30 Mar 2009

POLL: Who is most to blame for Liverpool FC's failing youth system?

Liverpool’s failing youth policy is quite rightly under the microscope at the moment, but who needs to shoulder the most responsibility for allowing a once successful system to stagnate?

In the last week, I've explored this issue at length HERE and HERE



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6 comments:

  1. Are you still talking shit Jamie Wankar?

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  2. I'm sorry, but it clearly states in the comment guidelines that you should use your imagination when hurling insults!

    Wankar? It's a constant source of amusement to me the way people always call me that as if it's the first time anyone has ever come up with it :-D

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  3. Football is changing, managers get secked or abuse for losing a few games so is it any wonder they dont take risks by letting youth players develope in the first team ?

    If Darby, Spearing or Hammill play poorly and Liverpool lose as a result will the crowd except this for player developement or will they be hypercritical and blame Rafa for not spending millions on the next star ?

    You cant have it both ways but under Rafa there is a nucleus of quality youth players who genuinely have a chance, Insua, Spearing, Darby, San Jose, Kelly, Huth, Nemeth, Pacheco, and both young keepers.

    Under Fergie, since the Beckham, Nevilles, Scholes, Brown and O'Shea era who has come through the youth system ? Anderson, D'Silva, Nani all brought to the club, and the remaining young players get the odd game similar to our young players.

    Under Wenger, most his young players have been bought to the club and his system has applied the finishing touches, despite the glorious youth of the cup teams how many will play ?

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  4. First of all. I think our first team squad is to big. It is harder for our young players to break through, in the sense, that they are not all messis or gerrards, some actually need to get time, and might show their talents later on. However, we cant expect LFC to stand still and wait for a new superstar, we have to play the best 11 at all times (by the way, I believe in rotation). However Benitez has shown that he is willing to put youngsters in the mix, even in the pl/ cl, and that is a good sign. The future looks bright guys. We have darby, nemeth, pacheco, spearing, kelly on the fringes. And players like amoo, dalla valle and eccleston ready to push in a few years. Real talent (Insua I consider a first team player already).

    The thing is that I believe Benitez will trim down his squad soon. His problem has been that he hasnt been able to go out and buy expensive for his first 16, and therby has brought in maybe to much cover in each position. Now that his top 16-18 is pretty set, he can remove the deadwood, and focus on trimming down the squad to size.
    We might see an exodus of young players leaving this summer, while the young crop of players get more streamlined for the task. As I said, I dont believe in a squad of 62, but the number also includes some players under 18, which are just getting their first taste of first team training methods, so we shouldnt pay to much attention to this.

    I think our squad will be down to around 50 at the end of the summer, when Benitez and his team have done their bit, then even more trimmed next summer... from then on its game on...

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  5. How can our squad be too big? Surely the more players Benitez has to pick from, the better are chances of finding a gem.

    There are now a few good players coming through, and thankfully Benitez has full control over the Youth Coaching - which has over the past decade just not been good enough.

    The market for good young footballers is incredibly fierce. If the players coming through had been good enough, they would have come through to the first team. Or they would have been poached by rival top clubs. Or gone on loan to other premiership clubs.

    This clearly has not happened.

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  6. Not this again - Jamie Kanwar is to blame? Why are you always looking for someone to blame? In the mid 80s the 'youth policy' didn't exactly produce too many superstars did it? Its very competitive out there and players will have the talent before they even get to the Academy so its not alone a blame game to any individual.

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