Liverpool FC Forum

by **Leonmc0708** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:35 pm

Managers need instant results. If someone makes one mistake they can well be out on their ear. Its cus of the money. Too much rides one every game these days.

They cant throw a kid in and give him a few games anymore. Too much at stake.

This is magnified by the fact that everything is on camera. Rafa has a video of every plyer in Europe in his office with at least an hours footage. What I mean by this is, a young talent may have gotten away with a few mistakes 10/15 years ago, but they wont now.

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:45 pm

Well if you look at it, our youth side won the FA Youth Cup last year, so they are doing something right. The main problem I have is that when Benitez does give these players a chance he seems to play them out of position. Peltier at right back, Guthrie right midfield and Potter before him at right midfield. These guys are all central midfielders. I really don't think that helps them at all particularly against a team likely to expose them.

Basically, we've still got an academy based on the old model, where we scour Merseyside for youngsters and then try to develop them from 11 year olds into players who are good enough to get into their local team. Sometimes, when we produce a world class player like Gerrard, Owen or Carragher this still works. The current finacial dominance of the English game means that this system is no longer going to produce the required results.

Also, in comparison, Arsenal's "youth" team is in reality nothing of the sort (at least in thetraditional sense). Wenger has set up a large scouting network and rather than develop their own players they are poaching players from other clubs as promising 16 or 17 year olds (Fabregas for example). Thus they have widened the net from one small region of England to a worldwide pool of players.

Rafa is ringing the changes and starting to do the same thing but it is far too early to expect results.

by **puroresu** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:57 pm

metalhead wrote:One question

Didn't UEFA propose a solution by registering local players into the squad for European competition (Obligatory)?

Its a silly proposal and wont work. Scotland has a system where clubs are forced to have 2 players under 21 in a match day squad. All these does is make players put youngsters on the bench having no desire to use them.

There isnt that much genuine quality coming through from the Prem clubs. Its not just Liverpool. The attitude from the very start is the problem and thats why the lack of technically gifted English players plain to see.

by **Red H** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:30 pm

This is going to be a bit controversial, but maybee Highway should move on from the Youth set up, and Rafa could appoint his own man. This is in no way a criticism of Highway, as I think he is an outstandingly talented and loyal servant. I just think Rafa should be able to control the whole set up. The reserve team seems to be run like a rival youth team at the moment, as in the case of the lad we've just signed from Ajax, or the young South Americans we've loaned/signed (?). In any case the results will take some time, and we must show patience. I think just one first team player a year breaking in the first team squad, and going on to play regularly would be a quite acceptable return.

by **PabloAimar** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:39 pm

micah richards played in last season's fa youth cup final where players like lindfield and anderson destroyed his team

by **dawson99** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:42 pm

Its like how maurihno complained that he had no defenders so had to use a makeshift pair who dont play that, but he could have played his youth.

we have been lucky enough this term not to need our youth players but it would have been ncie to have played players like anderson in the carling/fa cup

by **JC_81** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:00 pm

stmichael wrote:Well if you look at it, our youth side won the FA Youth Cup last year, so they are doing something right. The main problem I have is that when Benitez does give these players a chance he seems to play them out of position. Peltier at right back, Guthrie right midfield and Potter before him at right midfield. These guys are all central midfielders. I really don't think that helps them at all particularly against a team likely to expose them.

To an extent you're right there St Mike, but it didn't do Steven Gerrard any harm playing his first few first team games at right back.

If you're good enough, you'll break through, but for the current top 4 in the premiership you need to be exceptionally good. Exceptionally good players don't usually come through in bunches, so don't expect the academy to produce miracles.

I agree that current premiership bosses are too scared to rely on youngsters because there is so much riding on each game, but the fact is that on the rare occasions these guys get a chance, such as the Carling Cup for example, they have to take them. Peltier and Guthrie clearly struggled against Arsenal's kids when given the run out and I'll go out on a limb here and say neither of these guys will ever be first team regulars at Anfield. Players like Gerrard, Carra and Owen all showed glimpses even on their debuts of what they were capable of.

The harsh fact is that good homegrown talent is no longer certain to walk into a premiership side. Such is the standard of the premiership these days, the money involved and the amount of foreign imports, that most decent talent produced by premiership clubs will find their level in the Championship or below. Cr@p as it is for the young lads, flooding youth systems with world talent IS the way to go, if Arsenal's reserve and youth sides aren't testament to that then I don't know what is.

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