Youth / Reserve Team Thread... 2010 - 2013
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Full time, 3-2 A very good performance in the second half, with some excellent team moves and good finishing. Morgan looked like his old self, with lots of confidence. Adorjan was good at times (and positionally was more flexible and clever than I've seen him) and scored a belter. Suso - also good at times, and worked hard defensively, too. Shelvey, a bit like Gerrard used to be, knows he can hit Hollywood balls so he does so even when they're not on, but he played quite well and really gave the team some versatility and imagination in midfield. Coady provided good leadership and drove the team on. But it was a team performance tonight.
Sounds like Morgan started in the centre instead of on the right again?
Great. That's where Morgan really needs to play; not that he's doing a bad job on the sides - it just takes him away from what he does best.
Adorjan's goal
Morgan's game winner (his 2nd goal) - nice team goal; great work by Adorjan - the lad needs a loan out next season; if he doesn't make it here, I hope we get something for moving him as I think he's too good to be released for free.
Morgan's game winner (his 2nd goal) - nice team goal; great work by Adorjan - the lad needs a loan out next season; if he doesn't make it here, I hope we get something for moving him as I think he's too good to be released for free.
Ok COME ON Raheem ... You could have had more babies here!
‘The Boy has Got Skills’ – Liverpool’s Samed Yesil
Date: 9th April 2013 at 6:35 pm
Written by Daniel Prescott | Comments (1)
Unless you’re a hardcore Liverpool fan you probably won’t have noticed Samed Yesil. That is unless of course you managed to tune into U17 World Cup back in 2011. If you did manage to watch the competition you will have noticed that the German took the tournament by storm. Notching an impressive six goals in just seven games, including two against England’s youngsters.
The goals would have come of no surprise to the coaches and managers that saw him destroy opposition after opposition at youth level. In fact the striker, who can play for either the German or Turkish national sides, has somewhat of a phenomenal record at the level.
He has even been given the nickname Gerd. Teammates have apparently been so impressed and empowered by the striker’s ability to score goals that they have likened him to probably the greatest German striker to ever grace the game, Gerd Muller, who scored 68 goals for his country in just 62 appearances.
The 18-year-old’s nickname probably has something to do with his record as the German youngster has scored 22 goals in just 26 appearances for Germany at U16, U17 and U18 level, that’s as well as the goals he bagged in the U17 World Cup. He was also selected for squad of the tournament after three goals in the U17 European Championships in May 2011. But it’s not just goals that the speedy striker brings to the table, that U17 World Cup also saw him score an incredible assists tally with an impressive six assists in just seven appearances.
Although the striker has been playing for the German youth setup he is still able to play for the Turkish international squad if he chooses to. Yesil is yet to decide which national side he wants to represent despite a few whisper in his ears. Those whispers include former Liverpool and Turkish compatriot Nuri Sahin who also has strong links with both countries having plied his trade in the Bundesliga for more than six years of his career. It’s reported that both him and current Turkish manager Abdullah Avci have both expressed their desire at having the youngster play for Turkey when ready for the call up.
With that kind of form it was no surprise to see some of Europe’s big guns come looking, with Arsene Wenger said to be interested in the youngster. In the end though it was Liverpool that managed to lure Samed from Hertha Berlin, after they agreed a deal with the German club’s manager at the time, none other than Liverpool legend Sami Hyypia.
Despite being named in the first team squad on a couple of occasions this season the strikers career hit somewhat of a standstill. In December 2012 he scored his first goal for the club, scoring a sumptuous lob over the keeper against Crystal Palace U21s. However the club level progression was short lived as he ruptured anterior cruciate ligament while on international duty.
“I get stuck in where it hurts because I want to score goals,” Yesil remarked in an interview last year.
“It doesn’t matter if I get kicked or fouled. The important thing is I score. My aim is to score in every match.”
And judging by the fiery striker’s attitude, it won’t be long before he is back in amongst the action for both club and country.
Date: 9th April 2013 at 6:35 pm
Written by Daniel Prescott | Comments (1)
The goals would have come of no surprise to the coaches and managers that saw him destroy opposition after opposition at youth level. In fact the striker, who can play for either the German or Turkish national sides, has somewhat of a phenomenal record at the level.
He has even been given the nickname Gerd. Teammates have apparently been so impressed and empowered by the striker’s ability to score goals that they have likened him to probably the greatest German striker to ever grace the game, Gerd Muller, who scored 68 goals for his country in just 62 appearances.
The 18-year-old’s nickname probably has something to do with his record as the German youngster has scored 22 goals in just 26 appearances for Germany at U16, U17 and U18 level, that’s as well as the goals he bagged in the U17 World Cup. He was also selected for squad of the tournament after three goals in the U17 European Championships in May 2011. But it’s not just goals that the speedy striker brings to the table, that U17 World Cup also saw him score an incredible assists tally with an impressive six assists in just seven appearances.
Although the striker has been playing for the German youth setup he is still able to play for the Turkish international squad if he chooses to. Yesil is yet to decide which national side he wants to represent despite a few whisper in his ears. Those whispers include former Liverpool and Turkish compatriot Nuri Sahin who also has strong links with both countries having plied his trade in the Bundesliga for more than six years of his career. It’s reported that both him and current Turkish manager Abdullah Avci have both expressed their desire at having the youngster play for Turkey when ready for the call up.
With that kind of form it was no surprise to see some of Europe’s big guns come looking, with Arsene Wenger said to be interested in the youngster. In the end though it was Liverpool that managed to lure Samed from Hertha Berlin, after they agreed a deal with the German club’s manager at the time, none other than Liverpool legend Sami Hyypia.
Despite being named in the first team squad on a couple of occasions this season the strikers career hit somewhat of a standstill. In December 2012 he scored his first goal for the club, scoring a sumptuous lob over the keeper against Crystal Palace U21s. However the club level progression was short lived as he ruptured anterior cruciate ligament while on international duty.
“I get stuck in where it hurts because I want to score goals,” Yesil remarked in an interview last year.
“It doesn’t matter if I get kicked or fouled. The important thing is I score. My aim is to score in every match.”
And judging by the fiery striker’s attitude, it won’t be long before he is back in amongst the action for both club and country.
Liverpool FC teenager Jordon Ibe forced to pinch himself after meteoric rise
Read more: Liverpool Echo http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2013/04/11/liverpool-fc-teenager-jordon-ibe-forced-to-pinch-himself-after-meteoric-rise-100252-33153705/#ixzz2Q9PQ63TK
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WHEN Jordon Ibe was told he was going to Southampton with Liverpool’s first-team he thought it was a wind-up.
But Brendan Rodgers was deadly serious about including him in the squad for the Premier League game at St Mary’s last month.
Ibe’s progress since swapping Adams Park for Anfield nearly 18 months ago has been rapid yet even he could not believe his latest jump up the ranks.
The 17-year-old was an unused substitute on the south coast that day but revelled in every second of the experience.
Ibe, signed from Wycombe Wanderers at the end of December 2011, is being primed as a Reds star of the future and his inclusion at Southampton spoke volumes for the regard in which he is held.
However, this polite and unassuming young man never expected his rise to ever be as quick.
“It was just a normal training day and just as I was ready to go home, I had a missed call from Alex Inglethorpe the reserve manager,” Ibe explained.
“And he told me that I was travelling to Southampton with the first-team. I didn’t believe it at first, I thought it was just a little bit of banter.
“But I travelled with them and only half an hour before the match kicked-off I found out that I was on the bench.
“I was made up. My mum and dad flew down to watch as well.
“It was lovely and everything a 17-year-old boy could dream of. I was just trying to gain as much experience from it as I could and even though I didn’t get on, it was just brilliant being there and warming up with them.”
Ibe was part of last summer’s touring party in North America and spent the international break in March training at Melwood under the watchful eye of Rodgers.
Tomorrow night he plays at Anfield in the FA Youth Cup semi-final against Chelsea, with the ITV4 cameras following all the action.
In less than two years, Ibe’s world has changed dramatically.
Released by Charlton Athletic, Ibe broke into the Wycombe first-team at just 15 and became the youngest scorer in their history when he netted against Sheffield Wednesday.
It was no ordinary goal.
Ibe slalomed his way through the Wednesday defence before rifling a shot into the top corner.
“I’ve watched it back a few times,” he says bashfully.
A couple of months later and he was packing to leave his Bermondsey home for a move to Merseyside.
It was a decision he could not take lightly but one that was eased by his family travelling north with him.
“I was my first big move and it meant moving away from my friends,” he said.
“Fortunately, my family have moved up with me and whenever I get time off I usually go down and spend time with my friends.
“I had to think hard about the decision to move. I wasn’t stalling but moving to Liverpool is a big move.
“I was still 15, soon to be 16, and so was caught in two minds about whether I should stay or go. The manager at Wycombe was asking if I was staying or going and I didn’t know what to say.”
“It has helped that my mum, dad, brother and sister have moved with me. I don’t know how I would’ve coped without them because a lot of my friends get homesick and I know I would’ve been homesick as well.”
Ibe admits it took time to adjust to life at the Academy in Kirkby but says he has made significant strides since joining Liverpool.
“At first, it was the training that was hardest to adapt to,” he added.
“At Wycombe I would usually get the ball and run with it. But here, there is not a lot of time on the ball. It is one and two touch football, passing it around. But I have got used to it and enjoyed it.
“I had to get used to all the other stuff that comes with being at a big club as well but the football was so different.
“At Wycombe it was just a case of kicking it long but we are trying to play football here.
“Going forward, Alex Inglethorpe has helped me by showing me clips of Cristiano Ronaldo. Twenty of Ronaldo’s goals last season were one touch finishes at the back post. He’s been helping me to get within the frame of the goal and in the six yard box.
“I haven’t scored a lot of goals this season, I have plenty of assists, but with what Alex is showing me I hope I can score a few more goals towards the end of the season.”
Three Ibe strikes have helped the young Reds side reach the last four of the Youth Cup and the 17-year-old is excited about this week’s tie.
“Hopefully we can rise to the challenge,” he said.
Read more: Liverpool Echo http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2013/04/11/liverpool-fc-teenager-jordon-ibe-forced-to-pinch-himself-after-meteoric-rise-100252-33153705/#ixzz2Q9PQ63TK
T
the_khl
Guest
Rarely have I been as excited with a youngster coming through our ranks as I am with Ibe. Seen him only in glimpses but some players just oozes class, and he is one of them imo.
Sterling is another very promising prospect that gets me all excited I just have a feeling that this Ibe lad is something very very special.
Sterling is another very promising prospect that gets me all excited I just have a feeling that this Ibe lad is something very very special.
That's one thing the senior team hasn't been doing much for a while - following up at the far post. Kuyt and Maxi used to bag a few from those positions in the past, sneaking into space while defenders were distracted by the action ahead of them. Sterling and Downing both don't do that.
Good to see Inglethorpe working on that with Ibe; another +1 for Inglethorpe.
Follow-up news on this:
Looks like there was an update on this about a couple of weeks later in TIA, confirming the signing:
http://www.thisisanfield.com/2013/03/the-academy-in-profile-who-is-kristof-polgar/
The Academy in Profile: Who Is… Kristof Polgar?
By Michael Sweeting on March 26, 2013
On the 21st March 2013, Academy Director Frank McParland revealed that Liverpool has signed Hungarian schoolboy Kristof Polgar from MTK Budapest… but who is Kristof Polgar?
Brought in by Liverpool from Hungary’s most famous club, MTK, Polgar is the latest Hungarian to try and make his mark at Anfield following in the footsteps of Peter Gulacsi , Krisztian Adorjan, Kristian Nemeth, Andras Simon, Patrick Poor, Adam Hajdu and Zsolt Poloskei . With the possible exception of Gulacsi and Adorjan – Liverpool will be hoping this signing is more successful.
The 16 year old defender has spent two trial periods at Anfield, along with his international teammate Kevin Korozman. Korozman has been allowed to trial elsewhere, despite bagging a brace in a trial game with the U16s, but Polgar showed enough to earn a permanent deal. It displays the new, more refined, attitude towards signings Liverpool are trying to bring in. The quality of local players is improving with better coaching at young ages and so the foreign players brought in need to be exceptional to interest Liverpool at all.
Polgar has represented Hungary at U17 level and recently started both games as Hungary drew 0-0 and won 2-0 in a double header series against Malta U19s in February.
The fair haired defender also continues a growing trend within the Liverpool Academy… he is a Man Utd fan. Many have described this as ‘disturbing’ but it’s simply a fact of modern football that players scarcely play for their preferred clubs; it’s a professional game and it is hardly bucking a trend. In reality, the fact Liverpool can attract United fans from the Manchester area, as well as across Europe, shows just how highly Liverpool’s development system is now rated. A few years ago Liverpool had Scott Wootton and Liam Jacob taken away to Manchester, now Liverpool are the ones taking highly rated talent with 15 year old full back Sam Hart the latest defector.
Big things are expected of Polgar, he will initially join the club at the end of the season and should go straight into the U18 set up competing with the likes of Tom Brewitt, Niall Heaton and Daniel Cleary for a starting position.
Looks like there was an update on this about a couple of weeks later in TIA, confirming the signing:
http://www.thisisanfield.com/2013/03/the-academy-in-profile-who-is-kristof-polgar/
The Academy in Profile: Who Is… Kristof Polgar?
By Michael Sweeting on March 26, 2013
On the 21st March 2013, Academy Director Frank McParland revealed that Liverpool has signed Hungarian schoolboy Kristof Polgar from MTK Budapest… but who is Kristof Polgar?
Brought in by Liverpool from Hungary’s most famous club, MTK, Polgar is the latest Hungarian to try and make his mark at Anfield following in the footsteps of Peter Gulacsi , Krisztian Adorjan, Kristian Nemeth, Andras Simon, Patrick Poor, Adam Hajdu and Zsolt Poloskei . With the possible exception of Gulacsi and Adorjan – Liverpool will be hoping this signing is more successful.
The 16 year old defender has spent two trial periods at Anfield, along with his international teammate Kevin Korozman. Korozman has been allowed to trial elsewhere, despite bagging a brace in a trial game with the U16s, but Polgar showed enough to earn a permanent deal. It displays the new, more refined, attitude towards signings Liverpool are trying to bring in. The quality of local players is improving with better coaching at young ages and so the foreign players brought in need to be exceptional to interest Liverpool at all.
Polgar has represented Hungary at U17 level and recently started both games as Hungary drew 0-0 and won 2-0 in a double header series against Malta U19s in February.
The fair haired defender also continues a growing trend within the Liverpool Academy… he is a Man Utd fan. Many have described this as ‘disturbing’ but it’s simply a fact of modern football that players scarcely play for their preferred clubs; it’s a professional game and it is hardly bucking a trend. In reality, the fact Liverpool can attract United fans from the Manchester area, as well as across Europe, shows just how highly Liverpool’s development system is now rated. A few years ago Liverpool had Scott Wootton and Liam Jacob taken away to Manchester, now Liverpool are the ones taking highly rated talent with 15 year old full back Sam Hart the latest defector.
Big things are expected of Polgar, he will initially join the club at the end of the season and should go straight into the U18 set up competing with the likes of Tom Brewitt, Niall Heaton and Daniel Cleary for a starting position.
Interview with Inglethorpe, McParland and Borrell. Didn't see this when I did a search in the forum; apologies if this is a re-post.
http://www.thisisanfield.com/2013/03/academy-interview-inglethorpe-mcparland-and-borrell/
Academy Interview – Inglethorpe, McParland and Borrell
By Michael Sweeting on March 22, 2013
It doesn’t immediately strike you as the obvious site for one of Europe’s finest football academies. It isn’t sprawling luxuriously across the foothills of the Catalonian Mountains, nor is it the picturesque city base of De Toekomst in Amsterdam. Instead the next generation of Liverpool players are emerging on the edge of the city, in a disused industrial estate just off the M57.
Even in its very location the Academy embodies the working class spirit the club are desperate to drill into each and every player to pull on a Liverpool shirt.
The impression of the Kirkby Academy as a run-down facility is, to be honest, unfair of me. While the area around is not the most aesthetically pleasing, the Academy itself is actually one of the most modern in the country. The long driveway leads up to the flagship Pitch 1 where the U21s and U18 teams are broadcast live on a weekly basis. Head right from there and you find yourself walking towards the iconic main building; all of a sudden you realise you have entered a rather special place.
A couple of U10s run past on the stairs, then Ryan McLaughlin strolls through the main entrance, stopping to say hello to the youngsters before he shouts over to Jordon Ibe and Lloyd Jones who move away with him to the canteen. The U10s don’t stand in awe of their superiors, they see them every day and talk to them every day, in fact they tell a joke to the receptionist and scamper off to the changing rooms.
It is this normalisation of the experience of being around big names and famous faces that has got the owners, the Academy staff and in particular Brendan Rodgers desperate to get the whole club onto the one training base. The Kirkby Academy, which has the ability to expand into the wasteland surrounding it, would be that base.
“The manager wants it. That’s for sure. The owners would like it.”
“It would be great for our kids to be close with the first team… it would be fantastic for us to do it”
“We’re not going to do it tomorrow, that’s for sure, but I know everyone would like it to happen.”
“In a perfect world, we would love it”
Academy director Frank McParland is speaking at a so-called ‘Fans Briefing’. Liverpool invite representatives from Liverpool’s major supporters websites to come in and ask questions to the club staff. It’s another sign of the increasingly positive relationship between supporter and club. Far from being dismissive of supporter opinions we were given an hour and allowed to ask at least one question each. These were answered with enthusiasm and surprising openness by one of either Frank McParland, Rodolfo Borrell or Alex Inglethorpe. Youth team football is usually difficult to find information on so to hear such discussion was not only rare but extremely reassuring and refreshing. There is nothing to hide here, these three men are proud of the job they are doing.
When I brought up a subject that had been nagging away at me for a while, McParland hesitated before giving an assured answer. I wanted to know why signings at youth team level had slowed this season; whether it was a policy to keep the group small or if the number of changes over the summer had delayed potential deals.
“The recruitment has pretty much stayed the same at the Academy” answered Frank McParland.
“I’d say it’s actually harder signing players now. When we first came, virtually every player we brought on trial we wanted to sign them. The level has really improved a lot now”
“We’ll bring people in and we won’t always sign them now”
“We are looking for top players now and I think in the past, while we haven’t been signing players to fulfil fixtures, we’ve never done that, but we have signed ones who would help the other ones.”
“We feel as if the groups are good and they only need tinkering with”
“We just signed a Hungarian schoolboy [Kristof Polgar] who came in on trial and he did really well.”
It was good to hear that the structure and idea of the youth recruitment hadn’t changed but I still believe there is more to the question. Funding levels don’t appear to have been cut by any significant amount, but Liverpool have now started to look again at new signings with Daniel Carr coming in on trial and the club reusing the MTK links to bring in Hungarian youngster Kristof Polgar. A signing confirmed by McParland at the Bloggers Briefing.
Encouragingly, all three men spoke glowingly about several players and revealed that Rodgers regularly asks about the progress of Jack Dunn and Jerome Sinclair in particular. Inglethorpe was clearly impressed with how Teixeira has progressed and developed; interestingly highlighting some of the major problems foreign footballers have when they come to the country that perhaps fans sometimes don’t appreciate.
“He’s a really interesting character… it was a big decision for him to leave [Sporting Lisbon].”
“For a young kid to come over; not speak the language and adapt to food without family, without friends – and the weather… you can understand how hard it’s going to be” said Inglethorpe.
“The manager likes him… in recent weeks he’s the most eye-catching”.
Borrell, who has overcome the problems of being a foreigner in England and now considers Merseyside his home, gave a firm position on how players such as Teixeira must approach the challenge of living in a new country.
“The first thing I say to a foreign player when is coming, is the same that I try to apply for myself. That is… it is us who are coming here. It is us who need to adapt here.”
“Yeah we have talent or things that might be good for here but we have to adapt to a country, we have to adapt to this type of society.”
Interestingly, Alex Inglethorpe revealed that some of the injured players were entering the thinking of first team manager Brendan Rodgers just before they suffered long term injuries.
“The ones who got injured, ironically, as well like young Brad [Smith]… just when he got injured was at the time when you’d earmark him as a real potential talent. Same with Samed Yesil and Marc Pelosi”
One question brought up Jamie Carragher, and his potential future role. Disappointingly it didn’t sound like he had discussed an Academy role but there were hints he could have plans in first team coaching or even coaching away from the club.
“You won’t miss him until he’s gone… He’s been a magnificent servant to the club”
“We’d love him to be involved. If he wanted to do something with us, we would find something”
“I think maybe the manager’s got plans or whatever. I don’t know what he’s going to do”
The hour was up and Borrell, Inglethorpe and McParland all took a moment to come round the room and shake everyone’s hand. By this point the three of them had got themselves so animated in talking about the Academy that they couldn’t help but have another quick chat.
I’ve been to press days at Anfield. They are amazing; heard Sami Hyypia and Brendan Rodgers speak, walked past Jamie Carragher in the corridors but the Academy was the first place I’ve been to that has felt truly like it carries to spirit of Liverpool. Perhaps morbid reality of our league position has set in at first team level, or the influx of billionaires and businessmen has damaged the overall spirit but the Kirkby Academy was the first place I’ve been to and first time I’ve felt a distinguishable ‘This is Liverpool’ atmosphere. It buzzes with enthusiasm, friendliness and respect.
The heart of Liverpool Football Club is no longer at Melwood or Anfield; it is in Kirkby. The sooner the first team is there too, the better.
http://www.thisisanfield.com/2013/03/academy-interview-inglethorpe-mcparland-and-borrell/
Academy Interview – Inglethorpe, McParland and Borrell
By Michael Sweeting on March 22, 2013
It doesn’t immediately strike you as the obvious site for one of Europe’s finest football academies. It isn’t sprawling luxuriously across the foothills of the Catalonian Mountains, nor is it the picturesque city base of De Toekomst in Amsterdam. Instead the next generation of Liverpool players are emerging on the edge of the city, in a disused industrial estate just off the M57.
Even in its very location the Academy embodies the working class spirit the club are desperate to drill into each and every player to pull on a Liverpool shirt.
The impression of the Kirkby Academy as a run-down facility is, to be honest, unfair of me. While the area around is not the most aesthetically pleasing, the Academy itself is actually one of the most modern in the country. The long driveway leads up to the flagship Pitch 1 where the U21s and U18 teams are broadcast live on a weekly basis. Head right from there and you find yourself walking towards the iconic main building; all of a sudden you realise you have entered a rather special place.
A couple of U10s run past on the stairs, then Ryan McLaughlin strolls through the main entrance, stopping to say hello to the youngsters before he shouts over to Jordon Ibe and Lloyd Jones who move away with him to the canteen. The U10s don’t stand in awe of their superiors, they see them every day and talk to them every day, in fact they tell a joke to the receptionist and scamper off to the changing rooms.
It is this normalisation of the experience of being around big names and famous faces that has got the owners, the Academy staff and in particular Brendan Rodgers desperate to get the whole club onto the one training base. The Kirkby Academy, which has the ability to expand into the wasteland surrounding it, would be that base.
“The manager wants it. That’s for sure. The owners would like it.”
“It would be great for our kids to be close with the first team… it would be fantastic for us to do it”
“We’re not going to do it tomorrow, that’s for sure, but I know everyone would like it to happen.”
“In a perfect world, we would love it”
Academy director Frank McParland is speaking at a so-called ‘Fans Briefing’. Liverpool invite representatives from Liverpool’s major supporters websites to come in and ask questions to the club staff. It’s another sign of the increasingly positive relationship between supporter and club. Far from being dismissive of supporter opinions we were given an hour and allowed to ask at least one question each. These were answered with enthusiasm and surprising openness by one of either Frank McParland, Rodolfo Borrell or Alex Inglethorpe. Youth team football is usually difficult to find information on so to hear such discussion was not only rare but extremely reassuring and refreshing. There is nothing to hide here, these three men are proud of the job they are doing.
When I brought up a subject that had been nagging away at me for a while, McParland hesitated before giving an assured answer. I wanted to know why signings at youth team level had slowed this season; whether it was a policy to keep the group small or if the number of changes over the summer had delayed potential deals.
“The recruitment has pretty much stayed the same at the Academy” answered Frank McParland.
“I’d say it’s actually harder signing players now. When we first came, virtually every player we brought on trial we wanted to sign them. The level has really improved a lot now”
“We’ll bring people in and we won’t always sign them now”
“We are looking for top players now and I think in the past, while we haven’t been signing players to fulfil fixtures, we’ve never done that, but we have signed ones who would help the other ones.”
“We feel as if the groups are good and they only need tinkering with”
“We just signed a Hungarian schoolboy [Kristof Polgar] who came in on trial and he did really well.”
It was good to hear that the structure and idea of the youth recruitment hadn’t changed but I still believe there is more to the question. Funding levels don’t appear to have been cut by any significant amount, but Liverpool have now started to look again at new signings with Daniel Carr coming in on trial and the club reusing the MTK links to bring in Hungarian youngster Kristof Polgar. A signing confirmed by McParland at the Bloggers Briefing.
Encouragingly, all three men spoke glowingly about several players and revealed that Rodgers regularly asks about the progress of Jack Dunn and Jerome Sinclair in particular. Inglethorpe was clearly impressed with how Teixeira has progressed and developed; interestingly highlighting some of the major problems foreign footballers have when they come to the country that perhaps fans sometimes don’t appreciate.
“He’s a really interesting character… it was a big decision for him to leave [Sporting Lisbon].”
“For a young kid to come over; not speak the language and adapt to food without family, without friends – and the weather… you can understand how hard it’s going to be” said Inglethorpe.
“The manager likes him… in recent weeks he’s the most eye-catching”.
Borrell, who has overcome the problems of being a foreigner in England and now considers Merseyside his home, gave a firm position on how players such as Teixeira must approach the challenge of living in a new country.
“The first thing I say to a foreign player when is coming, is the same that I try to apply for myself. That is… it is us who are coming here. It is us who need to adapt here.”
“Yeah we have talent or things that might be good for here but we have to adapt to a country, we have to adapt to this type of society.”
Interestingly, Alex Inglethorpe revealed that some of the injured players were entering the thinking of first team manager Brendan Rodgers just before they suffered long term injuries.
“The ones who got injured, ironically, as well like young Brad [Smith]… just when he got injured was at the time when you’d earmark him as a real potential talent. Same with Samed Yesil and Marc Pelosi”
One question brought up Jamie Carragher, and his potential future role. Disappointingly it didn’t sound like he had discussed an Academy role but there were hints he could have plans in first team coaching or even coaching away from the club.
“You won’t miss him until he’s gone… He’s been a magnificent servant to the club”
“We’d love him to be involved. If he wanted to do something with us, we would find something”
“I think maybe the manager’s got plans or whatever. I don’t know what he’s going to do”
The hour was up and Borrell, Inglethorpe and McParland all took a moment to come round the room and shake everyone’s hand. By this point the three of them had got themselves so animated in talking about the Academy that they couldn’t help but have another quick chat.
I’ve been to press days at Anfield. They are amazing; heard Sami Hyypia and Brendan Rodgers speak, walked past Jamie Carragher in the corridors but the Academy was the first place I’ve been to that has felt truly like it carries to spirit of Liverpool. Perhaps morbid reality of our league position has set in at first team level, or the influx of billionaires and businessmen has damaged the overall spirit but the Kirkby Academy was the first place I’ve been to and first time I’ve felt a distinguishable ‘This is Liverpool’ atmosphere. It buzzes with enthusiasm, friendliness and respect.
The heart of Liverpool Football Club is no longer at Melwood or Anfield; it is in Kirkby. The sooner the first team is there too, the better.
After a slow start, we've looked very threatening in the last 5 to 10 minutes or so with a couple of good chances.
Neat Carra-esque recovery tackle by Lussey against a Chelsea breakaway attack. Could've been the game's opening goal there.
Post on one end saves us, and then post on the other end denies us.
Ends 0-2; both goals coming in the final 10 minutes of regulation, scored by Kiwomya. First goal took a lucky ricochet off Rossiter in the setup, but the second one was quality finishing into the far bottom corner after we committed forward to get the equalizer (sounds familiar). They were the better team overall, played good, crisp passes throughout the game and I'd say on the balance of play, deserved the win more. Going to be hard to overturn that result in the return leg.
LFC v West Brom under 21s on now. To be honest I'm slightly distracted by the promise of mindless violence in
the Newcastle v Sunderland game, but:
Team: Gulacsi, Flanagan, Wisdom, Sama, Roddan, Teixeira, Coady, Nacho, Suso, Morgan, Adorjan, Subs: Ward, Baio, Mukendi.
the Newcastle v Sunderland game, but:
Team: Gulacsi, Flanagan, Wisdom, Sama, Roddan, Teixeira, Coady, Nacho, Suso, Morgan, Adorjan, Subs: Ward, Baio, Mukendi.
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