Reserves/Youth Teams thread 10/11

[RedReet]

realjohnaldo John Aldridge
stirling unmarkable in the 4.0 youth cup win souso also excellent,ngoo 2 goals at 6ft 6 better than crouch at 18 yrs of age

I do like big Ngoo I must say, really hope he makes it.

[RedReet]

The trouble for someone like Ngoo is that, similar to Peter Crouch, he will need games to learn how to use his frame against stronger, experienced defenders. It took Crouch a number of clubs to become the player he was even when he joined us (let alone the player Rafa helped him become). It will be interesting to see how he develops from here.

To be fair, Ngoo seems to have other attributes he can use to his advantage, he seems a lot stronger and more powerful than Crouch and he’s definitely a lot quicker.

I mentioned it in the Wickham thread, but I’d love to know what Wickham supposedly has that Ngoo doesn’t, so much so that it would be worth considering splashing £10m on him.

[Arn]

To be fair, Ngoo seems to have other attributes he can use to his advantage, he seems a lot stronger and more powerful than Crouch and he’s definitely a lot quicker.

I mentioned it in the Wickham thread, but I’d love to know what Wickham supposedly has that Ngoo doesn’t, so much so that it would be worth considering splashing £10m on him.

I would keep Ngoo and spend the money elsewhere. He is a bit like LLorente. Not as good as him of course, yet.

[Arn]

Liverpool finally set to sign Swedish hot shot Kristoffer Peterson months after trial

Liverpool are set to clinch a deal for highly-rated Swedish striker Kristoffer Peterson.

Sportsmail revealed the 16-year-old had a three-week trial at Anfield earlier in the year and is on the verge of completing his dream move from Savedalens IF.

Liverpool last night also signed Millwall’s 16-year-old goalkeeper Yousef Mercin.

He said in April: 'I am no longer just toying with the dream. It feels like the club really want to give me a chance.'

Clicky

[Drago]

That Hungarian lad seems to score quite a lot but there's never much buzz about him.

Anyone watch the under 18's have an opinion on him?

[SB]

Liverpool's academy boss sets first team target

Published 16:38 20/12/10 By MirrorFootball

Liverpool's academy technical manager Josep Segura is determined to find more young talent for the first team having seen an improvement in the quality of players in his charge.

Promotion through the ranks has become increasingly difficult at most Barclays Premier League clubs because of the need for instant results.

At Anfield former reserve team defender Martin Kelly has established himself in Roy Hodgson's senior squad this season, starting five Europa League matches and making three Premier League appearances.

But the path from the club's academy in Kirkby to the first team is not a well-trodden one, although former reserves captain Jay Spearing - currently recovering from an ankle injury - Dani Pacheco and Nathan Eccleston have made infrequent appearances in the current campaign.

Segura knows their main task at the academy is to provide better quality players who can cut it at the highest level.

"The most important thing for Liverpool is that these players aged 16, 17 and 18 years old go on to become professionals with this club," said the Spaniard, formerly an academy and B team coach at Barcelona.

"This is our target. It is clear that we must strive to produce great players to play for Liverpool for years to come and hopefully they can help us to win many trophies at first-team level.

"It is not an easy challenge for us but it is one that we must work hard to make a reality with every passing day."

Segura added on liverpoolfc.tv: "When I was at Barcelona we won the equivalent of the youth cup at under-18 level.

"Everyone was delighted and it is a great memory, but only five players went on to become professionals with the first team.

"I feel we have made good progress since I arrived here in the summer of 2009, the academy is growing and the level of our players is growing too.

"I said when I made the move here that the opportunity to work for such a great club was one I could not turn down.

"The aim is now to ensure that this great club is blessed with some of the best homegrown players of the future."

Hodgson has benefited from the progress some of the younger players have made, utilising them extensively as the club reached the last 32 of the Europa League.

He too knows there is a vast difference from making it into the first team squad and developing into an established member.

But their presence this season has allowed him to rest the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres for almost every Europa League match so far.

"It is a different kettle of fish having the courage and ability to go out and play at Anfield in front of 40,000 very expectant and optimistic fans," the Reds boss said.

"The happiest thing for me is we have done it (qualify for the knockout stage) and achieved results without bashing our more recognised players.

"Torres played in Utrecht - the only game he has played - and Gerrard played against Rabotnicki and a half against Napoli, but Raul Meireles, Maxi Rodriguez, Paul Konchesky and Glen Johnson have hardly played."


Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news...#ixzz18jCqLkZW

[BigChief]

That Hungarian lad seems to score quite a lot but there's never much buzz about him.

Anyone watch the under 18's have an opinion on him?

Kristian Adjoran. He's always looked a tidy player and is more involved in a game than, e.g., a Bruna. Also has a useful left foot and freekick. Maybe its just indicative of the talent we have that Adjoran's goals are going unnoticed. But goals at that level don't mean much as Ince and Eccleston used to score for fun at U-18.

He should progress to reserves soon, which is a better test.

[Shaggy]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12875_6605834,00.html

Liverpool have raided Millwall to sign teenage goalkeeper Yusuf Mersin for an undisclosed fee.

The 15-year-old has caught the eye of the Liverpool scouts and they have moved to bring him to Anfield.

Millwall chief executive Andy Ambler has admitted the offer from Liverpool was too good to turn down and that a number of other Premier League clubs were chasing Mersin before he made the switch to Anfield.

"This has been going on a long time and we have turned down lots of offers from Premier League clubs," Ambler told the South London Press.

"But we would find it very hard to compete with the financial clout of the top-six clubs. Liverpool have chipped away and have a lot of money to spend on rebuilding their youth team.

"The money will be reinvested in the youth set-up - and we would always try to get the best deal for the club in these circumstances."

Mersin becomes the second Lions youngster to join the Reds in recent years following David Amoo's switch back in 2007.

[Drago]

Kristian Adjoran. He's always looked a tidy player and is more involved in a game than, e.g., a Bruna. Also has a useful left foot and freekick. Maybe its just indicative of the talent we have that Adjoran's goals are going unnoticed. But goals at that level don't mean much as Ince and Eccleston used to score for fun at U-18.

He should progress to reserves soon, which is a better test.

Cheers.

Seems to be so much young talent at the club that it would be severely unlucky if at least one didn't become a good player for us.

[dww]

Surely some time on loan in the Championship could help that Dave ?

Possibly, I think the problem is finding the right club with good coaches. This year there are fewer really big teams and also fewer regimes where you can tell their coaching would be a big benefit. I guess short term just the game time would help.

To be fair, Ngoo seems to have other attributes he can use to his advantage, he seems a lot stronger and more powerful than Crouch and he’s definitely a lot quicker.

I mentioned it in the Wickham thread, but I’d love to know what Wickham supposedly has that Ngoo doesn’t, so much so that it would be worth considering splashing £10m on him.

Did you ever see Crouch against youth/reserve teams though? I agree Ngoo has some attributes Crouch doesn't but Crouch had a great attitude and that is key (not judging Ngoo rather saying we don't know that for sure about him). Jay Emmanuel Thomas at Arsenal looks amazing in the few reserve/youth game highlights I have seen but in his one first team appearance he did bugger all and he has only been decent on loan. Both he and Ngoo have time though clearly.

Not seen much of Wickham and he hasn't scored that many goals but when I have heard commentaries of Ipswich games he has been involved in a lot of the good things they do when on the pitch. Not sure anyone would pay £10m up front anyway. I agree though that I would rather we tried to develop what we had than risk big money on the likes of him.

[dww]

Why is he so ****ing obsessed with 'English lads'? Eccleston couldn't get in the reserve team cos he wasn't good enough. Of course it's nice to have a few local lads in there but ultimately who gives a ****. He talks about 'foreign lads who were never going to make the grade for Liverpool in a million years' - where are these English lads who are going to make it? Cos Eccleston certainly won't and Spearing hasn't. **** all these old school ex-players banging the English drum. I'm sick of it re Hodgson/managers, and I'm sick of it with young players.

[Shaggy]

Hungarian striker Andras Simon has left Liverpool after terminating his contract by mutual consent.

Simon, who enjoyed a spell on loan at Cordoba last season, has failed to make the breakthrough at Anfield and never made a senior appearance for the club.

The 20-year-old's agent, Viktor Kovesdi, claims Roy Hodgson's desire to promote homegrown talent at Anfield ahead of foreign players was the main reason for his departure.

"The player had a three plus two year-long contract which was extended automatically last summer, but his future became unclear after the change in manager at Liverpool," Kovesdi told origo.hu.

"The successor of Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson puts the English players to the forefront instead of the footballers from abroad.

"This approach can be seen at the reserves because some of Simon's team-mates from abroad have departed from the club lately" - the agent told www.origo.hu.

German side Alemannia Aachen are thought to be keen on signing Simon and have offered to take the player on trial.

[Reece]

Dammit you're quick

[Shaggy]

ADO Den Haag have completed the signing of Dutchman Jordy Brouwer from Liverpool.

The ex-RKC loanee has signed a contract until the middle of 2012 at the Kyocera Stadium following a successful trial period.

Liverpool had signed the young starlet from Ajax however he had been told that he was not needed at Anfield before being loaned out to RKC Waalwijk.

http://eredivisielife.footballunited.com/2011/01/06/ado-sign-brouwer-from-liverpool/#ixzz1AGpR9Hdg

[Reece]

Some good news at last.