Youth Cup Final Highlights Wrong Mentality
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Men against boys. A strange way to describe the FA Youth Cup final but that is how it seemed as Liverpool's U18 were outplayed by Arsenal in the 4-1 first leg defeat.
The relative ease with which Arsenal racked up that victory leaves very little hope for today's second leg. And it seems to have killed off much of the hype surrounding Liverpool's current batch of hopefuls.
Indeed, if you look around any one of the major forums you will come across a thread discussing this game. Only that by discussing I mean trashing the players.
Joe Kennedy and Daniel Ayala are both crap, apparently. Dean Bouzanis is mediocre and Adam Wisdom can't pass the ball. That, at least, is some of the wisdom you would get by reading these threads.
Given, Liverpool didn't play well enough on the night. Yet they were up against what is undoubtedly the finest youth side in the country and they were doing so without a vital player like Adam Pepper. Good enough reasons, in my opinion, to cut them some slack.
Yet not many seems to think the same way, given the criticism. The irony is that some of those criticisng the quality of the players are also among those critical o Benitez's lack of faith in young players.
One can only imagine the pressure that there would be on any young player given a chance and what sort of criticism he would come under should not everything go his way.
In reality, there's no need to imagine: you only have to look at how a misplaced pass by Lucas is treated or how the introduction of David N'Gog was met earlier in the season
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6 comments:
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although i agree most people are to quick to criticize you have got to question the quality of these players when you seeing man united produce players like = marcheda , welbeck , gibson , rafeal and others
while the liverpool youth system leaves a lot to be desired compared to these names. the liverpool youth players to near the real squade are = el zhar , spearing ,insua ,darby ,ngog
I went to the game so saw it live and it was not men v boys but more of a tale of Wenger's tactics being spread throughout the whole club i.e. all of their players were lighting fast, particularly the strikers and left winger and had great movement off the ball.
This pace was the great difference as our two slowest players were at centre half and it was a complete mis-match with every ball down the channel leading to major problems, but the lack of protection in front of the back four, with the two holding players in the 4 2 3 1 formation (Irwin and Wisdom) going missing time and again.
At the top level pace is essential in 99% of players and at this level there was a major lack of pace in the team, particularly at centre half
I watched the game and it is true that we were outclassed. But it's also true to say that a number of the players had an off-day. From Della to Ince to the lads at the back, apart from the goalie who seemed ok.
We shouldn't forget they actually made the final, which in turn suggests other players are not as good. Hope the (young) lads can put in a better performance tonight and that David Amoo continues to shine like he did the other night.
Sometimes you wonder whether critics of the team are honest ones or simply people that live in an eternal world of black and white, right and wrong. God-forbid 'adults' with any children trying their best to make their way in life. Crikey!
Thanks for a bit of common sense. History shows that only a very few youth team players can ever make the grade in any Premiership Club. In the last 10-15 years at LFC who made it - Owen, Carragher, Gerrard - who else ?
Where I am disappointed though is that we persist with some players who clearly cannot make the grade because of a complete lack of pace - an absolute prerequiste in modern football. I'm afraid Joe Kennedy and Steve Irwin for example come into this category.
However it's not fair to single out young players for criticism if they are trying their best. On the other hand young Wisdom, Bruchtmann and Amoo look to have pace, power, and ability.
From watching a lot of our young players this season we do have some very talented youngsters and I hope the changes now taking place at the Academy will give them a better chance of making it.
Maybe Bruchtmann, Amoo, Ince, Wisdon and Pepper have a very good chance. Maybe Bouzanis. Dal Valle needs to play well tonight to resurrect the hype surrounding him - he seemed overawed and out of his depth on Friday - but his support was non-existent.
The lads a year older have some real talent - Spearing, Darby, Nemeth, Pacheco, Plessis - to name a few.
I'm hoping for a better team set-up tonight - Friday's tactics were woeful. I would hope Rafa has an input because it needs his nous to counter the Arsenal style. But to be fair Arsenal are a superb team who would beat anyone.
Liverpool fans in general are too quick to criticise.
Yes the reds youth team did not do themselves justice..but anyone who has actually watched these boys all season and not just one game in London will tell you that some of this youth side have bags of potential and Liverpool fans should do what there famous for and stick with the lads!!
Arsenal are unbeaten all season and I believe that record will be broken tonight!!
Come on Reds!!
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