No games won and no points on the table, this has been a dismal start to the season for Liverpool's reserves team.  Or, rather, that  would be conclusion if you fail to look at the most significant column, that for games played, the one that shows that this week's defeat at Newcastle was only their second game of the season.

Ten weeks into the 2011/12 season and they've played only two games.  It is a fact that is so astounding that it bears repeating.

If it weren't for the involvement in the NextGen series, these players would have spent virtually all of the past three months training.  This at a crucial stage of their career when they need games in order to progress.  It is a ridiculous and frustration situation, one that has been dragging on for a long number of years which would indicate a lack of desire to do anything to fix it.

Rather than fostered, players' development is being stunted.

The current bandwagon seems to dictates looking at Barcelona as the standard bearers for what is good about football.  This, therefore, might easily seem like a lazy comparison but it has to be pointed out that Barcelona and Real Madrid's second teams have played eight games and this despite their leagues staring almost a month after the English does.  Is there anyone willing to look and listen to this, though?