LAST season’s FA Youth Cup final will be used as a spur as Liverpool Youth team look to turn around a first-leg deficit against Manchester United at Old Trafford tonight (kick-off 7.45pm).
When Liverpool won the trophy 12 months ago they held what looked like an unassailable three-goal first-leg lead. And, though, they held on to secure the trophy for only the second time in the club’s history, Manchester City’s 2-0 win that night shows having a lead can sometimes lead to complacency.
There was enough in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup final at Anfield to think Liverpool can turn around that 2-1 deficit against City’s Manchester neighbours United.
Coaches John Owens and Steve Heighway will reminding their side of that.
Owens said: “Last year’s final is the perfect example. We didn’t start well and City got up a head of steam. And it was very difficult to change the mindset of players, particularly young players, who are playing under that kind of pressure. We held on then, but we are hoping for that but the other way around obviously.”
And despite the first-leg defeat Liverpool will go into the match confident they were more than a match for United last week and can be again tonight.
Owens added: “We feel very positive. Obviously if you look at the kind of goals they got – an own goal and a penalty – they all count and it was won they had their good spell in the second half after we had done well in the first. It was a close game and we always felt it would be. But the plan wasn’t to lose the first game, but we now have to respond to that. And knowing the type of lads they are I’m sure they will.
“It will be a very good game I’m sure. The last one was a very good game of football. A good advert for Academy football. I was pleased with the level of play and the kind of game it was. Obviously the result could have been better, but we are really confident that we can put that right on Thursday.”
Owens also believes the big wide pitch at Old Trafford can help his side, with Liverpool’s man of the match from the first leg, Ray Putterill, likely to be a key performer to their hopes of victory.
Owens said: “It is such a big pitch that the team in possession of the ball will have the best chance. Ball retention is going to be very important. We will be looking to make use of the spaces and obviously try and close down the Man United players when they have the ball, to deny them the use of that space.
“Ray Putterill played well and Jimmy Ryan, Craig Lindfield and Ryan Flynn have all been getting goals during the competition. But we haven’t been that prolific, whether it is the Saturday team, the Youth team or the reserves, over the season. The only game was the Newcastle semi-final, but other than that we haven’t been a big scoring team.
“But it will be a tight game, I don’t think it will be high-scoring. But we have to get goals, we have to attack them. Not in a silly way, because we don’t want to leave gaps for them to counterattack us. They are the ones who can leave us with the pressure of having to score.
"But sometimes particularly with young teams, that thing is something that can swing it. Who knows if their players do start to think negatively about defending their lead, it might give us the chance to push on more. Anything happens in Youth games. When you are coaching on the side it is hard to change it. We just hope to get the lads in the right frame of mind to start the match and try and get the job done in 90 minutes or extra-time.”
Liverpool welcome back Swedish youth international midfielder Astrit Adjarevic tonight following his suspension for a red card in the semi-final victory against Newcastle. The Kosovan-born Croatian, who plays for Sweden, has made a big impression since his arrival from Swedish second division side Falkenbergs at the start of the year.
The 16-year-old played for more than an hour of last Saturday’s 4-3 FA Premier Academy League victory over Newcastle and Owens said: “Astrit is back and available. He needed a game, so he was involved against Newcastle on Saturday.
“He has done well for us since he came to the club and we can now mix it around a bit. He is in good form.”
LIVERPOOL YOUTH (from): Hansen, Darby, Burns, Spearing, Threlfall, Barnett, Ryan, Adjarevic, Flynn, Lindfield, Woodward, Wignall, Roberts, Gaughan, Pringle, Behan, Ecclestone, Awang, Collins, Routledge.
CLICKY - Daily Post
When Liverpool won the trophy 12 months ago they held what looked like an unassailable three-goal first-leg lead. And, though, they held on to secure the trophy for only the second time in the club’s history, Manchester City’s 2-0 win that night shows having a lead can sometimes lead to complacency.
There was enough in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup final at Anfield to think Liverpool can turn around that 2-1 deficit against City’s Manchester neighbours United.
Coaches John Owens and Steve Heighway will reminding their side of that.
Owens said: “Last year’s final is the perfect example. We didn’t start well and City got up a head of steam. And it was very difficult to change the mindset of players, particularly young players, who are playing under that kind of pressure. We held on then, but we are hoping for that but the other way around obviously.”
And despite the first-leg defeat Liverpool will go into the match confident they were more than a match for United last week and can be again tonight.
Owens added: “We feel very positive. Obviously if you look at the kind of goals they got – an own goal and a penalty – they all count and it was won they had their good spell in the second half after we had done well in the first. It was a close game and we always felt it would be. But the plan wasn’t to lose the first game, but we now have to respond to that. And knowing the type of lads they are I’m sure they will.
“It will be a very good game I’m sure. The last one was a very good game of football. A good advert for Academy football. I was pleased with the level of play and the kind of game it was. Obviously the result could have been better, but we are really confident that we can put that right on Thursday.”
Owens also believes the big wide pitch at Old Trafford can help his side, with Liverpool’s man of the match from the first leg, Ray Putterill, likely to be a key performer to their hopes of victory.
Owens said: “It is such a big pitch that the team in possession of the ball will have the best chance. Ball retention is going to be very important. We will be looking to make use of the spaces and obviously try and close down the Man United players when they have the ball, to deny them the use of that space.
“Ray Putterill played well and Jimmy Ryan, Craig Lindfield and Ryan Flynn have all been getting goals during the competition. But we haven’t been that prolific, whether it is the Saturday team, the Youth team or the reserves, over the season. The only game was the Newcastle semi-final, but other than that we haven’t been a big scoring team.
“But it will be a tight game, I don’t think it will be high-scoring. But we have to get goals, we have to attack them. Not in a silly way, because we don’t want to leave gaps for them to counterattack us. They are the ones who can leave us with the pressure of having to score.
"But sometimes particularly with young teams, that thing is something that can swing it. Who knows if their players do start to think negatively about defending their lead, it might give us the chance to push on more. Anything happens in Youth games. When you are coaching on the side it is hard to change it. We just hope to get the lads in the right frame of mind to start the match and try and get the job done in 90 minutes or extra-time.”
Liverpool welcome back Swedish youth international midfielder Astrit Adjarevic tonight following his suspension for a red card in the semi-final victory against Newcastle. The Kosovan-born Croatian, who plays for Sweden, has made a big impression since his arrival from Swedish second division side Falkenbergs at the start of the year.
The 16-year-old played for more than an hour of last Saturday’s 4-3 FA Premier Academy League victory over Newcastle and Owens said: “Astrit is back and available. He needed a game, so he was involved against Newcastle on Saturday.
“He has done well for us since he came to the club and we can now mix it around a bit. He is in good form.”
LIVERPOOL YOUTH (from): Hansen, Darby, Burns, Spearing, Threlfall, Barnett, Ryan, Adjarevic, Flynn, Lindfield, Woodward, Wignall, Roberts, Gaughan, Pringle, Behan, Ecclestone, Awang, Collins, Routledge.
CLICKY - Daily Post
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