Last week, Liverpool youngster Jordon Ibe went on loan to Championship side Birmingham City, and it looks like the tricky winger is making an immediate impact at the West Midlands club.
After just one midweek training session, Ibe made his debut for Birmingham last Saturday, and played a crucial role in helping the club to a vital 2-1 away victory over Blackpool.
After the game, Birmingham boss Lee Clarke admitted that his club had done 'unbelievably well' to get Ibe, and revealed that he had to beat off 'so many other clubs' to land the LFC attacker. On Ibe's performance against Blackpool, Clarke enthused:
“I am so excited by Jordan and what he now gives us.
"We saw glimpses of his skill in his first training session with us and he showed a bit more in the game. He seems so confident in his own ability. He has great power and pace. He is a real asset.”
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has high-hopes for Ibe, and when asked about the youngster during his pre-Aston Villa press conference in January, Rodgers raved:
"Ibe has been outstanding in training. He's at a really good level; He's learning all the time, and he can be a great player for us in the future".
Liverpool legends John Aldridge and Jamie Carragher have also hyped-up Ibe. During a recent 5 Times Podcast recently, Aldo suggested that Raheem Sterling may have some major competition in the near future:
"Sterling has a challenge on now, and it should bring out the best in both of them. I’ve always liked him [Ibe]. He has blistering pace; directness; positivity; knows where the goal is, and can create".
Carra told the Daily Mail:
"Ibe is a fearless young winger, quick and strong with an eye for goal. He has done well, and I expect to be hearing a lot more about him".
Ibe and Sterling started together against Notts County in the Capital One Cup earlier this season, but in the Premier League, it's likely at some point - as Aldo suggests - that they'll be challenging each other for a first team spot.
Sterling continues to be one of LFC's most consistent players, and over the last few months, he's clearly worked hard to improve on his body strength, and all-round game. As such, Sterling is setting a great example for Ibe to follow, and if all goes well, the Reds could have another potent weapon in attack next season.
I just hope Ibe doesn't get ridiculously over-hyped. As the comment above show, the hype-machine is already in full swing, which is arguably irresponsible considering Ibe has, to date, played only 208 minutes of football in his entire senior career.
Author: Jaimie K
After just one midweek training session, Ibe made his debut for Birmingham last Saturday, and played a crucial role in helping the club to a vital 2-1 away victory over Blackpool.
After the game, Birmingham boss Lee Clarke admitted that his club had done 'unbelievably well' to get Ibe, and revealed that he had to beat off 'so many other clubs' to land the LFC attacker. On Ibe's performance against Blackpool, Clarke enthused:
“I am so excited by Jordan and what he now gives us.
"We saw glimpses of his skill in his first training session with us and he showed a bit more in the game. He seems so confident in his own ability. He has great power and pace. He is a real asset.”
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has high-hopes for Ibe, and when asked about the youngster during his pre-Aston Villa press conference in January, Rodgers raved:
"Ibe has been outstanding in training. He's at a really good level; He's learning all the time, and he can be a great player for us in the future".
Liverpool legends John Aldridge and Jamie Carragher have also hyped-up Ibe. During a recent 5 Times Podcast recently, Aldo suggested that Raheem Sterling may have some major competition in the near future:
"Sterling has a challenge on now, and it should bring out the best in both of them. I’ve always liked him [Ibe]. He has blistering pace; directness; positivity; knows where the goal is, and can create".
Carra told the Daily Mail:
"Ibe is a fearless young winger, quick and strong with an eye for goal. He has done well, and I expect to be hearing a lot more about him".
Ibe and Sterling started together against Notts County in the Capital One Cup earlier this season, but in the Premier League, it's likely at some point - as Aldo suggests - that they'll be challenging each other for a first team spot.
Sterling continues to be one of LFC's most consistent players, and over the last few months, he's clearly worked hard to improve on his body strength, and all-round game. As such, Sterling is setting a great example for Ibe to follow, and if all goes well, the Reds could have another potent weapon in attack next season.
I just hope Ibe doesn't get ridiculously over-hyped. As the comment above show, the hype-machine is already in full swing, which is arguably irresponsible considering Ibe has, to date, played only 208 minutes of football in his entire senior career.
Author: Jaimie K
Believe the hype!
ReplyDeleteI believe Ibe has the potential to be better than Sterling. He looks bigger and stronger than Sterling already so when he gets some games under his belt, who knows?
ReplyDeleteLFC has a class of 2014/15 coming through when you look at all the talented youngsters coming through. We shouldn't be too hasty when requesting big signings this summer.
I have never known such a negative write about Liverpool. Carragher and Aldridge will be much closer to the news about this young player. It isn't wrong to get excited about good young players coming through. Its one of the things that makes football exciting!!
ReplyDeleteThat's should say "writer", not write.
ReplyDeleteIf he is better we will all be happy because Sterling has been fantastic of late. Pace to burn, skill, strength, defensively solid, can pick a pass and score a goal, he's a great role model for young Ibe to follow (well on the pitch at least...).
ReplyDeleteExcited yes, but showering them with praise before they achieve anything can be detrimental. That's all Jaimie is getting at..
ReplyDeleteThat's or that? :-)
ReplyDeleteYou can use the edit function underneath your original comment to amend your post. Very useful when a prediction turns out to be spectacularly wrong! You can go back and make it look like you're nostradamus rather than Lawro.
ReplyDeleteOur young players on loan have the potential but not the credentials should save us money in the transfer market
ReplyDeleteEveryone says things like that about other people but most people thrive on excessive praise even if they don't fully believe it.
ReplyDeleteI believe in Ibe and i think he is one with great talent. Great potential. Personally though, i do not agree with what seems to be the majority, that Ibe will be better than Sterling because of greather strengh. From what i have seen, so far i actually believe Sterling to be the stronger one - atleast when it comes to football strengh. From Rodgers and Gerrards comments - they will know better than me - it looks as if they agree. It is very much about having the ability to use your strengh and your balance and time the use of both correctly - both when anticipating contact and going for contact. That, the timing, is an erea Sterling have developed and is becoming very good at. For me, Ibe do have a long long way to go. And certainly a lot of catching up before he is at the level of Sterling. And that is catching up with a wonderfull Sterling who also have a long way to go. Wright-Phillips where great, just a pleasure. Speady, tricky. But for how long. Sterling need to maintain a high level for many years.
ReplyDeleteBut what a wonderful colection of potentially greats, maybes we have at the club. Very exiting. And yes, we should thing very much about it before we go out and bring in players. We need a left back, a midfielder and an attacking player (striker/winger) though.
HAHA..... Moyes singing about we can do a Liverpool in the Champions Lge???? Go back to singing in musicals in 'ANNIE'.
ReplyDeleteItv are bunch of brown nosing sycophants towards Man U... apparently it was a lucky flick, if that was Tom Cleverly they'd be saying he should be considered ahead of Henderson for the World Cup starting places.
What I like about Sterling is that he's all about end-product. Shots, through balls, pull-backs, direct surging runs on the counter, beating his man to get into position to make a chance. That's a really rare quality in a young winger, or indeed in any young player. Ibe doesn't have it from what I've seen. He's got lots of physical and technical quality, but he'll have to learn to add effectiveness to his game -- that rare ability which for Sterling seems to come naturally with exuberance and a real desire for his team to succeed.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with your thoughts on our class of 2014/15. We have an amazing set of gifted youngsters coming through our youth system & several are about ready to break into the first team squad. I hope that they'll be given a proper chance to do that & while i think we need 2 or three world class signings, i don't want to see any signing come in that gets in the way of their progression. I really want us to sign Firmino, Rakitic, Hughes, Gauld & Lachelles but past that i think our youngsters should fill the squad for next seasons assult! Wisdom, Kelly, Flanno, McLaughin, Ilori, Robinson, Coady, Teixeira, Trickett-Smith, Alberto, Ibe, Suso, Adorjan & Hodzic are all very talented & pushing for their place in the first team squad for a shot at the first team. Once we've trimmed of the liabilities & frankly not good enough (Jones, Toure, Cissoko, Aspas, Moses) we'll have space for quite a few of them.
ReplyDelete