Liverpool legend Gary Gillespie has hailed the talent of Liverpool reserve-team striker Adam Morgan, comparing him to goal-poacher extraordinaire John Aldridge.
Gillespie played alongside Aldridge in the 1980s, so he's well qualified to make such a lofty comparison:
"I've likened him [Morgan] to John Aldridge more than anyone else I've seen. When balls come into the box he seems to be there. He's predatory, and that's what you've got to be as a striker.
"Every time I've watched him, whether it's live or on TV, he's always in and around the area where it matters, and that's the 18 yard box to score goals. As a striker, that's a great trait to have, and he looks as if he's got it".
Morgan is not just a goal-poacher though; he has other qualities to his game:
"There's other things to his game too; he's got two good feet; his workrate is pretty good; he'll run the channels for you and close people down".
Is it time to give Morgan a taste of first-team action? Gillespie erred on the side of caution:
"It's probably too early right now, but we could do worse than throwing him into the team and giving him a chance".
Michael Owen was only 17 when he made his first-team debut for Liverpool, and that didn't turn out too badly. There seems to be undue caution these days over giving the youngest players a shot at first team action, but if they're good enough, they're old enough, and Morgan is arguably good enough to be given a chance.
Jaimie Kanwar
Gillespie played alongside Aldridge in the 1980s, so he's well qualified to make such a lofty comparison:
"I've likened him [Morgan] to John Aldridge more than anyone else I've seen. When balls come into the box he seems to be there. He's predatory, and that's what you've got to be as a striker.
"Every time I've watched him, whether it's live or on TV, he's always in and around the area where it matters, and that's the 18 yard box to score goals. As a striker, that's a great trait to have, and he looks as if he's got it".
Morgan is not just a goal-poacher though; he has other qualities to his game:
"There's other things to his game too; he's got two good feet; his workrate is pretty good; he'll run the channels for you and close people down".
Is it time to give Morgan a taste of first-team action? Gillespie erred on the side of caution:
"It's probably too early right now, but we could do worse than throwing him into the team and giving him a chance".
Michael Owen was only 17 when he made his first-team debut for Liverpool, and that didn't turn out too badly. There seems to be undue caution these days over giving the youngest players a shot at first team action, but if they're good enough, they're old enough, and Morgan is arguably good enough to be given a chance.
Jaimie Kanwar
Nemeth was a better striker and never given a chance, and I can remember Mellor banging in the goals in the reserves too.
ReplyDeleteSuso, Pacheco, Coady, Ngoo & Sterling have shown star quality in recent times in the reserves, but instead Robinson, Flanagan and Spearing are the ones that have been selected to make the step up. The way that we manage our youth just doesn't make any sense sometimes.
Eitherways, I would give some of the attacking talent in the reserves a chance to step up and freshen up the first team whenever the opportunity arises - as soon as a kids good form coincides with the poor form of a senior player, then swap them around. The kids are never going to prove that they're good enough by just sticking around rotting in the reserves for years. Likewise some of our senior players have already proven that they're not now and never will be good enough to lead LFC where we (supposedly) want to get to
The issue is with blooding young players too early when their body's not ready for it. You give Michael Owen as an example but look what has happened to him.
ReplyDeleteJaimie, is it true you promised to make a £500 donation to Hillsborough charity but are now refusing?
ReplyDeletewww.twitter.com/t0m0h1cks
The current crop of reserve players do seem to be better with many players tipped to make the grade. I understand sometimes it is not the players we expect to come through hence the likes of Flanagan and Robinson. They are 2 players who where given a runout in exceptional circumstances. We seem reluctant to give youth a chance sometimes instead persisting with 2nd rate players like Ngog when maybe Pacheco or Eccleston could have done a job. I am old enough to remember other young players signed as the next best thing but never really making it big. Anyone remember Alun Evans signed by Shanks as the then most expensive Teenager (110,000) I think he played about 80 games before being moved on to Villa where he made 60 ish appearances and then Walsall (80ish) and then somewhere in Australia where he made it big !!! Then there was the Kid we signed from Oldham another record signing for a teen (250k) Wayne Harrison,never made a first team appearance.
ReplyDeleteit must be really difficult and you probably require a good slice of luck as a manager or coach to pitch it just right like we did with Owen and Fowler. or even dare I say Man. Ure. when they pitched Scholes,Giggs,Beckham and the nevilles in at a very early age.
Owen's injuries are absolutely nothing to do with starting too young
ReplyDeleteI agree completely, in fact I recently called for Sterling and Morgan to be given a run out
ReplyDeleteHopefully Kenny follows through with threat to play a young team vs Chelsea in Carling Cup and Morgan gets his chance on big stage
I think we've made mistakes with a lot of our youth strikers and offensive players. It pains me to talk about united but if you watch what Fergie does he either sends them on near the end of games when United are coasting so there is no expectation, or sends them on loan. That way their mistakes or misses won't matter quite so much as say, starting them against a prem team an they miss a few chances, then their confidence is shot to pieces. A classic example is Ngog, because he was our number one striker for a while and number two aswell, the weight of expectation was massive and he wasn't up to the task. Maybe if he went on loan to a lower league club an banged them in there, and then to another premiership club and then kept coming off the bench for us, then fans would have been more patient with him. But instead he was starting every game and simply not good enough to start so he didn't stand a chance. Maybe a bit like Fergie did with Campbell and Welbeck. Then he would have been given a chance-Welbeck, or sold-Campbell. I think this is like what Kenny is doing with Shelvey. Whereas defenders or defence players, they give te ball away or miss a tackle, they can usually make up for it, so it's a bit easier with Flanagan, Kelly and Robinson to blood them in, especially with another 3 defenders alongside them.
ReplyDeleteApologies if I rambled or didn't make my point clear enough but I find it difficult on my iPhone, lol.
ReplyDeleteMade it big in Australia????? bwaaaaaaaaahahahahaha yeah sure....
ReplyDeletePlaying all of the reserves together against more experienced teams (a la last years Europa League campaign) is little better for developing them than just leaving them in the reserves imo...
ReplyDeleteAdam has the potential to further develop himself in a true Liverpool player but Lucas is a failure in the team and one of the reason why Liverpool is in a stalemate now.
ReplyDeleteYeah, nice one. Cos THAT'S not random.
ReplyDeleteWhat a load of rubbish....Lucas is almost a certainty for the team sheet every match and has been for a while now. There are players that are not doing their job or the team this season. Lucas is not one of them.
ReplyDeleteDoes this new lad Morgan have any kind of right foot or does he only use it to stand on. I don't understand how kids can come through academies and be so one-footed.
ReplyDeleteI agree what happened to the brilliant Nemeth ? Too many are allowed to drift away Liverpool may have to be a talent factory in the future but these kids get sold on for fees which barely cover Liverpool's investment in them
ReplyDeleteIt's not necessary to be two-footed ..... just look at Gerrard and Suarez or even Torres back then .... they all shoot with their right foot most of the time and when they use their left foot it's either a pretty weak shot or off target ..... but they are nonetheless world class players !!!!
ReplyDeleteThere are far more important traits and abilities to work on while in the academy ..... a player being two-footed is just a bonus.
Nemeth got injured..... and loaned back to his country..
ReplyDeleteI remember a Bergkamp interview and he said that the Dutch youth players get forced to dribble,pass,shoot etc with their other foot as part of their training. It doesn't make you 2 footed, but at least you can use either.
ReplyDeleteYou are a serial troll mate, constantly slating Lucas (LFC player of the year last season), if you cannot see what Lucas bring to the team you dont know much about football in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI think Morgan is showing he is a goal poacher from what i have seen of him and the amount of chances we are creating but not finishing at the moment could be the ideal platform for him to be introduced. We need a finisher to be 'in the right place at the right time' as this is what we have lacked this season. We should give some of these youngsters ago against the smaller teams.
Do you just go throught all the lfc sites and blame lucas for every thing lfc dont score lucas lfc concede lucas lfc win 6-0 but its a bit cold lucas
ReplyDeleteGarys right, obviously we cannot go out and spend silly money like City or until we get into the CL. Worth a gamble bringing in players like Morgan, Sterling and Suso etc who I've been watching this season and considering their age, have the potential. I'm sure Kenny's got them in the back of his mind and it will be a matter of time, if some of our senior players do not start to raise their game. The way we spoon feed some of our average players, really frustrates me, we need young players with desire and good footballing brains who can cope with the english PL and set an example for some of our senior players. If you are good enough you play with no fear, just look at the Jack Wilshere...outstanding talent.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool use to have a reputation of bringing through top young players....Mcmanaman (legend) Fowler (legend) Carragher (Legend) Owen...
Personally my idol was Mcmanaman and Barnes who could dribble round players for fun and just took the piss out of the opposing defence. I wonder if or when we will be able to talk about another legendary winger!!! David Silva would have been possibly one, but the f****** yanks never let that happen!!
Have you ever watched Adam Morgan play mate?? if you haven't then stop making bold statements. I've watched Morgan play on countless occasions and he is not good enough. If Kenny brings him into the first team then I'm afraid this will confirm Dalglish is not the man for us. Adam Morgan will never be good enough at premiership level. Mark my words.
ReplyDeleteFrom the current crop of academy players only Sterling has the potential.