such a talent slip through their fingers so easily just days after he’d made his first-team debut in the FA Cup against Birmingham. The nature of the deal is a strange one to say the least, but Liverpool were said to be tracking Thomas for months prior to his switch. Apparently the club decided to swoop quickly in the January transfer window to ward off any potential interest from rival Premier League clubs in the future, which in itself, tells you the youngster must have bags of potential.

Jack Robinson - The all-action left back made headlines last season when he became the youngest ever player to make a first team appearance for the club after a cameo appearance off the bench in the final game of last season against Hull. A regular at England youth team level, the 17 year old attacking minded full-back is also known to love a crunching tackle. Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher has stated of Robinson: “He’s really young and playing in a higher age group – for England as well. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about him. I wasn’t even in the youth team when I first went full-time and he was a regular at 15 which shows you he has something about him.†With the club’s relative paucity of first-team options at left back, Robinson could well be one to watch for next season as he continues his meteoric rise up the footballing ladder.


[/quote]

See page 4 of this thread Rolly.

 

[themn]

*smug folding of arms*

My case doth resteth.

 

[King Binny]

LFC U18's are undefeated in their last 10 games. They have won 7 straight games, 4 in the U18 League & 3 in the FA Youth Cup.

LFC U18's have scored 38 goals in their last 10 games and only conceded 8. In the consecutive 7 wins they've scored 29 and conceded 5.

 

[Jürgen4PM]

Kenny:

“The underbelly of the club is looking as good as it has been since I can remember with the development of the academy, although there are no players you could put straight in because it wouldn’t be fair on the lads themselves.

“The development and the work we have done in the Academy is going to serve us well for years to come.

“But we have to push closer and that work will be done in the transfer market and the training pitch.â€

 

[King Binny]

Barcelona are attempting to re-sign Liverpool academy coach Rodolfo Borrell.

Borrell ended his 13-year association with the Catalan giants in summer 2009 to become a core part of Rafael Benitez's new-look youth set-up, and the sterling work undertaken at the club's centre of operations in Kirkby has not gone unnoticed by his former employers.

During his time at the La Masia academy, he oversaw the development of youngsters at all levels and has been credited with Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique's graduation to the first team ranks at the Nou Camp as well as that of Everton's Mikel Arteta and Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas

Liverpool's under-18 side have remained in contention for Premier Academy League title and closed the gap on leaders Everton with a 2-1 win over Manchester United earlier this week.

But Barcelona remain hopeful of tempting the Spaniard back to La Masia after almost two years of nurturing Anfield's future, despite seeing two previous overtures twice rejected.

A third offer from the runaway La Liga leaders remains on the table but the ambitious Borrell is currently settled on Merseyside and understood to prefer continuing his rise through Liverpool's coaching ranks by progressing to the role of reserve team manager in the near future.

Pep Segura, Liverpool's Academy Technical Director and one of Borrell's former cohorts at La Masia, is expected to relinquish control of the club's second string at the end of the current season, having taken temporary charge following John McMahon's departure last month.

 

[Avmenon]

I wonder if we'll be seeing more comments by Messi and the rest of the TippyTappyBellend Asssociates about our ihumanity and conditions of slavery.

 

[doctor_mac]

Beating Man United, learning lessons and assessing our title chances - all this and more in our latest Academy column with U18s boss Rodolfo Borrell...



Monday's match with Manchester United was massive in every sense of the word.

We knew that if we wanted to keep our hopes of winning the Academy League alive we couldn't afford to slip up, particularly as leaders Everton clinched a narrow victory over Stoke City at the weekend.

That made it a must-win game - but for me it was even more important because of what happened in the FA Youth Cup at Anfield.

We were forced to learn a big lesson that afternoon. We lost the game because we were not mature enough in the aftermath of the penalty incident that saw them cut our lead to 2-1.

We lost our way and got too involved in discussions with each other.

Since then I have made it a priority to teach the players that this cannot happen, even in bizarre situations like that.

It was a moment to stick together and work really hard because Man United had gained the momentum. We didn't do that and it was a harsh lesson for us as they went on to win the match 3-2. Unfortunately, it is often the case that these things have to happen for the players to learn and improve.

I have to admit I have suffered ever since that defeat. Over 10,000 supporters turned up to watch us win and we didn't send them home happy.

I know exactly how they felt because I have sat amongst them and watched the first team play. When we don't win I know how they feel and how they react. I also know how much beating Manchester United means to them so I was really hurting after the cup game.

That was the best support I have experienced in my entire time coaching at youth team level and that includes some great moments at Barcelona. It was very special so I was very down after the defeat.

This week's league clash at Carrington gave us the perfect chance to respond. It wasn't a case of revenge. You cannot use these types of words in football, especially in games at youth team level.

What really pleased me most was that we were faced with a similar situation to the one we encountered in the Youth Cup - but this time we prevailed.

We went in at half-time leading by a 2-1 scoreline and I knew the team talk was very important.

I told them that whatever happened we could not have a repeat of what transpired at Anfield. I pushed them really hard to keep their heads and maintain their composure throughout the second half and I felt they did that. Everyone knows how tough it is to beat Man United on their own patch but we played a very good game and deservedly won it.

That is important because you have to cut out mistakes fast at this level. The players must learn from errors and keep improving all of the time if they want to make it to the first team. I felt they did that and I was very satisfied with all of them.

At the end of the match the boss phoned me to find out how the lads had performed. He wanted to congratulate them personally and that was a huge boost for everyone. It is such a luxury that the first-team staff are so interested, especially at a club this size. Kenny Dalglish, Steve Clarke and Sammy Lee are always showing their support and we are so grateful for that here at the Academy.

Of course, we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us in terms of our bid for the title. We have another game with United in two weeks' time and we know it will be very difficult again.

We are still in the hunt for the league as a result of the three points gained at Carrington but it will be very, very tough.

I know there is an argument that at this level of football it is not about trophies and more to do with development. I agree that the number one priority is to bring through talent but I have always stood up for what I believe in - both at Barcelona and now here.

I think winning is very important. If they develop with that habit then you will produce better players. There is a level of expectation that comes with figuring in one of the biggest teams in Europe and if they are used to that at a young age it will benefit the whole club.

It's all about nurturing a winning mentality if we want our first team to be successful and learning what it takes to triumph week in, week out is something that should not be underestimated.

If we combine the development with that knack for picking up victories then we will be in a far stronger position.

Looking at the table you can see we have some games in hand and still have a chance of being champions.

However, I am realistic. We have a tough calendar ahead due to all the postponements we had during the winter months.

It has left us playing two games a week while our rivals only have to play every Saturday. That will stretch us both physically and mentally.

We will also miss a number of our players for the last three league games due to international call-ups. These are not excuses, it's just me looking at the big picture.

After beating Man United I told the lads that our focus must be the next game and nothing else. We must pick up as many points as we can by winning and playing in the right way.

We will keep fighting but our attention is centred firmly upon Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. That is all that matters at this moment in time.