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The kids are alright

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Watched the extended highlights of the 2:2 draw for the U23s at Molineux. The team:

4-3-3:
------------Kelleher-------------
--------Hoever----VDB--------
Williams---------------Larouci
----------Chirivella (c)---------
-----Clarkson---J. Cain----
Elliott------Hardy-------Millar

Larouci picked up a knock early on and was replaced by Adam Lewis, who is finally back from a long-term injury and clearly desperate to get back into contention. With the exception of Curtis Jones for Millar, this could well be the team that will try to keep our FA Cup run going next Tuesday. So how did they do?

Overall, judging from the highlights, the early-season defensive issues are mostly behind us, Wolves' goals were not a result of defensive mistakes and Van der Berg and Hoever seem to work well together as a pair. Kelleher maybe should have saved one of the two goals; Adrian or Alisson would have. We still had problems with set plays, but some of it was due to Wolves' U23 inventive training-ground routines and top-notch deliveries that would have troubled anybody. Still, set plays is probably this team's biggest defensive vulnerability at the moment.

In attack, there is a new name (at least for me) worth keeping an eye on – Leighton Clarkson, who seemed to be everywhere in midfield. Really quality strike and delivery on this lad. Both Williams and Adam Lewis produced some quality deliveries from the wings and Hardy seems like a proper poacher up front. Great over-head kick goal from Elliott should give him even more confidence, not that he needs any. Overall, looks like the kids more than held their own from open play and are playing within a coherent system that suits them. With Jones plus 2-3 senior players mixed in in key positions, I'm sure they would beat Shrewsbury at Anfield; without them I still think they would be underdogs but will hopefully give a good account of themselves.
 
[article]
Sepp van den Berg admits he had other offers apart from Liverpool last summer.

The former PEC Zwolle defender chose Liverpool ahead of proposals from PSV Eindhoven and Bayern Munich.


He revealed to De Telegraaf: “I thought: how then? That such clubs were interested was almost unreal. I wasn't even a basic player in the national youth teams.

"I also saw PSV as a very nice option, I also liked that club from an early age.

"Only the feeling at Liverpool is ... Yes, so big, but really a family club. The heat here is special. If you come to the club, you will not get a hand, but a hug from manager Jürgen Klopp."
[/article]
 
Hardy with a nice finish to cap off a lovely move. Jones involved in the build up with a great pass.
 
Curtis Jones really is the heart of that team, hes like Grealish for Villa. So important.
 
Curtis Jones really is the heart of that team, hes like Grealish for Villa. So important.
He could well play more of a role next season. Either that, or he needs a loan move. He's too dominant in that U23 team in a way that is unhealthy for his own development and the development of that team. They all give him the ball and wait for him to be at the centre of everything, like Gerrard in his pomp. He needs to earn that respect among professionals in league games that matter. I think he will, but I want to see it.
 
He could well play more of a role next season. Either that, or he needs a loan move. He's too dominant in that U23 team in a way that is unhealthy for his own development and the development of that team. They all give him the ball and wait for him to be at the centre of everything, like Gerrard in his pomp. He needs to earn that respect among professionals in league games that matter. I think he will, but I want to see it.

Are you talking about Jones?
 
At the rate he's scoring goals, Joe Hardy will "do a Kevin Stewart" and get us a tidy profit :D
 
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I know we've been spoiled by TAA, but I want a boss young ATTACKING player to come through and break into the first team at 18 or something, because he's just so great.

McManaman, Owen, Fowler, Gerrard (sort of), Sterling (OK, he was nabbed from QPR, but he was 15 at the time). Someone like that.
 
Interesting to see Elliott starting obv means not even a sub opp for him v Chelsea, kinda surprised
 
Interesting to see Elliott starting obv means not even a sub opp for him v Chelsea, kinda surprised
[article]Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admits Harvey Elliott won't be in the squad for their FA Cup clash with Chelsea.

However, Neco Williams and Curtis Jones are involved with the first team for the clash at Stamford Bridge.

Having recently been suffering with a back complaint, the decision has been made for the 16 year-old to play for the Under-19s against Benfica in the UEFA Youth League on Tuesday.

"Harvey went with the U19s, the others not," said Klopp at his press conference on Monday.


"How I said, we have a big squad and we can make decisions and we will make decisions.

"It's about who is ready for this game, how we can line up a team which we really think having fresh legs can fight really against this team, can defend Chelsea like they have to be defended and all these kind of things.

"That's what the line-up is about.

"We had a decision with Harvey and we had to make it a bit earlier because he had a little problem with his back on Friday.

“But it is good again and that's why he can play there."[/article]
 
One back.

38' GOAL. MORTON. A spectacular goal from Morton, as his looping volley from distance hits the back of the net, after a lovely assist from Elliott.
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NINTCHDBPICT000568036370.jpg

[article]Harvey Elliott can seemingly do no wrong in his first season as a Liverpool player, with the red half of Merseyside really taking to the former Fulham wonderkid.

The forward signed for the Reds for an undisclosed fee in the summer and has continued to progress at a rapid pace after becoming the youngest player to play in the Premier League at just 16 years and 30 days.

Although he played an integral role in Liverpool’s embarrassment of bitter rivals Everton in the third round of the FA Cup earlier this season, the winger was not included in the squad for the fifth round tie against Chelsea on Tuesday night.

Instead, he travelled with the Under-19 side for their UEFA Youth League clash against Benfica and made sure to quickly get involved in the thick of things and not let the disappointment of missing out on more first team action get to him.

Trailing 3-0 to the Portuguese side, Elliott helped the young Reds’ claim a lifeline with a gorgeous assist for Tyler Morton. And it was the impassioned reaction afterwards which will really endear Elliott to supporters back home.

As the teenager raced to get the ball back and start the game again, he shoved the much larger opposition keeper into the net and squared up to him; such was his determination to get the game under way again.

It is this passion and determination which should see the wonderkid rewarded with a new contract at Anfield until 2023, and has endeared him to first team boss Jurgen Klopp.

“He is exceptionally talented, absolutely, and he’s a nice kid as well,” Klopp told their club website.

“To see him how he encouraged the crowd at the corners. I had a couple of moments when I was really touched tonight, to be honest. That’s really cool.”
[/article]
 
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